Hyundai Creta Electric - Best Variant to Buy?

The Creta Electric - Hyundai’s first mass-market EV for India - is available at a starting price of Rs 17.99 lakh. The model lineup comes in five variants – Executive, Smart, Smart (O), Premium and Excellence. The carmaker is offering an 11kW AC wall box charger at an additional cost of Rs 73,000. The Hyundai Creta Electric is being offered with two battery options – 42kWh and 51.4kWh – offering a claimed range of 390km and 473km, respectively. The smaller battery pack is paired to a 135bhp electric motor, while the long-range version with bigger battery has an electric motor generating 171bhp and 255Nm. 

If you’re interested in purchasing the new Hyundai Creta Electric and confused about which variant provides the most value for money, we are here to assist you. 

Spec Sheet:

Battery: 42kWh                                Battery: 51.4kWh 
Range: 390km                                  Range: 473km
Charging Time: AC Fast charger 10-100%
4 hours                                              4 hours 50 minutes 
Charging Time: DC Fast charger 10-80%
58 minutes                                       58 minutes

Hyundai Creta Electric Executive

Auto LED headlights with escort function
17-inch aerodynamically designed alloy wheels
Halogen tail lights
LED turn indicators on outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs)
Active air flaps
LED reverse lamp
Coloured surrounds on car charging flap
Body-coloured door handles and ORVMs    
Gray and navy blue dual-tone interior
Fabric seat upholstery
Height-adjustable headrests for all seats
Manually adjustable driver seat height
60:40 foldable rear seat with 2-step recline function
Metal finish on inside door handles
Rear parcel tray
3-spoke steering wheel
Front armrest with cooled storage space
Rear centre armrest with cupholders
LED boot lamp
Sunglass holder    
10.25-inch driver’s display
Day/night inside rearview mirror (IRVM)
Dual-zone auto AC with rear vents
Drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport
Paddle shifters for regenerative braking levels
Cruise control
Push button start/stop
Electrically adjustable ORVMs with auto fold function
Type-C USB charger for front and rear passengers
12V power outlet for front passengers
Tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel
All four power windows
10.25-inch touchscreen
6-speaker sound system
Connected car tech
In-car payment    
6 airbags
Electronic parking brake (EPB) with auto hold
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Vehicle stability management (VSM)
Hill-start assist and hill descent control
Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
All four disc brakes
3-point seatbelts for all seats with seatbelt reminders
ISOFIX child seat anchorages
Burglar alarm
Rear defogger
Rear parking camera
Rear parking sensors
Rear wiper and washer
Virtual engine sounds

Verdict: The entry-level variant of the Creta Electric has been generously packed, offering all basic features. It is priced at Rs 17.99 lakh (ex-showroom), and comes with the smaller 42kWh battery pack. If you are on a tight budget and a 42kWh battery pack with 390km of range is sufficient for your commuting needs, then the Executive variant will suite you best.

Hyundai Creta Electric Smart

LED tail lights
Roof rails
Front storage (Frunk) with lighting
Rear window sunshade
6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat
Ambient lighting on the centre console

Verdict: The Smart trim offers a few extra features over the base Executive variant, but still misses out on a sunroof, a 360 degree camera and auto wipers. Similar to the base variant, it uses the 42kWh battery pack. Compared to the Executive, the Smart trim is priced Rs 1 lakh premium – available at Rs 19 lakh. It doesn’t make sense to pay an additional Rs 1 lakh just for a few extra features and the same smaller battery pack. We recommend opting for the Executive trim or upgrading to a higher trim by expanding your budget. 

Hyundai Creta Electric Smart (O)

Black roof rails, ORVMs and spoiler
Panoramic sunroof    

Verdict: The Smart (O) variant comes with a 42kWh battery pack and costs Rs 19.50 lakh. It offers a panoramic sunroof, dual-tone roof, rear LED reading lamp and an optional 11kW home charger with telematics over the Smart variant at an extra cost of Rs 50,000. However, despite this extra expense, you won’t get the larger battery pack, ventilated seats, adaptive cruise control, 360 degree camera, auto dimming IRVM and auto wipers. We suggest opting for the Smart (O) LR version, which offers longer range and more features than the Smart (O). However, you need to increase your budged by Rs 2 lakh. If the smaller battery pack is good enough for you, we recommend sticking to the base variant. 

Hyundai Creta Electric Smart (O) LR

Black roof rails, ORVMs and spoiler
Panoramic sunroof    

Verdict: If you are considering the Creta Electric for a long-term ownership perspective, it is better to go for the Long-Range battery which is exclusively offered on the Smart (O) and Excellence trims. The feature list of the Smart (O) LR is identical to the Smart (O) with 42kWh battery variant. It is the most value for money variant of the Creta Electric. 

Hyundai Creta Electric Premium 

ADAS-linked regenerative braking
Vehicle to load (V2L)
8-speaker Bose sound system 
Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

Verdict: The Premium trim is available with the smaller 42kWh battery and features such as an 8-speaker Bose sound system, V2L (vehicle-to-load) functionality and Level 2 ADAS with linked regenerative braking. It is the best variant to purchase with the smaller battery pack. For this upgrade, you need to pay an additional Rs 50,000 over the Smart (O) 42kWh variant. 

Hyundai Creta Electric Excellence LR 

Leatherette seat upholstery
Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror (IRVM)
8-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat
8-way electrically adjustable co-driver's seat
Front parking sensors
360-degree camera with blind spot monitor

Verdict: The Excellence comes with the 51.4kWh battery pack at Rs 23.50 lakh (ex-showroom). Compared to the Premium variant, it costs nearly Rs 3.50 lakh more and offers seven extra features. Buyers willing to invest over Rs 23 lakh for the Creta Electric would likely opt for the top-end trim.