Taking this into consideration, the Korean carmaker has given its compact SUV a facelift after nearly four years. In this report, we compare it with the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder in terms of their design, features, specifications and pricing to see which one is worth putting your hard-earned cash on. In the rapidly evolving landscape of compact SUVs, the year 2024 has brought forth some intriguing contenders.
Key Points
- Design and Exterior: The first impression is often visual, and in this aspect, each of these SUVs brings a unique design language to the table. On the other hand, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder emphasizes a sporty aesthetic, while the Maruti Grand Vitara exudes a robust and sophisticated presence. Design-wise, the 2024 Creta facelift is easily distinguishable from the Japanese twins of the Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser Hyryder with its design. It boasts a boxier design, featuring a squarer grille, a chunky skid plate on the front bumper, and squared-out LED headlights. Both the Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser Hyryder, though muscular in design, take a more rounded approach in their overall styling. Both cars are essentially the same, but they sport a different front grille design, LED DRLs, headlight housings, and LED taillights.
- Interior Comfort and Features: Similar to their exterior design, the insides of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder feature the same cabin layout with a floating infotainment system, three-spoke steering wheel and switches for the climate control. The only difference here comes in the form of logos and different colour schemes. The Creta, on the other hand, adopts a minimalist and premium approach for its cabin layout compared to the conventional design of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder. It features a dual-screen setup for the infotainment system and digital driver’s display, sleek AC vents, and a multi-spoke steering wheel. It also boasts piano black elements and dual-tone theme across all its variants, creating a sense of space inside the cabin.
- Performance and Engine Specifications: The 2024 Creta facelift provides a wide range of engine options, including a diesel powertrain. Hyundai has reintroduced the turbo-petrol option for the Creta, pairing it with the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). In contrast, the Grand Vitara and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder come only with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. That said, it is available with both a mild hybrid and strong hybrid system, as well as a factory-fitted CNG kit. Both the models also provide an all-wheel drive option, something which the Creta doesn’t offer.
- Safety Features: With the 2024 facelift, the Creta now gets new features such as a digital driver’s display, a 360-degree camera, dual-zone climate control, and ADAS, enhancing its already feature-loaded cabin.
Both the Grand Vitara and Hyryder also provide a feature-rich cabin, offering all essential and good-to-have features. The only area where the Creta outperforms the Japanese siblings is in its inclusion of ADAS. However, both the Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser Hyryder offer standard features like ABS with EBD and electronic stability control with six airbags. - Price and Value for Money: In terms of pricing, the Grand Vitara's price range is lower than both the 2024 Creta and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder by up to Rs 45,000 on the base-spec variant and up to Rs 37,000 on the top-spec variant. Do note that the prices of the 2024 Creta are introductory and may increase sooner or later. To sum up, if you are in the market for a new compact SUV, you now have a variety of options. On one hand, the Creta offers a refreshed design, additional features, and a new turbo-petrol engine. It also looks much more premium than its Japanese counterparts.
Conclusion
On the other hand, the Grand Vitara and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder provide more or less a similar feature set, but you are limited to choosing from petrol powertrains, both mild- and strong-hybrid. If you are specifically looking for a hybrid powertrain, your choice is narrowed down to either the Grand Vitara or the Hyryder.