Test drive Hyundai Creta Black & Brown
Why did the Korean folk crossover need a limited special version and is it worth buying at all
At first glance, all this looks ironic: why does the most massive crossover in the country need a limited edition of only three thousand copies? Is it really that missing element that can force a person who is not too keen on it to buy "Cretu"? Can special nameplates really distinguish this car from more than 70 thousand of the same ones sold this year alone? And why, in fact, not?
The craving for customization in Russians is only getting stronger - and if so, it's better to trust the factory work than to screw goods from Aliexpress to your car. Moreover, the Black & Brown version is made in a rather restrained and balanced style. A black body, a special wheel design, an enlarged spoiler on the fifth door - that's all the external differences. Is that the projection of the logo from the bodies of mirrors to the ground sometimes looks comical: a pretentious font with monograms - but into the Moscow slush ...
However, this substance just makes everyone equal: both the Rolls-Royce passenger and the Creta driver. But inside, the owner of Black & Brown will find a very elegant environment with brown leatherette on the seats and inserts of the same color on the dashboard and door cards. They really revive the middle-aged interior, and at the same time make the junior crossover akin to Tucson and Santa Fe, released in similar special versions.
At the same time, there is no need to overpay for a ticket to such an elite club: the Black & Brown version is assembled on the basis of the average Comfort configuration and is available with both engines - 1.6 and 2.0 liters. In the case of the older version, you can also choose the number of driving wheels (the younger one can only be front-wheel drive), but the gearbox will be automatic in any case. The price range is from $ 16 to $ 790, that is, in comparison with the usual "Comfort", you need to pay $ 18
In addition to external and internal decor, for this money you will additionally be given a rear-view camera and Yandex.Navigator preinstalled in the on-board media system. It works adequately and smartly, knows how to pump up traffic jams, if you give it the Internet - in a word, you can do without a smartphone holder stuck into the ventilation deflector. For another $ 328 from above, you can order a winter package: heated windshield, washer nozzles and steering wheel.
The rest of the Creta remained itself - a well-known balanced car, rightfully occupying a place in the top sales. Yes, modern options are already asking here - for example, diode headlights instead of old-school halogen or a rain sensor - but this and much more should appear in the next-generation crossover, whose debut is not far off. And now it is worth noting that if "Creta" has grown old, it is more in appearance than in soul: it is still pleasant to deal with her.
The fit and ergonomics are still not really to complain about, the build quality raises no questions, and the space in the second row and in the trunk is quite enough for the average family. The only thing is that a separate ventilation zone and heated seats in the second row appear only in more expensive trim levels: residents of frosty regions should bear this in mind.
However, in winter, the Creta is already hot - at least with four-wheel drive and a two-liter engine, as we have on the test. This is not particularly expected from an inexpensive popular crossover, but under the traction Hyundai loves and knows how to slide, does not seek to leave the front axle on the outer trajectory and even willingly shifts from one side to the other! You may think this is childish, but we are sure that not a single person who is even a little interested in driving a car can resist the temptation to drive through a snow-covered field. And the electronics will insure against gross mistakes: ESP is not completely turned off here, but up to a certain limit - slide, they say, as much as you want, but if something happens, the insurance will work.
"Creta" is generally not averse to supporting an active driving style. Lively responses to the accelerator, rather vigorous acceleration of a 150-horsepower two-liter engine, an intelligent and executive "automatic" - you can even be quick in the city, and on the highway you don't feel a lack of confidence. In addition, the chassis is extremely well tuned here: a neutral-tenacious balance, a clear steering wheel with a pleasant effort - okay, this is not a sports car, but you can dashingly take a turn or two.
Those who, in principle, do not understand the meaning of recklessness, this crossover will not provoke: Creta can roll at a calm pace and even stand in New Year's traffic jams. There is excellent visibility, energy-intensive and rather soft suspension, and thanks to the optimal fit and the successful profile of the seats, you will most likely be cheerful even after several hours of driving.
So what exactly is Creta Black & Brown? Consider it just a new version of one of the most successful cars on the Russian market. It does not open up new horizons, but gives several pleasant points in terms of equipment - and, most importantly, it is able to stand out not in the stream of peers, but for the owner. After all, the fellow travelers see outside just a black "Creta", and inside there is a man who knows what he paid for.
