How Hyundai And Creta Plan To Fight Back Rising Competition

For years, the Hyundai Creta has been reigning in the midsize SUV segment. It has been selling well in most months. Packaging good value for the price and adopting a multi-powertrain approach have helped the Creta maintain its lead. Considering the huge acceptance, more manufacturers have recently been launching new products into the C-SUV segment. With the likes of Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Seltos, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, and Volkswagen Taigun on sale, the competition is already fierce. The newly revealed Maruti Victoris and upcoming Tata Sierra will only make the landscape hotter. All these have, in fact, brought about a slight dip in the Creta’s market share. So, how does Hyundai plan to win back ground? Let’s take a deep dive into the possible game plan.

The Context: Creta’s Sliding Market Share

Hyundai admits it saw the SUV wave coming in India. Tarun Garg, Hyundai India’s COO, said that nearly 68-69% of the company’s sales now come from SUVs. The Creta that once enjoyed nearly 70% share in its segment is now hovering around 30%.

Hyundai knows the future is electric. That’s why they launched the Creta Electric earlier this year. The electric mid-size SUV space currently has several attractive models from brands like Tata Motors, MG, and even Mahindra. The lower variants of the recently launched BE6 go head-to-head with the higher variants of the Creta Electric. The Korean carmaker’s EV aspirations have also been troubled by supply chain concerns around rare earth magnets from China. EVs seem to be a long-term priority for the brand.

Hyundai Working On The Next-Gen Creta

Image: Rendering (Kleber Silva)

Hyundai seems to have solid plans to revive the Creta’s market share. The Creta was first launched in 2015. In 2024, however, it got a generational update. The carmaker is now working on the third generation of the SUV. It is expected to go on sale in 2027.

Codenamed the SX3, Hyundai is currently known to be working on this. Details of the new model are sparse at the moment. It is expected to carry forward the current engine lineup and could further introduce a new hybrid powertrain as well. If so, it will become the first hybrid Hyundai to go on sale here.

It will then be able to go head-to-head with the Grand Vitara, Victoris, Hyryder, and the upcoming Honda Elevate strong hybrid. At present, three engine options are offered on the Creta- 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol, 1.5L turbocharged petrol, and the frugal 1.5L diesel.

The Creta has always been loved for its long list of features and tech. The new generation will bank further on these to attract more buyers. More comfort, connected, and safety features are expected on the third-generation SUV, the details of which are sparse for now.

Even on the styling front, the new generation Creta will likely be a major departure from the outgoing model. It will pack more visual appeal.

New N-Line

Representational Image

Soon after the new Creta makes a market debut, we expect the N-Line version to get a major overhaul, incorporating changes that align with the new-generation model. For the uninformed, the Creta N Line is the sportier version of the SUV with a stiffer suspension, better steering, and powered by the 1.5L TGDi turbo-petrol engine.

Creta EV Will Be Updated Too

Representational Image

Come 2027, the Creta Electric will be three years into its lifecycle. It would thus make sense for Hyundai to roll out a corresponding update on the electric SUV as well. Unlike the regular SUV that would get a full model change, the EV will likely get a mid-cycle refresh. It is likely to get notable restyling, more equipment and better tech. It remains unclear if Hyundai would update the battery packs and battery management software as well.

Updates To The Current Generation

To keep the numbers stable till the new-generation's market launch, Hyundai could roll out more updates on the outgoing Creta. These will likely try to maximise its appeal by adding more features, tweaking the overall styling and by giving better prices. Recently, we saw the Creta King Edition rolling out.

Bottomline

Hyundai India will likely bank on these three launches to revive Creta’s market share. Time remains before we learn further details of these updated models.