Amit Saraswat 
Ahead of its launch, Hyundai has officially teased the first images of the new Creta facelift and also opened bookings. Unlike the Thai-spec Creta facelift that takes inspiration from the Tuscon, the India-bound Creta finds its inspiration in the bold Palisade family SUV.
The teaser images of the new Creta give us a glimpse of its rugged front and rear profiles. Speaking about the front profile, the highlight is its prominent radiator grille, which also incorporates connected LED DRLs.
The new grille design also makes way for the vertical arrangement of the LED headlights, which are also reminiscent of that of the Hyundai Palisade. Around the rear profile, the new Creta features connected LED tail lights, the design of which is in line with the front LED units. From the images that have surfaced online, it is safe to assume that the Creta will offer a more robust design, following the design language of the Palisade and 2024 Santa Fe.
Heading into the inside, the new Creta facelift brings a breath of fresh air thanks to the new layout and tech. While the carmaker is tightlipped about the new addition of features, the images do give away a few interesting details. Like bigger Hyundai SUVs, the Creta new features the connected display layout, which is likely to pack two 10.25-inch screens.
In addition, while it is not very clear from the teaser image, the new Creta seems to have done away with rotary controls for HVAC in favour of capacitive switches. The rest of the cabin, which is visible from the teaser image, doesn’t look all that different from the outgoing model. It does have a new dashboard design though, which seems to carry a partition between the driver and passenger.
Hyundai has begun accepting bookings for the new Creta facelift for a token amount of INR 25,000. Prospective buyers can choose to either book the new SUV online or walk into a Hyundai dealership and drop the token money to secure their booking.
Alongside the current 1.5L naturally-aspirated petrol and 1.5L turbocharged diesel engine, the new Creta also brings a new 1.5L turbocharged petrol engine. While the carmaker is yet to share the specifications, it does tell us that the new range of engines will spread across 4 transmission choices — 6-speed manual, 6-speed torque converter automatic, intelligent variable transmission (IVT) and 7-speed dual-clutch (DCT). Lastly, customers will get the option to choose from 7 variant options — E, EX, S, S(O), SX, SX Tech, SX (O) — and 6 single-tone and 1 dual-tone colour options.
