Spec comparison: 2020 Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos vs MG Hector vs Tata Harrier

Team OD Updated: April 24, 2020, 03:22 PM IST

Hyundai India has launched the second-generation Hyundai Creta in India today. The Creta competes with the Kia Seltos, the MG Hector and the newly updated Tata Harrier. Bookings of the Creta began last week, and the new SUV already seems to have been well received with bookings crossing the 14,000 point.

Dimensions

The MG Hector is the longest SUV here with a 4,655mm length, and the tallest at 1,760mm. It's unsurprising that it also has the longest wheelbase here at 2,750mm. The Harrier is the widest at 1,984mm, followed by the Hector at 1,835mm. The Tata closely follows the MG in length and height, at 4,598mm and 1,706mm respectively. The Seltos is larger of the two Korean siblings, its 4,315mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,645mm tall. The Creta is marginally smaller at 4,300mm long, 1,790mm wide and 1,635mm tall. Both have an identical wheelbase of 2,610mm.

Engines

Given that the Creta and Seltos are closely related underneath the surface, they both come with identical engine options. These are a 1.5-litre petrol with 115PS/144Nm, a 1.5-litre diesel motor with 115PS/250Nm and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 140PS and 242Nm. Both come with three automatic options, aside from a 6-speed manual. These are a CVT, a 6-speed auto and a 7-speed DCT. The CVT is paired to the N/A petrol, the diesel is available with the torque converter while the turbo-petrol can be had with the DCT. All engines are BSVI compliant.

The Hector is the only one to come with a mild-hybrid option. It pairs a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with 143PS and 250Nm to a 48V mild-hybrid system. This makes it the only SUV here to feature a start-stop system, regenerative braking and add torque fill functionality. The diesel engine is the 2.0-litre FCA Multijet unit as seen on the Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier. The Hector gets it in the 173PS and 350Nm guise. Gearbox options are a six-speed manual and DCT (only on the petrol). The Tata Harrier is a diesel-only SUV, the recently launched BSVI version gets the Multijet motor in its 173PS and 350Nm iteration, which can also be had with a Hyundai-sourced six-speed auto, aside from the six-speed manual. The Hector and Harrier diesels are the most powerful engines here, but are also significantly larger and heavier than the Hyundai-Kia twins.

Features

All the SUVs come very well equipped in terms of conveniences. The Harrier was some way behind but the new BSVI upgrade has brought with it a panoramic sunroof, auto dimming mirrors and larger wheels which the Hector also offers. The Seltos and Creta are a notch above. The Seltos is the only one to not get a panoramic sunroof, it makes do with a single-pane unit, but gets ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera, an air-purifier, wireless charging and mood lighting. The Creta loses out on the 360-degree camera but adds a reclining rear seat, rear seat head cushions, a touch-panel for the air-purifier and a more advanced set of connected -car tech. The Kia and MG also get connected-car tech. All four SUVs can be had with high-end audio systems.

Price

Prices for the new Creta start at Rs 9.99 lakh, introductorily. This is Rs 10,000 more than the equivalent Seltos but you get a diesel engine in place of the Seltos' petrol motor. The most cost-effective petrol Creta also comes in at the same price point but one rung higher on the variant list. The base Hector petrol comes in at Rs 12.73 lakh. The Harrier starts higher still at Rs 13.69 lakh, but it must be remembered that the Harrier is only available as a BSVI-compliant diesel motor.

Higher up the variant list, prices for the 1.4 turbo petrol Creta start at Rs 16.16 lakh. The equivalent Seltos costs Rs 16.29 lakh. The top Hector petrol model costs Rs 17.43 lakh. The top-spec diesel automatic Creta comes in at Rs 17.20 lakh, while the top Harrier is priced at Rs 20.15 lakh. The Seltos equivalent is for Rs 17.29 lakh, the Hector is only available as a diesel manual, the highest spec of which comes in at Rs 17.28 lakh.