Creta vs S-Cross Comparison

Hyundai Creta vs Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Comparison

In the ongoing battle between the country’s top car makers, Hyundai unleashes a beast in the Creta to challenge Maruti-Suzuki’s biggest bet, the S-Cross. A battle between crossovers, a segment which has been popularised in our country by the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano, Ford Ecosport etc.. A battle closely contested by both the cars to conquer every Indian car lover’s heart with the impressive looks, performance, size, fuel economy and features at an amazingly lower price.

Looks and Exteriors

The height, ground clearance, width of the Creta makes it look like a SUV. On the other hand S-Cross is more of a grown up hatchback, with its low ground clearance (180cms), even lower than some hatches in the Indian market, and its less aggressive looks. Hyundai, already enjoying success because of its signature Fluidic 2.0 design, the Creta is a clear cut stunner. The car’s sharp design acts like a magnet to the eye which is not the case with the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross. The S-Cross bears Maruti’s simple yet pleasant looks and looks a lot like the SX4 when viewed from the front. The ground clearance of the Creta is more than that of the S-Cross, which sits even lower than the i20 Active. The Creta is taller than its competitor by a fairly noticeable 5.5 centimetres. The S-Cross leads Creta in length and wheelbase.

Engine

The Hyundai Creta’s engine line-up consists of three engines- The petrol variant has a 1.6L engine which churns out 123 bhp. The diesel version provides two options- 1.6-litre engine that delivers 128 bhp and a 90 bhp 1.4-litre diesel. All the engines has been mated to a 6-speed manual transmission gearbox. The 1.6-litre diesel will also get 6-speed automatic transmission which is a first in class option. The S-Cross is powered by the much loved 1.6L and 1.3L Multijet diesel engine sourced by Fiat. The 1.6L engine is capable of delivering 118bhp which gives a good competition to the Creta. The latter engine is capable of delivering 89 bhp which is on par with the 1.4L diesel Creta. Comparing the torque output of both cars, 320 Nm is obtained by the S-Cross 1.6L whereas Creta 1.6L delivers around 260 Nm. Maruti Suzuki, at present can only offer 6-speed manual transmission in the Creta, whereas Creta offers an automatic 6-speed transmission with the 1.6L engine. As of now Maruti Suzuki has no plans to roll out a petrol driven S-Cross. Also the S-Cross’ Multijet engine is manufactured abroad which makes it more expensive than the locally assembled Creta engine.

Kerb Weight: Creta 1.4 - 1260 kgs, Creta 1.6 - 1290 kgs, S-Cross 1.3 - 1205 kgs, S-Cross 1.6 - 1275 kgs

Diesel: Power to Weight Ratio (PS/ton): Creta 1.4 - 71, Creta 1.6 - 99, S-Cross 1.3 - 74, S-Cross - 92

Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton): Creta 1.4 - 175, Creta 1.6 - 202, S-Cross 1.3 - 166, S-Cross 1.6 - 251

Petrol: Power to Weight Ratio (PS/ton): Creta 1.6 - 98

Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton): Creta 1.6 - 121

Handling and Performance

When it comes to handling and performance, the S-Cross is the winner. The suspension might feel a little weird when you are driving alone, but when the load on the car increases, be it in terms of passengers or luggage it’s a real pleasure to drive the S-Cross. The lower centre of gravity gives it an edge over the Creta by making it more stable. The Multijet engine borrowed from Fiat along with a beautifully tuned suspension and phenomenally responsive steering does a fantastic job of satisfying a customer from India where you find roads of all sorts. The steering makes it quite easy to control it on city roads whereas on highways it inspires enough confidence in the driver to touch the red zone of the speedometer. Even though Hyundai has worked hard on its steering, it still needs to improve a bit to reach the standard of the S-Cross. Though the Creta has an automatic variant, the manual variant is still better. When the engine revs up, it shows a fair deal of turbo lag. And at higher speeds, the Creta is a bit wobbly and scary. 

Features

Hyundai is known to roll out vehicles decked with electronic features and it usually wins every features comparison test. But here both the cars are almost equally matched in this domain. Features of Hyundai Creta 1.6 SX(O) and Maruti Suzuki Alpha 1.6 are compared in the table given below

When it comes to safety features, the lower variants of the Creta do not deliver enough. The lower variants don’t get airbags and rear disc brakes. In fact, rear disc brakes are not available in any of the variants. Two airbags are standard and are available across all variants of the S-Cross. All four wheels of the S-Cross come decked with disc brakes right from the low end model to the top notch model. So if you are looking for a low cost crossover which is better in terms of safety, then the S-Cross should be your pick. By virtue of it being a SUV, the Creta also gets Electronic Stability Control, and Vehicle Stability Management control on the top-end SX(O) variant. Lane Change indicator too comes as standard across all the Hyundai Creta variants. What the S-Cross gets is auto speed lock sensing feature which is absent in the Creta.

Interior Space and Comfort

Since the Creta is a compact SUV it is expected to be more spacious as compared to the S-Cross. But the S-Cross, owing to its large wheelbase, is quite generous when it comes to space too. While both cars are closely matched when it comes to space and features, things at the rear are slightly better for the S-Cross. The rear seat of the S-Cross is higher than the front seat which gives a good view of the road for a person sitting behind. Also the rear windows are larger than the Creta’s giving it an airy feel. Seating three adults behind is not a problem thanks to the wide rear seat. But since the transmission console sticks into the rear, even when the S-Cross doesn’t offer rear A/C vents, a person sitting in the middle might find it a little uncomfortable. This problem doesn’t pop up in the Creta as the rear A/C vents are properly stationed giving the fifth passenger enough room for his knee. The Hyundai Creta offers 400L of boot space 47L more than the same offered by the S-Cross. But the seats on the S-Cross are a 60:40 split which thus increases the boot space to 810L by flattening the second row.

Fuel Efficiency

Maruti, a company known for rolling out highly fuel efficient cars, the 1.6L diesel version travels 22.7 kilometres per litre of fuel, whereas the 1.4L diesel delivers a whopping 23.65 kmpl! This is way ahead of the 21.38 kmpl delivered by the 1.4L diesel model of the Creta, which in fact its most fuel efficient model. The 1.6L SX(O) Creta is capable of delivering 19.67 kmpl whereas the 1.6L automatic version travels a mere 17.01 kilometres by burning a litre of fuel. All the above readings are as per the ARAI ratings.

In short, Maruti has continued its splendid run of satisfying a country where the people first check for the ‘Mileage’ before buying any vehicle.

After Sales Service

The after sales of both the cars in the Indian market is pretty good, both being rolled out by the leading automobile companies of the country. Maruti Suzuki S-Cross will have a slight edge over the Hyundai Creta, since the former company has been around since the eighties and therefore enjoys the first mover advantage resulting in a large loyal customer base. This reputation has pushed the car manufacturer to number one both in sales and after sales. Since both are new to the Indian market, one can be pretty sure to find spare parts in most parts of the country. Overall both companies are in a position to satisfy a person, after he has shelled out the required buck!

Pricing

A particular model of either Creta or S-Cross were not picked up for this comparison mainly because both the four wheelers fall in the same cost bracket. The cost of Maruti Suzuki S-Cross lies between INR 8.34 lakhs and INR 13.74 lakhs, whereas the Hyundai Creta comes for something between INR 8.59 lakhs and INR 13.60 lakhs.

Verdict

Since it’s a tight competition between the two crossovers, the pluses and minuses of the two literally cancel out each other. Hyundai Creta is the winner in this highly competitive comparison mainly because, it literally pounds the S-Cross with its looks. Also because of the expensive Multijet engine which has been imported, some might feel the S-Cross is on the expensive side. But again, if the looks and the slight cost factors are kept aside, then the S-Cross proves to be a perfect match, if not better in a few areas.