By Malusi Msomi

Hyundai South Africa recently added a new model to its local line-up – the all-new Grand Creta. We attended the local media of the newcomer which offers seating for 7 people, boasts a bold yet upmarket design and a comprehensive list of features. The model range consists of the Executive MT, 2.0 Executive AT, 1.5 Executive Diesel AT, 2.0 Elite AT and 1.5 Elite Diesel AT.

The looks and interior

The Grand Creta gets a front grille that looks like it’s bigger sibling, the Palisade, which gives the front end of the vehicle a fresh and elegant look. All models come standard with alloy wheels, an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, wireless charging, cruise control, rear camera, and rear park assist. As a seven-seater, you’re looking at 5 adults and two kids’ setup with the second-row seats having a sliding bench for added practicality.

The drive

At launch, we drove the 1.5 Diesel Elite AT which employs a 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 85kW and 250Nm. Power is sent to the front wheels via a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic. Not the fastest on the planet but good enough for overtaking and certainly good for highway cruising. It rides comfortably on a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with the suspension doing a pretty good job soaking up bumps on the road. The range also consists of a 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 117kW and 191Nm of torque. It’s paired to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic depending on the model derivative.

Hyundai claims a combined fuel-consumption of 5.0-litres and 6.5-litres/100 km for the turbodiesel and petrol engines, respectively. We will report on the Grand Creta’s fuel-economy in our full-review.

Safety

On the safety side, the new Grand Creta is equipped with frontal and side airbags for the driver and front passenger and two curtain airbags. Among the SmartSense active safety features are front and rear Park Assist for the Elite derivatives (front only for Executive level); Hill-Start Assist Control that prevents roll-back; and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) for all versions. The outer seats in the second row are fitted with ISOFIX anchorage points for a child safety seat.

Pricing

The all-new Hyundai Grand Creta is priced as follows:

2.0 Executive MT – R449,900

2.0 Executive AT – R489,900

1.5 Diesel Executive AT – R509,900

2.0 Elite AT – R539,900

1.5 Diesel Elite AT – R559,900.

Summary

It’s hard to define which segment the new Hyundai Grand Creta falls under, both as a seven-seater and size, but spec for spec, it rivals cars such as the VW Tiguan and Toyota RAV4. We look forward to spending more time with the new Grand Creta for a comprehensive review.