February 2022 - Hyundai Creta Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated (Feb 15, 2022): This update of the Hyundai Creta diesel variants explained article includes the latest prices.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Hyundai Creta Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Hyundai Creta diesel are:

• Higher variants get a long list of features, including power driver seat, ventilated front seats, Bose sound system, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), panoramic sunroof, 6 airbags, reclining rear seats, etc.
• The base E variant of the Creta diesel carries a nominal premium over the petrol variant and a km-to-breakeven figure of only 30,000km; other variants also have a reasonable incremental asking price over the comparable petrol variants
• Good balance in terms of performance, fuel efficiency and dimensions for the segment
• The option of diesel engine alone makes it a pro as most other carmakers don’t offer this option anymore
• The Creta not only has a diesel engine option, it also has an automatic transmission with it
• Fantastic value-for-money with the SX Executive variant
• Being the best-selling car in its segment gives it a strong resale value
• Widest service network for a car of its class

The Hyundai Creta diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Expect poor real-world fuel efficiency from automatic transmission in stop-and-go traffic conditions because of fluid couplers’ power sapping nature.
• The design may polarise opinions
• EX and S variants offer poor value for money while the E and EX variants lack several must-have features
• Features you might miss in the Creta - 360-degree camera, lane watch camera, blind spot alert, powered tailgate
• The automatic transmission isn’t available in lower variants and it carries a slightly higher premium than the market standard

What Is The Price Of Hyundai Creta Diesel Variants?

The new Hyundai Creta diesel is available in 6 variants - E, EX, S, SX Executive, SX and SX (O). A manual transmission is available in all 6 variants. The top 2 variants also have the option of a torque converter automatic transmission for an additional sum of Rs. 1.41 - 1.48 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Creta diesel manual range starts at Rs. 10.7 lakh for the E variant and tops out at Rs. 16.44 lakh with the SX (O) variant. The diesel-automatic variants cost Rs. 16.73 lakh and 17.85 lakh (ex-showroom).

The 1.4L turbo with DCT automatic costs Rs. 16.9 lakh and Rs. 17.94 lakh, which is another Rs. 1.05 - 1.22 lakh higher than the turbo diesel and CVT automatic combination. Besides the higher performance, the turbo diesel variants also add some cosmetic features to give it a unique stance.

Compared to the 1.5L normal petrol, the Creta turbo diesel carries a premium of Rs. 47,000 to Rs. 1.05 lakh. This is reasonable considering the higher performance and fuel efficiency benefits you get with the turbo diesel engine over the normal petrol engine. With the base diesel variant, you could recover the higher upfront cost in about 30,000km. Even if you’re considering one of the higher variants with a manual transmission, you could recover the higher upfront cost for the diesel engine in about 60,000 - 65,000km. Please note that these figures are based on the official ARAI mileage figures and current fuel prices in Delhi.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

V3Cars Fuel Cost Calculator

Hyundai Creta Diesel E - Base Model Features & Review

The base E variant of the Creta diesel costs Rs. 10.7 lakh. Some of its notable features are:

• Remote central locking
• All power windows
• Front armrest
• Rear AC vents
• Tilt steering
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Steel wheels
• Black front grille
• LED position lamps
• Adjustable front headrests
• day/night inside mirror
• Halogen projector headlamps

This variant carries the smallest premium of only Rs. 47,000 over the same variant with the 1.5L normal petrol engine. So, you can recover this additional amount in approximately 30,000km, considering the official mileage figures and current fuel prices in Delhi. This is a very small km-to-breakeven figure for a diesel engine.

On the flip side, it doesn’t get several must-have features like a music system, steering-mounted controls, power mirrors, rear defogger, rear washer wiper, and rear parcel tray. Since this variant doesn’t offer many must-have features, which we expect at this price point, we can’t recommend this variant. However, if you’re comfortable installing some of these from the aftermarket, you do a lot of driving and you are on a tight budget, then you can consider buying this variant.

Also Read - February 2022 - Hyundai Creta Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Hyundai Creta Diesel E vs EX Variant

The EX variant of the Creta diesel-manual costs Rs. 12.11 lakh, which is about Rs. 1.4 lakh more than the E trim. This variant adds the following important features:

• Tyre pressure monitoring
• 8-inch touchscreen
• 4 speakers with 2 tweeters
• Sunglass holder
• Power mirrors
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Boot lamp
• Steering-mounted controls

The price jump of Rs. 1.4 lakh to the EX variant is very high considering the small list of additional features. Some of these are certainly must-have but it still misses out on some notable features, such as cruise control, auto AC, rear camera, fog lamps, rear defogger, rear washer wiper, rear parcel tray, and wheel covers.

Hyundai Creta Diesel EX vs S Variant

Next variant in line for the Creta diesel-manual is the S trim, which costs Rs. 13.39 lakh (ex-showroom). This price is Rs. 1.28 lakh more than the EX variant and Rs. 97,000 more than the S petrol manual. This variant adds the following features:

• Rear parking camera
• Auto headlamps
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Cruise control
• Rear windows sunshade
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Front fog lamps
• Cooled glove box
• Chrome front grille
• Stylish wheel covers
• Rear parcel tray

This variant is also quite expensive and its features don’t cover the wide price gap the EX variant left. While it is a poor value for money option for the Creta diesel buyer, it does add enough features to offer a decent ownership experience. Moreover, most of its features are functional, which all buyers will appreciate during the ownership. So, if you don’t want to stretch your budget further, then you can compromise on the value and buy the Creta S diesel-manual variant. If you can stretch your budget, then we strongly suggest you do it. Read on to find out the reason behind our recommendation.

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Hyundai Creta Diesel S vs SX Exe Variant

The SX Executive variant is the next in line for Creta diesel-manual buyers. It costs Rs. 14.37 lakh, which is almost Rs. 1.0 lakh more than the S diesel variant and almost Rs. 1.0 lakh more than the SX Executive with the petrol-manual powertrain. It removes the infotainment unit and all the related features with it. However, it adds several useful features like:

• Puddle lamps
• Rear disc brakes
• ESC
• HSA
• Rear headrest cushion
• LED headlamps
• LED DRLs
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Ambient lighting
• Panoramic sunroof
• Rear armrest
• Remote engine start
• Split rear seatback with recline function
• Wireless phone charger
• Power folding mirrors

You can easily add an aftermarket music system and connect it with the existing speakers, steering-mounted controls and the antenna. But, once you buy the car, you can’t easily add most of the other features the SX Executive variant offers. Moreover, because of the high-value features like alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof and LED headlamps, this variant manages to justify its incremental cost over all of the lower variants. Therefore, this is our top-recommended variant.

If you’re buying this variant over the Creta SX Executive with the petrol-manual, then you’ll need to drive this car for about 60,000km to recover the higher upfront cost. This km-to-breakeven figure is reasonable but we’ll still suggest you to make this jump only if you foresee driving the car for more than 1 lakh kilometres.

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Hyundai Creta Diesel SX Exe vs SX Variant

The Creta SX variant with the diesel-manual powertrain costs Rs. 15.22 lakh (ex-showroom), which is about Rs. 88,000 more than the SX Executive. This is the most affordable variant of the Creta diesel with an automatic transmission, which costs Rs. 1.48 lakh more over the SX diesel manual. The Creta SX diesel carries a premium of Rs. 1.05 lakh over the SX petrol for both the powertrains. For the additional cost, this variant adds the following notable features:

• Larger touchscreen
• Wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay (S variant gets wireless)
• Alarm
• Telematics
• Chrome door handles
• Drive and traction control modes (w/ auto only)
• Air purifier (w/ auto only)
• Paddle shifters (w/ auto only)
• Electronic parking brake (w/ auto only)

As you can see, this variant mostly brings back what is removed in the SX Executive variant and adds a larger touchscreen and telematics. It also removes the wireless smartphone connectivity, which is available in the S variant. While the Creta SX is a good value for money, we strongly recommend you consider buying the SX Executive and add an aftermarket music system.

You should buy the Creta SX over the SX Executive only if you hate letting an aftermarket technician tinker with your brand new car while installing the music system. Another alternative to this is having it installed at dealer level as you can expect better workmanship and have the car ready to go with all the necessary features at the time of delivery.

For the Creta diesel-automatic buyers, this is the most affordable option. While it adds a substantial amount over the manual, the auto-exclusive features somewhat justify the higher premium for the automatic transmission. This variant will meet the needs of most Creta diesel-automatic buyers.

Also Read - February 2022 - Jeep Compass Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Hyundai Creta Diesel SX vs SX (O) Variant

For the top-spec Hyundai Creta diesel variant, you’ll have to pay Rs. 16.44 lakh for the manual and Rs. 17.85 lakh for the automatic. The SX (O) diesel manual carries a premium of Rs. 1.19 lakh over the SX while the diesel-automatic costs Rs. 1.12 lakh more than the SX diesel-automatic. The price difference between the SX (O) manual and automatic is Rs. 1.41 lakh.

This variant adds the following notable features over the SX diesel:

• Side thorax and curtain airbags
• Auto dimming inside mirror
• Ventilated front seats
• Power driver seat
• 17-inch machined alloy wheels
• Leather upholstery
• Bose sound system
• 8-inch full-colour instrument cluster
• Tyre pressure monitoring highline
• Air purifier (w/ MT also)
• Electronic parking brake and auto hold (w/ MT also)

The top variant adds plenty of high-value and highly-desirable features. While this variant somewhat justifies the upgrade from a value perspective, most of them are good-to-have. This variant is worth upgrading but we’ll leave the decision to upgrade in your hands.

Which Variant Of The Hyundai Creta Diesel Should You Buy?

For Hyundai Creta diesel buyers on a budget, the base E variant is a decent option as it only costs Rs. 47,000 more than the Creta petrol. However, it doesn’t have many basic features. So, you’ll have to spend on some aftermarket accessories.

The EX variant is overpriced and not recommended. Similarly, the S is also an expensive upgrade. If you absolutely can’t stretch your budget any further, then this is a decent buy. But if you can, then the SX Executive is a solid upgrade and our top recommendation. It has a fantastic balance of features and it’s a good value-for-money upgrade as well. You only need to add a music system and you’re good to go. You can either get it from the aftermarket or get an official accessory from the dealer.

The SX is expensive for what it adds over the SX Executive. Instead, you can jump straight to the SX (O) for some of its high-value and highly-desirable features like power seat, ventilated front seats, Bose sound system, etc. this variant offers better value-for-money than the SX diesel.

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For the Creta 1.5L diesel-automatic buyers, the SX variant is a suitable upgrade with the SX (O) offering a slight value advantage for a good number of highly-desirable features.

Note: Check your Car EMI with - Car EMI Calculator

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Hyundai Creta Diesel ?

Since most carmakers are no longer offering a diesel engine, the fact that the Creta has a diesel engine alone becomes a strong positive in its favour. Moreover, the incremental price of the diesel engine over the comparable petrol variants is also reasonable. On top of that, it’s also available with an automatic transmission.

The only competition it has is from the other South-Korean brand - Kia. Both the cars share the same 1.5L diesel engine, which makes an identical 115PS of power and 250Nm of torque in both the cars. The fuel efficiency is also comparable and good. The only negative I see here is the inclusion of power-sapping torque converter automatic. Its fluid coupling makes it extremely inefficient in stop-and-go traffic situations. But there isn't much choice either as the TC automatic is a tried and tested combination which can handle the high torque output of a diesel engine.

Also Read - February 2022 - Honda City Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Hyundai Creta?

On the dimensions front, again, the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are neck-and-neck. After all, they both share the platform and have identical boot space, wheelbase, ground clearance and fuel tank size. The Seltos is only slightly larger in exterior dimensions than the Creta but the difference is so small that it’s only visible in a spec comparison table.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Diesel, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Hyundai Creta Diesel?

The 2022 Creta diesel is available in the following 5 monotone and 2 dual-tone colours:

• Red
• Silver
• White
• Grey
• Black
• Grey with silver roof
• White with black roof

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.