2025 Hyundai Creta Electric first drive review: Another feather in the Creta’s hat

There are two ways to skin this EV transition cat. One is to build completely new model lines with electric drivetrains. Think Mercedes-Benz with the S-Class and EQS. The other is to build the same car with multiple drivetrains — petrol, diesel, and electric — the BMW way. Think 7 Series and i7. Everyone seems to be picking a lane. Mahindra with the former, Tata Motors with the latter. Hyundai is in an interesting space. They’ve got the E-GMP platform underpinning global cars like the Ioniq 5, which share nothing with the rest of the range. And now they’ve got the other kind as well. The Creta Electric is based on the ICE Creta that we know and love, but with a significant overhaul underneath the skin to accept the massive battery in the floor and electric motor.

The Creta Electric is an important car for Hyundai. It is set to be their most affordable EV, following in the tyre tracks of the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5. And it sits in what is possibly the most crowded EV space in the Indian market today. Rivals include the new Mahindra BE6 that has taken social media by storm, the MG Windsor that just won the Green Car of the Year by ICOTY, MG ZS EV, Tata Curvv EV and even the upcoming Maruti Suzuki e Vitara. It has a lot to prove, then.

The Hyundai Creta Electric gets redesigned front bumper but inspired by Creta N-Line.

Let’s start with styling — where they haven’t strayed too far away from the Creta formula while giving it its unique touch. The face is N-Line inspired, with some important changes: the grille has a flap for the charging socket, and the bumper has active aero flaps that allow for cooling / more aero efficiency depending on their position. Hyundai has created a new “pixellated” pattern on the front and rear, a nod to their design language on the Ioniqs, but it simply doesn’t land with the same effect — not nearly as polished. The Creta Electric is running 17-inch wheels with low rolling resistance tyres, nothing out of the ordinary here. However, it does get a 10mm bump up in ground clearance, up to 200mm. Headlamps, taillamp, that Cpillar element — all of it has been carried over from the regular Creta as is, and this should hold the SUV in good stead.

Step inside, and there’s a sense of familiarity here as well, but it's not all the same. For starters, the steering wheel is different: a three-spoke unit with the four dots in the centre, morse code for ‘H’. The gear selector is now a stalk-like it is on the Ioniq. The two screens on the dash are the same 10.25-inch units, but the cluster has new graphics and the infotainment screen has some EV-specific functionality: range readouts, the ability to find chargers, pay for charging and use the V2L functions. The lack of a gear selector on the centre tunnel has allowed Hyundai to create a floating console, and also a new storage bin.

The Creta Electric continues with dual 10.25-inch screens like the ICE Creta.

Equipment-wise, the Creta remains very well-loaded: ventilated seats (now made of sustainable materials), a panoramic sunroof, Bose audio, and connected car features. But this EV adds a few toys on top of that. You get memory seats for the driver, electrically adjustable driver and front passenger seats, cooled under-arm rest storage and glovebox, and even Boss Mode buttons to make more space for the rear passenger. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are still missing from top variants though.

What stood out to me was the rear seat. It was always a comfortable place to be, but this one is even more so. Space is adequate in terms of both knee room and headroom, the wheelbase hasn’t changed after all, but the addition of those boss buttons allows you to turn adequate into generous. There are new tray tables for rear passengers, and the sunblinds are useful to keep the sun out and privacy intact. A three-point socket under the seat adds to the functionality of the backseat. What I appreciate the most is the underthigh support: despite a higher floor, tweaks to the angle of the bench and adjustments to the squab have allowed for a little underthigh support in a neutral position, and plenty when you stretch out when the front seat is out of the way. In terms of storage space: the boot hasn’t changed and remains at 433 litres, but now you get a 22-litre frunk as well. Which is impressive. These EVs-based-on-ICE cars usually have a fair few compromises due to packaging constraints but this is not the case here.

Once you’re on the go, the silence is impossible to ignore. The Creta has always had an engine rumbling away in the background, but now? Complete silence. I’m not complaining: the lack of sound is very pleasant and rather calming. There’s no whirring of the motors in the background and it is only at highway speeds that wind noise in the cabin is perceptible.

Let’s first talk specs: there are two battery options: a 42kWh and a 51.4kWh. Both variants make different outputs: the former makes 133bhp and the latter, 169bhp. We were driving the longer-range version. Range? 473km is the claimed figure on the MIDC cycle, but that is hardly representative of the real world — I think 350km-380km is a safe estimate. A longer test will reveal more. What’s interesting is the tech that has been used, and how it all works together.

Hyundai Creta Electirc offers good driving visibility.

The battery management system is from the Ioniq range. The motors and charging control unit is from Hyundai’s global EVs like the Kona and Inster. And it all comes together seamlessly, giving you a driving experience with almost no learning curve. You step inside and the controls are where they should be, they respond how they should and there’s no re-learning needed to drive this EV.

Performance is strong. In the regular drive mode, you’ve got strong acceleration but it comes on very linearly meaning it won’t shock your passengers should you floor it. Overtakes will be a breeze, even in this mode. Eco dials those responses down, while Sport makes it quicker. I enjoyed driving it in sport mode — acceleration is properly strong and it makes for quite an entertaining experience. The claimed 0- 100kmph in Sport mode is 7.9 seconds, which is quick. Not BE 6 quick (6.7sec), but it would out-drag any of its ICE rivals and most of its EV rivals. The throttle pedal is also quite sensitive so you’ve got to be a smooth driver in Sport mode, but that sensitivity also gives an ability to precisely meter the throttle.

The paddles work the regen, just like they do on the Ioniq. You get 5 different stages of regeneration, with 0 being the coasting mode and level 4 (or i-pedal) being the one-pedal drive mode. The different settings work well and in higher regen modes, you can control the car well with only the throttle pedal. Hyundai’s experience of calibrating their global EVs has been put to good use here, and it is a very intuitive system to use and works exactly like it does on the Ioniq 5. There’s been no watering down of tech for India.

Paddle shifters on the Hyundai Creta Electric.

Before we move on from the EV bits, it is also worth talking about the EV charging capability. Hyundai will supply an 11kW wall box with the car, which will charge 10-100 per cent in 4h 50min. On a 50kW DC fast charger, 10-80 per cent will take 50 minutes and that number will come down when 100kW charging is enabled via an OTA update later this year. One interesting innovation is the ability to pay for charging from the infotainment screen. The system in the car is linked to the MyHyundai app’s wallet. Just load it with some money and when you rock up to a charger that accepts this payment mode, it takes a couple of taps on the phone to begin charging. No fiddling around with your phone and waiting for OTPs.

Ride quality is impressive. The Creta Electric is some 200kg heavier than the ICE Creta, and the suspension has been retuned to deal with that extra weight. I thought that would affect ride quality negatively, but the Creta Electric is still very competent on our roads. At low speeds, it cushions you well from road imperfections and while it might have a slightly firmer edge over some bumps, it isn’t going to affect you inside the car. High-speed stability is good, and it can sit at highway speeds feeling extremely stable and confident. We were driving on the ECR outside Chennai and the Creta Electric felt at home on this fast highway, keeping us planted and comfortable inside the cabin.

The Hyundai Creta Electric has a 0-100kmph time of 7.9 seconds.

As for handling, this road didn’t shed too much light on it because it had very few proper corners, and just had long sweeping bends that barely troubled the chassis. But on first impression, I got the sense that the steering felt well connected and the weight low down aided in dynamics. It is worth noting that the car is running low rolling resistance tyres, and this might affect the ceiling of lateral grip but in everyday driving, lane changes and the odd police barricade you had to slalom through, it felt poised.

It is worth briefly touching upon safety as well: the Creta Electric comes standard with six airbags, Level 2 ADAS and electronic safety aids. This Creta hasn’t been crash-tested yet but a lot of chatter around the launch of the ICE Creta was about the reinforced chassis. Those updates should have made it here too, with suitable modifications to accommodate the new drivetrain and battery.

The Creta Electric gets a claimed range of 473km.

The big question at the end of all this is, can the Hyundai Creta compete in this now-crowded EV space? The Mahindra BE 6 has swooped in and set expectations of customers sky-high with insane performance, range, and a long features list. But the Creta Electric takes a different approach: focussing on a simple, fuss-free driving experience. I think the type of buyer will be slightly different, considering the radical styling on the BE 6 won’t be to everyone’s taste and the Creta will have more to worry about from the e Vitara. The Creta’s strengths nevertheless are its comfort, backseat, easy-to-drive nature and the seamless manner in which the EV integration has been done into this existing platform. It doesn’t feel rough around the edges, it doesn’t feel compromised in any manner, but instead feels like the polished EV we would expect from Hyundai.

Pricing will be critical. I expect starting prices to be roughly around ₹16 lakh and go up to ₹23 lakh (ex-showroom) at the top end. At this price, it will slightly undercut the BE 6 and present itself as a simple, but effective alternative to the over-the-top package that the Mahindra is. We will have a clearer picture when Hyundai announces prices at the Bharat Mobility Show later this week. Stay tuned for that!