Thursday 13 August 2015

The Perfect Partner


Limited time. High stakes. And a drive to another city. See how the Hyundai Elantra became the perfect partner on the road.

MEET RUCHITA AND Ashutosh. Young, high-achievers and fiercely independent entrepreneurs. They know how to get what their clients want and make sure their business soars. So when they received a call that a client they were trying to get on board had agreed to a meeting, they were thrilled. But there was a catch. If they wanted the account, they would have to travel from Mumbai to Pune in three hours and present their pitch on arrival. Armed with their wits, experience and laptops, they jumped into their trusted partner for many such endeavours, the Hyundai Elantra, and headed out. On the road. On the job. The Fully Automatic Air- Conditioner helped them keep cool and the ultra-comfy rear seats with their very generous legroom gave them enough space to relax and comfortably work on their winning pitch. The 1.8 Dual VTVT lightweight petrol engine churning out 149bhp with 18.1kgm of torque and the precisely tuned 6-speed H-matic automatic transmission made their driver's work fun and relaxing at the same time.
 

What helped too was the fact that the Elantra felt solid. They knew they were cocooned in high-tech safety. Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with steering assist system, ABS with EBD and a six-airbag system. And just like the Elantra, Ruchita and Ashutosh were going to show up for their meeting totally prepared for any surprises and obstacles. Ruchita and Ashutosh wowed their soon-to-be clients with their style, charisma and, of course, a beautifully made presentation. It matched perfectly with the style, charisma and attention to detail of the Hyundai Elantra. Its elegant profile, sporty front and splendid rear make it irresistible. The side character lines, muscular wheel arches and low roofline are pure excitement. Luxury and innovation blend seamlessly in this car that effortlessly sets new industry standards. Ruchita and Ashutosh, just like the Hyundai Elantra, were made to excel.

Published by: What Car?

THE BEST OF both worlds


THE BEST OF both worlds. How often have we heard that phrase?  Most often, it is used with reference to a house in the country close to the highway, or, recently, even the combination of a pizza and a burger. What it implies in the true sense and in the real world is a crossover of benefits. Large vehicles have always been, secretly or not, desired by everyone from little children to mothers with many little children. Road presence? Safety? Big feel? Yes, they had that, but they also had a lot of bulk and were plagued by the worst handling money could buy. Show it a muddy corner and, like a big dog. It would want to roll over in it, worse, taking said mother and little children along for the ride. 



What's changed? Vehicles can be large, yet still handle like cars. Not everyone needs a two-and-a-half tonne 4x4 to take on a wet road and a puddle or three, no. They could simply do with high ground clearance, wide enough tyres, more predictable car-like handling, and while they're at it, more space and a Cabin feels airy and spacious. Quality is good and the automatic transmission is a blessing when dealing with chaotic city traffic big car feel too. Enter the crossover. No more ladder-onframe, three-row, knees-in-your-face seating nonsense, it was time for a change. With a larger monocoque to work with, there can be a big car with all the creature comforts and space for passengers and cargo, just like the massive SUV. Except, this one is more comfortable, doesn't guzzle fuel to the tune of single-figure km/litre and is actually drivable in all weather conditions. 

Hyundai have created the new Creta, which takes several of its 'Fluidic' design cues from its larger sibling, the Santa Fe. The exterior proportions look generous, and they are. The threeslat chromed front grille is flanked by a projector combination headlamp cluster. The rising shoulder-line makes is look far more angular and sharp than the Santa Fe as well as the old Tucson; the only compact SUV offering from Hyundai India in the past. Flared wheel-arches are joined by 16" wheels and 205/65 rubber. Braking duties are handled by a set of discs at the front and drums at the rear. Don't bother looking for a rear differential, there isn't one. The CRETA is purely front-wheel drive.

Inside, the greatest thing the CRETA has going for it is the space on offer. It's wide enough to accommodate four passengers with ease, as well as a fifth, should the situation so demand. The front seats offer good support and are very comfortable to be in indeed. They are, however, manually adjustable. At the rear, the head-room is good too and the seats, although a bench, offer enough knee-room: lack of space is not going to be an issue, although the thigh support at the rear is not as good as it is at the front. The centre arm-rest is also there to make rear occupants more comfortable when travelling in a group of four. Adjustable headrests, front and rear, are a highly appreciated inclusion too.

The boot space is also generous and will easily hold the luggage for said family all set for a long weekend. The AT model also exclusively gets a 60:40 split-folding rear seat-back. Other crucial elements include generous cubbyholes and other storage spaces, Bluetooth, as well as a USB port and Aux connectivity. The interior, as expected from Hyundai, is well laid-out and equally well finished. The black plastic components don't feel cheap to touch and there is nothing lacklustre about their finish. The steering wheel is positioned at quite an angle, but the driving position isn't really awkward. A reverse parking camera rounds off the equipment list nicely. 

On the safety front, Hyundai have been busy, with the "HIVE body structure' chassis having reinforced the front end, A- and B-pillars and underbody. ABS is standard on all variants, as are dual front airbags.

Under the bonnet, the familiar1.6-litre four-pot turbo-diesel, from the Verna and Elantra, makes 128 PS and 260 Nm. The automatic transmission on offer, however, is from the latter: a six-speed unit, and shifts up quickly in the interest of efficiency. This helps keep the cabin sound level appreciably low. Power delivery is progressive and makes the CRETA a convenient city offering, while also ensuring it won't run out of breath on the highway. It dismisses 100 km/h in just over 12seconds and hits a true 160 km/h. Under braking from 80 km/h. it behaved itself and felt sure-footed.

The all-important fuel-efficiency figure we achieved was as high as 14.5 km/1 on the highway. Don't fret, because even in the city, the CRETA CRDi AT delivered a double-digit figure. Now it comes down to the price, the CRETA is available from Rs 8.6 lakh, but this 1.6 automatic diesel we've driven here is priced at Rs 13.58 lakh, all prices ex-showroom, Delhi. Value for money it is, then, and it's already got a lot of competitors shaking in their boots.
Published by: Car India
Words by: Jim Gorde

Saturday 8 August 2015

CRETA Comforts


FORGET FOR A MOMENT URBAN dictionary's definition of this car's name and concentrate instead on what we have here. This is the new Hyundai CRETA and will be in showrooms by the time you read this. The CRETA is a very well equipped compact SUV that gives buyers a whole host of engines and transmissions and six trim levels to choose from. It shares its engines with the Verna - there's a 16-litre petrol and two diesels - 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre, the latter will be available with an optional six-speed automatic transmission. Prices start from approximately? 9.1 lakh for the base petrol to 14.5 lakh for the top-end diesel automatic. Now that we have the vital statistics out of the way, we also drove it briefly at Hyundai's test track in Chennai and initial impressions are of a car that is very well rounded.

The CRETA looks quite handsome and that's probably why Hyundai already has around 10,000 customers who have put a deposit on the Creta. Unlike a few other compact SUV's that can be mistaken for hatchbacks, the CRETA is unmistakably an SUV. Its upright stance, Santa Fe-like nose and clean styling see to that. What's noticeable is the long wheelbase-2590 mm-and it is something that frees up a lot of space inside. The rear seat is truly spacious with exceptional knee room and great. The clean design of the exteriors follows through on the insides as well - the dashboard is uncluttered and the top-end SX (O) variant we drove comes with a pleasing beige and black theme and neat fit and finish.

The SX(O) comes with pushbutton start and when you thumb it, the 1.6-litre diesel comes alive and settles into a smooth, quiet idle. Hyundai says a lot of work went into cutting down cabin noise - there's extra sound insulation in the dashboard and fenders, anti-noise pads on the floor and a special sound deadening coating on the under body. Even the garnish on the A-pillar has been designed to cut down wind noise and all of this leads to a reasonably silent cabin on the move.
The 126bhp diesel engine from the Verna has some lag and its 260Nm of torque fully kicks in only by 1900rpm. But, the light clutch and slick gearshift won't make you complain about rowing through the six-speed manual to get around this. It feels more than peppy on boost and there is decent power when you're off-boost as well.
The other transmission we drove, the six-speed automatic, helps disguise some of the engine's lag, power delivery feels quite linear and gearshifts are quite smooth as well. It doesn't like to down shift in a hurry though.
Test tracks are generally smooth and it's hard to judge the ride quality, so we will reserve our judgment on that for later but what is evident is that the CRETA feels stable at speed and when you do throw it around, the ESP cuts in to prevent things from getting out of hand. The steering is typical Hyundai - numb, but reasonably well weighted - and body control is good although there is some roll when you corner it hard.
 Also typically Hyundai is the equipment list - this SX(O) comes with auto headlamps, Bluetooth connectivity, climate control, a rear view camera, navigation system, rear air-con vents, steering-mounted audio and telephonic controls and leather upholstery. The lower SX variant gets smaller 16-inch rims instead of the 17-inchers and only two airbags instead of the full six.
 Speaking of which, Hyundai is particularly proud of the Creta's safety structure. Five cross members on the roof and a dual underbody load path for the crash structure lends rigidity to the body and it also has additional front fender and rear quarter reinforcements. Overall, the CRETA comes across as a very well-rounded package over a broad price band. It's safe to say that it will do well in India.

Published by:  EVO India


Words by: Ouseph Chacko