Segment picture
The D-SUV segment is one of the fastest growing in the Indian market with every manufacturer that makes cars under Rs 25 lakh having a presence here with at least one model. But just having a presence is no longer enough to exist successfully and the new mantra is a top-of-the-line special edition which everyone has got into with full gusto. This should come as no surprise given that most of the players in the segment have been seeing consistent demand at the upper end of their segment hierarchy for their D-SUVs.
So far we have had the Skoda Kushaq Monte Carlo, Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus, Kia Seltos X Line, MG Astor Blackstorm and even the upcoming Tata Harrier/Safari Dark Edition. Now Hyundai will join the fray with a Creta N Line on 11 March and this will be the most significant car to join the ranks.
Creta N Line package
The Creta N Line will be offered in two variants N8 and N10, the equivalent of the standard car’s SX and SX (O) with the same features like 360-degree camera, Level-2 ADAS, ventilated powered front seats, dual digital displays and dual-zone climate control with rear vents. The big highlight will be Hyundai’s 1.5-litre GDi turbo petrol engine producing 158bhp/253Nm mated to either a seven-speed DSG or for the first time a six-speed MT which will be its major USP. Of course, as a part of the deal, you will also get the N Line paint schemes, badging and interior bits.
Guaranteed Success?
The Creta range as a whole has been hugely successful in its nine-year run and has now become an established brand on the lines of monikers like the Maruti Alto, Maruti Swift, Honda City and Mahindra Bolero with numbers to back its growth. Then there is also the fact that Hyundai already has the Venue N Line and i20 N Line to establish the performance brand and now adding a Creta N Line will only take it upwards. The important question is now the price, which we believe will be in the range of Rs 21 lakh to 22 lakh which should put it a lakh above the current top-of-the-line DCT petrol.