Test drive Hyundai Creta
Test Drive

Test drive Hyundai Creta

What tricks did the Koreans use in the design of the novelty and why is it better to buy a crossover in the top version 

According to the laws of the mountains. Test drive Hyundai Creta 

“And before that they just threw a hat - whoever throws it first goes by first,” the driver of the oncoming “ten” explains to me in Altai, which stands across the road with an open hood and does not allow us to pass. The car began to boil while climbing the old section of the Chuisky tract at the Chike-taman pass, which has not been serviced for a long time, but still attracts both tourists and locals. The main stream goes along an excellent asphalt highway a hundred meters away, and from time to time those who want to touch the historical path to Mongolia or to appease the spirits of the road come here on a narrow dirt road.

The hat worked simply: the one who first approached a narrow section, got out of his car or cart, walked the section and threw the hat at the end as a kind of traffic light. Then he returned to his transport, passed the “reserved” section and took the hat. "And if the hat is stolen?" - I ask, and I see misunderstanding in the eyes of the Altaian. “You can't do that, the road won't forgive it,” he shakes his head. The Altaians, like all other steppe inhabitants, treat the road and its spirits with reverent respect.

Test drive Hyundai Creta


Somehow, having missed the ill "ten" we drove on - first by touch, then faster and faster. The old primer has long bared its teeth with pits, gullies and stones piled on top, but the clearance of the Hyundai Creta made it possible to dashingly pass from pit to pit, without fear of either the suspension or the compact bumpers dressed in plastic skirts. The simplest version with a 1,6-liter engine, manual transmission and front-wheel drive seemed to be quite sufficient here, at least as long as the stones were dry and the depth of the holes did not allow hanging out one of the driving wheels. The seemingly dangerous places passed by - the suspension hooted in the womb, sometimes taking the levers to the limiters, but did not try to fall apart and did not shake the soul out of the passengers.

The Creta was hardly specially created for the conditions that we found in the distant Altai Mountains, where Russian "Niva" and UAZ vehicles, as well as right-hand drive Japanese minivans, often all-wheel drive, were and will be held in high esteem. There is a different automobile culture here, and from the current models on the roads you can occasionally find only Hyundai Solaris. But the bar was set too high by competitors, who rushed sharply into the promising segment of subcompact crossovers, to which increased requirements are quite logically imposed in Russia. Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and Skoda Yeti set the trend for not virtual, but real cross-country ability, the new Kaptur summed up the set of requirements with a striking appearance. The French threw their hat very far.

Test drive Hyundai Creta

Creta's appearance may not have turned out bright, but it is quite corporate. The front end cut with trapeziums looks fresh, and the optics in the more expensive trim levels are quite modern. But the sharp corners of the window openings are already straining. In general, the car turned out to be not too emotional - the Kaptur cannot be overshadowed by the Korean crossover, and its audience will certainly be older.

The most important thing that happened to Creta for the Russian market is the suspension. Several years ago, seriously targeting the markets of the Old World, Koreans suddenly began to make pseudo-European chassis, which in fact turned out to be too rigid and uncomfortable, especially on our roads. The latest generation cars required perfect asphalt, and only the budget Solaris was given the right energy-intensive suspension. The Creta chassis structurally resembles a mix of Elantra and Tucson units, but in terms of settings it is closer to Solaris. With some adjustment for density - the suspension of the taller and heavier crossover still had to be slightly squeezed so that the car did not sway over bumps. As a result, it turned out very worthy: on the one hand, Creta is not afraid of bumps and irregularities, allowing it to go on broken dirt roads, on the other hand, it stands very firmly in fast turns without any rolls. The steering wheel, which is light to nothing in parking modes, is filled with good effort on the move and does not move away from the car, and 37 turns of the new road through the Chike-taman pass are proof of this.

Test drive Hyundai Creta


The speed limiter for the Creta was, oddly enough, the 1,6-liter engine that drives both Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio so well. Either the crossover is really noticeably heavier than the sedans, or the gear ratios of the box are not so selected, but on small slopes of the Altai roads, Creta quickly turned sour, forcing it to switch down one, two or three gears. Overtaking on a straight line with this engine has to be well calculated, and this is the case when it would be easier for an “automatic” to understand the situation. Although the "mechanics" itself, as well as the clutch, work perfectly unlike the French ones.

According to the numbers of technical characteristics, the difference with a two-liter engine is minimal, but subjective feelings suggest otherwise. The powerful Creta, with its solid mid-range traction, immediately feels more mature. In addition, we got a car with a six-speed automatic transmission, which does not require driver intervention at all. Hardly any of the colleagues will immediately remember that this box has a manual switching mode. It runs faster and smoother than the Renault Kaptur's four-speed unit, although the specs are both head-to-head and head-to-head. And in this sense, the Korean hat flew a little further.

Test drive Hyundai Creta


Koreans generally turned out to be a little more cunning than the French, entering the market a little later and offering more attractive price tags. But it is not so easy to directly compare them with the Renault Kaptur price list. The display base price tag of Creta is lower, but the initial set of equipment is rather weak, and all the usual options are available only in more expensive versions. And for this very reason, it makes sense to look at the top version of the Creta. It is still possible to refuse heating the steering wheel and rear seats in it, but the set will include a stabilization system, parking sensors and, most importantly, longitudinal steering wheel adjustment, which completely changes the driver's position, making it a familiar passenger.

Another trick is disguising budget solutions. Everything that is simpler is carefully hidden from the eyes, or does not rush at them. The power window keys, for example, do not have backlighting, and the soft trim inserts in the places of frequent touches are, again, only the top versions. The glove box also has no illumination. But in general, the interior is made very decently, and those who are not embarrassed by the archaic already blue illumination of the keys and instruments will find it at least modern. There is no sense of budget and total economy here, and the ergonomics, at least in cars with steering wheel adjustment for reach, is really good. There are normal seats with a good range of adjustments and tangible lateral support, a large reserve of rear space and a roomy trunk with neat (unlike, for example, Ford EcoSport) upholstery.

Test drive Hyundai Creta


The fact that all-wheel drive can be obtained only in the most expensive version is no longer a trick, but a calculation. According to statistics, few people take a drive for all four in this segment, and on real off-road such cars are rarely found. The all-wheel drive Creta is equipped with a rear multi-link suspension, which makes it even more perky, but the transmission itself is without revelations: a conventional electronically controlled clutch with a "lock" button for the center differential. Four-wheel drive is perceived here as the icing on the cake, a pleasant but optional addition to the top-version, which still needs to be paid for. And if you count it, it turns out that Renault Kaptur is more democratic in this sense - there are more four-wheel drive versions, and the entry price tag for four-wheel drive from the French is noticeably lower.

Ultimately, Creta, unlike some classmates, is not perceived as a compromise product born in the throes of total economy. Although from a Korean car of one of the lower price segments, we would have the right to expect something similar. Compared to competitors, it lacks visual brightness, but the overall quality of the model seems attractive. Judging by the fact that in the first month of sales Creta broke into the leaders of the segment, here and now this is what is more appreciated. The Korean hat is already lying on the road, while others are just getting to the narrow place and knitting ribbons in the trees.

 

 

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