Creta_1

South Korea's new global B-segment crossover, the Hyundai Creta, has officially been unveiled in India ahead of its market debut slated for July 21; as expected, its looks – built on the company's more angular "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0" design language – are virtually identical to the Chinese-market ix25.

Everything has been carried over – the sharp head- and tail lights (with LED positioning lights), hexagonal grille, wraparound glasshouse, SUV-style skid plates and plastic mouldings; even the 17-inch two-tone five-spoke wheels have been left unchanged.

No photos of the interior have been revealed at the moment, but a previous sketch indicates that it, too, will be similar to the one found in the ix25, with a wraparound colour-coded fascia, vertical air-con vents and a three-spoke steering wheel.

Creta_2

The impressive list of kit includes keyless entry with push-button start, Supervision instrument cluster, a five-inch touchscreen Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) system with 1 GB of internal memory, automatic air conditioning with cluster ioniser, rear air-con vents, six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC).

Under the skin, the Creta features a Hive Structure bodyshell with a high usage of Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) and Ultra-High-Strength Steel (UHSS), ring-like frames, a reinforced roof structure with multiple cross members, a dashboard cross member, reinforced side members and tailor-welded beams (TWB) for improved rigidity without increasing weight.

India will get a choice of three engines at launch, one petrol and two diesels – the 1.6 litre Gamma Dual VTVT petrol mill puts out 123 PS, while the 1.6 litre CRDi VGT turbodiesel produces 128 PS; a 1.4 litre CRDi oil-burner will also be offered. A six-speed manual transmission is standard-fit, with the 1.6 CRDi getting the option of a six-speed automatic, said to be the first diesel auto in the segment.