Ridiculous fuel economy, bulletproof reliability, comfort.
Nothing really
The Hyundai Creta diesel was Mira’s long-term sidekick for a few months now but since Hyundai asked for it back last month, I just about managed to sneak in some wheel time before we bid it adieu. And boy, was I glad.
With the country moving firmly towards petrol, electric, CNG and hybrid, the diesel engine will soon be a relic of the past - but not if automakers like Hyundai have something to do with it. On paper, the Creta diesel appears to be a mid-level product. Something thats just ‘there’, but in reality, it is so so much more. In reality, the diesel engine appeals and serves an audience who knows exactly what they want and one that hits the mark.
This is the perfect example of an over achiever vehicle. One that actually gives the driver a lot lot more per formance than expected. Fine, it wont win any drag races, but in all the kilometres I drove it, not once did I feel the need for a lot more horsepower or a lot more outright per formance. The absolutely wild figure of course is the trade off to fuel economy - while in the city, a tankful gave me about 650 odd kilometres, the same car on the highway showcased a range (and I have no doubts it is achievable) of a 1000 kms! That is wild.
In fact, I know of someone who owns a manual diesel Creta and has just crossed 300000 kms and he too (regularly) gets over 1000 kms per tankful on his vehicle - which exclusively runs on a highway with one human and a few furry friends in the back.
And while all of us really want a Creta N-Line with all that turbo performance, the workhorse will always remain the diesel. without a doubt! In fact, Hyundai should seriously consider offering a diesel N-Line styling package too. Would sell like hot cakes!
