The Hyundai Creta has won the coveted Indian Car of the Year 2016. The compact SUV from the Korean automaker was launched earlier this year and has been a decent success for Hyundai.

This is Hyundai’s third ICOTY award as it won the same for the Grandi10 in 2014 and the Elitei20 in 2015.

Commenting on the award, Y K Koo, MD and CEO, HMIL said, “We are honoured to win the most prestigious automotive award – The Indian car of the Year 2016 for our make in India, made for the world product- the Perfect SUV- Hyundai Creta.

The Creta is a true expression of ‘New Age’ Hyundai setting new benchmarks in the industry. Winning the third successive ICOTY award symbolises the trust and faith of customers in the Hyundai brand.

We thank all our customers, partners, media and jurors who have chosen Creta as the Indian Car of the Year and made Hyundai the most loved and trusted car manufacturer.”

The Creta features the new nature inspired Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design that has also been the design language seen on other modern Hyundais. In fact look at it head on and you will be reminded of the Santa Fe.

This alone gets the SUV some extra brownie points – note the similarity with the front hexagonal grille and the sharp well defined headlamps of the more premium Santa Fe.

The headlamps also feature projector and day light running lamps and will be offered only in the top variants.

Vertical inserts in the bumper house the fog lamps adding to the aggressive character. The A-pillar is blacked out and merges with the roof quite sharply.

The fact that it’s longer than 4 metres is obvious when viewed from the side. It’s a proportionate design and the overall stance is quite dynamic.

Side/ lower cladding and roof rails are typical of an SUV and these are offered in the Creta.

The headlamps and tail lamps wrap-around well and are visible from the side.

The top variants feature large 16-inch wheels that feature a striking five-spoke split design.

The rear end is smart too and goes well with the overall design.

The split rear lamps look striking. LED lamps aren’t offered but the LED-effect (seen in the i20) is present.

The boot features a lower loading lip compared to its rivals. The bumper also features reflectors and other mock inserts to go with the SUV character.

We noticed a few inconsistent panel gaps especially where the side cladding meets the doors.

Overall, the design isn’t loud like the Hyundais we are used to seeing but is actually modern and yet easy on the eye.

It’s a good looking SUV and has the potential to appeal to a wide audience.

Source: CARPENTERS MOTORS

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