WEEKEND WHEELS: Hyundai Grand Creta lives up to its nameplate

I’m no petrol head. And to be honest, I don’t know all that much about cars in general.

I don’t know where to look for the gasket or the sump – are these things even still relevant in modern cars? And I don’t really know what specs are more important than others.

What I do know is that fuel efficiency is crucial nowadays and, for me, the look and feel of a car are hugely important. Honestly, I think most car owners probably feel the same way.

With all the options on the market today and the quality of cars being built, it’s hard to really go very wrong. Or am I very mistaken?

Like everyone, I also know when something is nice and attractive and easy on the eye; when something just looks good and feels right.

I recently got the chance to drive something that just about ticked every box for me – the diesel-powered Hyundai Grand Creta 1.5D Elite. This is one superbly built vehicle, let me tell you.

Hyundai Grand Creta just feels right

On the inside and on the outside it looks good. It’s handsome and it’s stylish. Maybe it won’t catch everyone’s eye, but that’s fine … because just like our taste in partners differs, so should our taste in everything else. How boring would it be if we all liked the same things?

ALSO READ: Hyundai Grand Creta is more than just a gap filler

Anyway, the Grand Creta is indeed grand. It comes standard with seven seats and six-speed automatic transmission, something I’m not all too familiar with having always only driven manual cars. Until recently I drove a Nissan Qashqai 1.6 manual, which I loved, so I know a bit about small SUVs.

The Hyundai Grand Creta is quite different. And it’s not a small SUV either. But don’t let its size fool you, it’s got power and it’s quick.

It moves through the gears very swiftly and without any lulls or hiccups. Passing is a breeze and if you must, you can easily push it comfortably past the national limit without even realising it.

Solid ride quality

The Grand Creta sits on the road, as they say. There’s no rattle, hum or wobble. When you’re cruising on the highway there’s nothing that’s going to annoy you about the car. And the ground clearance, like all SUVs, is a bonus.

If you’ve driven the road to Sun City recently, you’ll know that a few kilometres from the Pilanesberg someone has built speed bumps in the road to slow down the traffic. Well, those especially large humps slowed me down, as they did everyone, but there was no problem going over them. As for the sedans and hatchbacks, well, I’m sure their bellies got scratched.

I didn’t get to take the car on a dirt road, but I’m sure it would handle that as well as it did the tarmac I was on for the five days.

So, what else made me and my family wish we could hang on to the Hyundai Grand Creta for a few more days?

It’s spacious. Very spacious. Obviously with the third (back) row of seats up the boot space gets smaller, but once those seats are down, you’ve got a whole lot of space to pack in as much luggage as you want.

Hyundai Grand Creta has plenty of space

We – that’s me and my wife and our teenage son – went away for a two-night get-away and we didn’t get close to “hurting” that boot. There was so much space. What a pleasure. Apparently with both the second and third row down the boot is 1 670 litres big, while it measures 180 litres with all the seats up.

I liked the fact there were so many USB ports in the car, including in all the rows of seats, so everyone in the family will be happy.

I found the black and cream interior of the Hyundai Grand Creta very attractive, it’s light and looks good. Those with young kids might not agree with me, and over time the cream might show marks, but I still like it.

The instrumentation and dials look modern and cool, the infotainment system is top-notch and I particularly liked the shape of the steering wheel and the synthetic leather finish.

My son said the back seats were a bit hard and I know many who know their cars better than I do will find small faults here and there.

I hardly used a quarter of a tank to Sun City and back – that’s over 400kms – so the diesel is certainly a “pump buster” in today’s times. Hyundai says fuel consumption is 6.5 L/100 km.

Conclusion

With our Elite derivative the Hyundai Grand Creta range’s flagship at a price of R568 900, compared to some of the European equivalents on the market is very good and extremely competitive for what you’re getting.

For a family of three, and even five, the Grand Creta is a real beauty. The whole driving experience was truly memorable, and for me, that’s what matters most.

For more information on the Huundai Grand Creta, visit the manufacturer’s website.