Hyundai Creta Premium: balancing engaging drive,comfort

For those with a keen eye on the automotive industry, it is clear that crossovers, from the tiniest subcompacts to the large and in-charge midsize models, are the most popular vehicle body type right now. 

The aforementioned, of course, applies to the Philippine market, which has seen its hatchback and sedan segments shrink over the years. 

Hyundai has been well aware of this titanic shift in the industry for the longest time, and so it has worked to expand its global crossover lineup. In 2014, it globally launched the Creta, which was initially a relatively affordable ride designed for mass appeal in developing markets. The model was then entered into the local market in 2022. 

Fast forward to 2026, and the Hyundai Creta has changed a lot. By all means, it now looks more striking than ever before. Plus, it now boasts loads of on-board features that were considered “luxury” or "cutting-edge" some 10 years ago. 

So, how does it perform as a daily driver on the highly chaotic environs of Philippine roads? Zigwheels Philippines found the answer to this question when we borrowed the Hyundai Creta Premium for a week. 

Powertrain, driving

Under the hood of the mid-spec Hyundai Creta Premium is a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine paired with the brand’s in-house-developed intelligent variable transmission (IVT). 

On paper, the vehicle can produce up to 113 horsepower and 144 Newton-meters of torque, and like most crossovers in the market, it uses a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. 

When looking at its engine specs on the surface level, it doesn’t sound like much, but the golden egg for this nameplate is its IVT. To put it simply, the execution of its artificial shifts makes it feel like it has real gears. This, of course, is a boon to people who like driving older cars or those who are used to torque converters. 

Granted, it isn’t “true to the feeling” of a real automatic, but it somewhat staves off the usual pitfalls of continuously variable transmissions, such as rubber banding and that incessant engine droning when you accelerate on highways and during overtaking. 

On the one hand, you cannot expect the Creta Premium to perform like a sports car. And yes, many others in its segment have more powerful engines. Otherwise, the Hyundai-made ride does well on regular day-to-day driving on roads such as Commonwealth Avenue and on Skyway. 

Another good point about the Creta Premium’s mechanical bits is its suspension system. For reference, it uses a MacPherson strut at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. 

Sounds quite basic, but the brand found a sweet spot for its suspension tuning in that it isn’t too soft nor is it too hard. On speed bumps (like the large ones we have in our village), it doesn’t rattle or shake the vehicle as much as it would on a typical sport utility vehicle (SUV). It also returns little body roll when taking bends at speed. 

Notably, the vehicle’s steering felt like it had just the right amount of resistance. Likewise commendable, at least for the author, is the Creta’s excellent isolation of noise, vibrations, and harshness (NHV) - a quality seldom seen on vehicles of this type. 

Last but not least, the Hyundai Creta’s front and rear disc brakes provide the appropriate amount of stopping power for its size.

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Exterior

Call the author biased (he drives a tiny hatchback), but the most attractive element of the Hyundai Creta is its exterior size. Or rather, how deceptively large it feels. 

On paper, the vehicle is 4,330 millimeters (mm) long, 1,790 mm wide, and 1,635 mm in height. It also has a wheelbase length of 2,610 mm. 

The figures clearly place the Creta as a subcompact vehicle, but its design makes it appear much larger than a subcompact. It has some semblance of road presence, especially from the front, thanks to its lengthy LED daytime running lamps, its squarish grille, and its silver-accented lower front vent. 

Due to its long-ish hood, the Creta also provides an illusion that it is longer than it really is. Then again, it fits into the author’s tiny city-car-sized parking corner like a glove. 

It also helped that the vehicle has power-folding/adjustable side mirrors, making it easier to stow in tight spots. Other noteworthy exterior amenities on the Creta that we appreciated include its roof rails, stylish 17-inch alloy wheels, and chunky-looking rear bumper. 

On the one hand, the vehicle does get a pair of very girthy C-pillars, which do a lot to block the driver’s view of the rear quarters. Then again, this issue was easily addressed by the model’s reverse camera. Otherwise, forward visibility is good due to its relatively thin A-pillars. 

Interior

Inside the Hyundai Creta Premium is a well-arranged cockpit and a suitably roomy five-seater layout. 

The front seats have manual adjustment, while everyone inside stays cool with an automatic climate control system. 

Given the author’s hefty 5-foot-11-inch stature, both the front and rear seats provided ample leg and headroom. Finding one’s preferred driving position is likewise made easy thanks to a telescopic and tilting steering column. 

All control surfaces, particularly on the multi-function steering wheel and center console, are easy to find and are intuitive even for a first-time user. One downside is the cheap-looking black plastic used for the center console buttons, which are a dirt magnet. Then again, these work well, and the presence of physical air-conditioning controls is much appreciated. 

Pleasantly enough, the Creta Premium is one of the few in its price range with seating ventilation. Which, come to think of it, is a much more welcome comfort feature than power-adjust seating, especially given the Philippine climate. 

For its screens, the Hyundai Creta Premium has a 10.25-inch infotainment display that’s seamlessly linked to a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster. Both screens get a neat-looking user interface, and the central screen is swift and very responsive to input. 

Linking one’s phone to the Creta Premium’s infotainment system is easy thanks to wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Its USB ports are also a welcome touch, although it lacks a wireless smartphone charging pad, which could have paired well with its wireless smartphone software. 

Connected to the model’s main display is a four-piece speaker set that sounds decent. Other noteworthy interior amenities available to the mid-spec Hyundai Creta include, but are not limited to:

• Electronic parking brake with auto hold
• Smart key 
• Push-to-start button
• Voice recognition
• Front center armrest

Ready to buy a brand-new Hyundai Creta? Check out these promos from Zigwheels Philippines.

 

Safety

Adding to the Hyundai Creta’s desirability as a daily driver on local roads is its suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). When we borrowed the vehicle, we found the Premium trim’s reverse parking distance warning and blind-spot collision avoidance assist particularly useful.

Other ADAS components for the Creta Premium include:

• Smart cruise control with stop and go
• Forward collision avoidance assist
• Lane following assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear view monitor

Other safety equipment on the Creta includes electronic stability control, traction control, hill-start assist, anti-lock braking, and tire-pressure monitoring.

All of the above sound good, but the model only has dual front airbags, thus lacking side airbags that are fast becoming common on other crossovers in the market right now. 

Hyundai Creta Premium: specs

Model	Hyundai Creta Premium IVT
Exterior
Dimensions (L x W x H, in mm)	4,330x1,790x1,635
Wheelbase (mm)	2,610
Ground clearance (mm)	190
Wheel size	17-inch
Lighting system	LED
Interior
Material	Leather
Amenities	Electronic parking brake 10.25-inch digital gauge Push-to-start button Front center armrest Smart key Four-piece speaker set 60:40 split-folding rear seats Ventilated front seats Roof rails Tilt and telescopic steering column Voice recognition Automatic climate controls
Infotainment system	10.25-inch with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Seating capacity	Five
Powertrain
Engine	1.5-liter inline-four gasoline
Drivetrain	Front-wheel-drive
Transmission	IVT
Horsepower	113
Torque	144 Nm
Technology
Safety	Dual front airbags Electronic stability control Traction control Hill-start assist Tire-pressure monitoring Anti-lock braking
ADAS	Smart cruise control with stop and go Forward collision avoidance assist Lane following assist Lane-keep assist Rear view monitor Reverse parking distance warning  Blind-spot collision avoidance assist
Price	P1.333 million

Final thoughts

For its P1.333-million price, we found the mid-spec Hyundai Creta Premium to be a comfortable daily driver with enough bells and whistles to accommodate the typical Filipino. It is decently spacious, has a robust ADAS suite, and has enough useful tech to make traveling safer. 

Likewise noteworthy are the Hyundai Creta Premium’s mechanical bits. Sure, it isn’t a speed ride like its more expensive N-Line sibling, but its IVT is engaging enough to keep driving from boring to monotonous. 

So, do you like what the Hyundai Creta Premium has to offer? If you do, head on to your nearest Hyundai dealership to give this crossover a spin. 

Also read: 

New year, new ride: Hyundai Accent

All-electric skirmish: Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs. Tesla Model Y

Hyundai Stargazer X vs. the competition

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