Shootout: Hyundai Creta vs Renault Captur
Shootout No. 178
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 10.98 – 18.10 lakhs (Hyundai Creta), Rs. 11.73 – 17.05 lakhs (Renault Captur)
The Creta is all about premium appeal and features while the Captur is focused on being more aesthetic and engaging to drive
SUVs are the current rage not only in India but the world over. Keeping in mind the Indian context, the compact SUV and sub-compact SUV segments are the most happening. Renault kickstarted the compact SUV segment in India through the launch of the Duster. The vehicle sold like hotcakes in its initial years and subsequently lost steam as new entrants came, one such is the Hyundai Creta. People didn’t mind spending extra for a product that offered more features and a more premium feeling and hence the Creta now sells in very good numbers. As an answer to the Hyundai Creta, Renault came up with the Captur which they are portraying as a premium SUV. The Creta recently got a facelift and that quite compels us to do this shootout and in the process, we tell you which one among the two should you be putting your money on.
Motor Quest: The Hyundai Creta has been on sale in India for the last three years. It has become so popular that many carmakers are either planning or have started working on a compact SUV to rival it. Meanwhile, the Renault Captur was launched just last year and this isn’t the same model that’s on sale in global markets. The India-spec model is based on the Duster’s platform while the one in global markets is based on the Clio.
The full LED headlamps of the Captur steal the show when it comes to front end looks
Exteriors – In terms of design and styling, both the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Captur are equally good looking cars. Both look modern, sophisticated and premium and pack in quite a lot of equipment both outside as well as inside. The Hyundai Creta recently got a facelift and there’s no denying that it looks the freshest of the two. Having said that, the Creta is the more imposing one as it dons a proper compact SUV avatar. The vehicle gets Hyundai’s signature cascade effect grille, projector headlamps and the heavily sculpted bumper with the huge faux silver skid plate and fog lamps with LED DRLs.
The Captur’s rear looks like that of a hatchback on steroids
The Creta looks pleasing and familiar while the Captur has a curvy bodystyle
The Renault Captur is a compact crossover rather than a traditional square SUV but is equally intimidating and aggressive-looking as the Creta. It gets a large grille finished in gloss black and flanked by full-LED headlamps with dynamic swipe indicators. The bumper houses the C-shaped LED DRLs and its intentions to look like an SUV are apparent with the faux skid plates, black cladding and the raised ground clearance. Both the vehicles sit on 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. The Creta gets a shark fin antenna and regular tail-lights while the Captur gets a regular antenna and ripple-effect tail-lights. Both the cars are also available in dual-tone colour options while the Captur gets a host of customisation options as well.
The Hyundai Creta’s cabin is more ergonomic than the Captur’s
Interiors – Both the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Captur get a dual-tone dashboard (black and beige in Creta and black and ivory in Captur) with a 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a touchscreen infotainment system. Having said that, the infotainment system on the Creta feels more intuitive to use and packs in a host of connectivity options like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink, all of which are missing in the Captur’s unit. The instrument console in the Creta is a conventional two-pod unit with a MID in between but the Captur gets a smarter-looking cluster that houses a digital display for the speedometer and flanked by a tachometer on one side and fuel-level indicator on the other. Overall, in terms of fit and finish levels, the Creta has a better cabin.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are missed in the Captur’s infotainment system
The Creta is generously loaded but the Captur also has good features
Coming to the features on offer, both the vehicles in this comparison are generously loaded. Both offer climate control AC, navigation, electrically foldable and adjustable ORVMs, rear AC vent, cruise control, push-button start, automatic headlights and wipers, reverse parking camera with guidelines and leather upholstery. Additionally, the facelifted Creta also offers an electric sunroof, 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat, wireless phone charger and a Smart Key Band.
Fit and finish levels are better in the Hyundai Creta; more space on offer too
Both the Creta and the Captur’s front seats are supremely comfortable and offer good back support but the rear seat story is different. The Creta has a good amount of headroom, knee room and under-thigh support which the Captur’s rear seat doesn’t have. Yes, the Captur has lesser legroom, headroom and under-thigh support is not as good as the Creta’s. The Hyundai Creta gets a boot capacity of 400-litres while the Captur isn’t far behind at 392-litres. So, be it in terms of features, the quality of the materials used inside the cabin and the space on offer, the Creta wins hands down in this department.
The Creta’s Dual VTVT petrol motor feels superior to the Captur’s H4K powertrain
Performance – The Hyundai Creta and the Renault Captur are offered with both petrol and diesel engines but only the former gets the choice of automatic transmissions as well as two diesel motors. The Hyundai Creta gets a 1.6-litre Dual VTVT petrol motor which produces 123 PS at 6400 RPM and 151 Nm of torque 4850 RPM while the Renault Captur gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine with power and torque outputs of 106 PS at 5600 RPM and 142 Nm at 4000 RPM respectively. The Creta petrol is leagues ahead of the Captur petrol in many ways and it offers better performance too. The former gets a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional 6-speed automatic gearbox while the latter does the job with a 5-speed manual gearbox only. The claimed mileage too is higher in the Hyundai – 15.80 km/l in the Creta and 13.87 km/l in the Captur.
The Hyundai Creta is the only one here to get an automatic gearbox option
Shifting focus to the diesel variants, the Hyundai Creta gets a 1.4-litre oil-burner which produces 90 PS at 4000 RPM and 220 Nm at 1500-2700 RPM and a more bigger and powerful 1.6-litre diesel engine that belts out 128 PS at 4000 RPM and 260 Nm of torque at 1500-3000 RPM. Both the engines are offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox while the bigger engine also gets a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Renault Captur, on the other hand, comes powered by a 1.5-litre K9K diesel mill that churns out 110 PS at 3850 RPM and 240 Nm at 1750 RPM. A 6-speed manual transmission sends power to the front wheels of the Captur and there’s no option of an automatic transmission.
Diesel motors of both cars have good mid-range performance
The Creta has some amount of turbo lag but it isn’t as hard hitting as the Captur’s turbo lag which is massive. Both the cars shine in the mid-range and have more than enough power on tap. The Creta has a higher redline of 4000 RPM and acceleration on the Creta is quicker than the Captur and it also has a higher top speed. While the clutch on the Creta is light with lesser travel, the Captur’s clutch is a bit heavy and what makes matters worse (in city driving) is the deeper travel of the clutch. Both the 6-speed manual gearboxes in the Creta and the Captur are smooth. Meanwhile, the 6-speed automatic gearbox in the Creta is slick shifting and also feels very smooth to use. While the claimed mileage of the Creta 1.4 and 1.6 diesel (MT) is 22.10 km/l and 20.50 km/l respectively, the diesel (AT) returns 17.6 km/l. The Captur is equally fuel efficient with a mileage of 20.37 km/l.
The Captur is more engaging to drive than the Creta
Driving Dynamics – The Hyundai Creta has a good ride quality at slow and medium speeds. Feedback from the steering isn’t as good as the Captur and at high speeds, the Creta’s ride ends up feeling bouncy. Sharing its underpinnings with the Duster, the Captur is also a dynamic handler. The car feels very enthusiastic and the steering offers good amount of feedback. At tight corners, there is very limited body roll and overall, the Captur has a settled ride. Braking performance is good on both the cars and so is the grip from the tyres.
Both the vehicles are handsomely loaded with safety features
Safety and After Sales Service – In terms of safety features on offer, the Hyundai Creta has an upper hand. The top-spec variant of the Creta gets 6-airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, VSM, Hill Start Assist and ISOFIX child seat mounts while the Captur gets only 4-airbags, ABS with EBD plus Brake Assist, ESC and Hill Start Assist. Hyundai also has more service centres compared to Renault and the service experience is also usually very good.
Lots of choices in the compact SUV segment
Verdict – Choosing one among the two is quite difficult. The Creta is definitely for someone who wants a compact SUV brimming with features and all sorts of goodies and also someone who likes to have the convenience of an automatic. The Captur makes sense only if you want a car that offers a better driving experience. In terms of pricing, the Captur is a whole lakh cheaper than the Creta. However, if budget isn’t an issue, it is the Creta which makes a lot more sense than the Captur as an overall package.
The Captur has 210 mm ground clearance while the Creta has 190 mm
Further Reading –
Hyundai Creta vs Renault Captur – Video
2018 Hyundai Creta Facelift Test Drive Review
2017 Renault Captur Test Drive Review
2017 Renault Captur Video Review
Hyundai Creta Long Term Review – First Report
Hyundai Creta Long Term Review – Initial Report
Hyundai Creta Review
Hyundai Creta Video Review
Hyundai Creta Petrol Automatic Review
Hyundai Creta vs Renault Duster
Hyundai Creta vs Renault Duster – Video