After the initial euphoric public response to the Renault Duster, very much like it was with the Mahindra Scorpio, there has been a drought of new launches in the compact sports utility vehicle market in the last few months. Together, the troika of Ford EcoSport, the Duster and the Nissan Terrano have been the obvious choices for small car owners looking to experience a new type of vehicle.

Most of the other brands, which have attempted to join the bandwagon, have done so with sports-style vehicles such as the Etios Cross, the Fiat Avventura, the Cross Polo and the more recent Hyundai i20 Active. These are cars that have the advantage of lower excise duties thanks to their sub-four-metre size, though they fall far short of being real SUVs.

New comers Sales volumes in the compact SUV segment has been slipping, averaging about 11,200 units during the first five months of this year.

But two new vehicles in the segment could set the market on fire in the coming months – Hyundai’s Creta and Maruti Suzuki’s A-Cross (both the names are yet to be confirmed by the respective companies). The most-awaited compact SUV for the year is likely to be the Creta (the name according to the rumour mill for the iX25). The vehicle was showcased at the Auto China Show 2014. Hyundai India has decided on taking on a new name instead of the international alpha-numeric code iX25, apparently to establish its exclusivity for the Indian market. The name ‘Creta’ is said to signify modern simplicity and creativity.

The new vehicle’s design adopts the new Fluidic sculpture 2.0 philosophy. Its wide stance and crossover style sloping roof apart, the other design feature that will catch the eye will be the floating roof concept with its blacked out A-pillar.

The Creta is likely to feature a 1.6-litre diesel engine and will be offered with both 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Tuned to offer loads of low-end torque and about 125 PS of peak power, the engine is expected to be extremely driveable in city conditions.

This will be the engine offered at the time of launch, though a similarly-sized petrol engine could also join the portfolio at a later date. The Creta will not be offered with an all-wheel drive option, however.

Expectations From the looks and the build quality of the Creta (as seen in its iX25 garb) will make it a strong addition to Hyundai India’s portfolio. The vehicle will be positioned in the price range that straddles from just south of the ₹10-lakh threshold to about ₹13 lakh.

Features such as LED daytime running lights and double folding rear seats will be standard.

The Creta is likely to be launched by July-August this year. Hyundai India will hope to leverage its extensive sales and service network to rake in volumes from Tier-III and Tier-IV cities in addition to the main metro markets around the country. This is the kind of vehicle that many in the smaller cities and towns of the country are waiting out for.

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