The Hyundai Creta Electric capability is so strong that its flaws only show up when viewed from an outsider’s angle.
There’s nothing quite like an outsider’s perspective to reset your own. As reviewers, we’re privileged to drive almost every car on sale and build well-rounded opinions, but in our bubble of 0–100 timings, Global NCAP scores and on-the-limit steering feel, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.
During the Diwali break, I finally spent some overdue time with friends and family — and introduced them to the Creta Electric. Their reactions were not only valuable but often eye-opening. I didn’t even have to ask; most of them had something to say within minutes of experiencing the car.
My mother, who’s also my most frequent passenger, now knows the Creta EV inside out. She’s learned that after a drive, the front passenger door won’t unlock just by pulling the handle — it needs to be manually unlocked first, a simple but surprisingly missing convenience in some cars. As a senior citizen, she’s also mastered the ‘seat before feet’ method to get into the high-set cabin without much trouble. And having watched the car age over the past four months, she’s correctly noted just how dirty the white interior has become.
Among my friends, the less car-savvy ones identified it as a Creta first, only later realising it was the electric version. The silence of the drivetrain gave it away well before the green number plate did. I also showed it to a few who were actively considering their first EV in this price bracket, and their reactions were mixed. I highlighted everything I appreciate about it — its outstanding efficiency, feature-rich cabin, generous space, comfortable ride, trouble-free operation and impressive audio system. But for most of them, the conversation ended at the styling.
It wasn’t that it looked too much like a Creta — the issue was that it didn’t feel special enough for the price. What I gathered was this: for a family buying their first SUV, the Creta’s design is perfectly appealing. But for someone spending ₹26 lakh on a second or third car, it comes across as a bit ordinary. Similarly, a few felt the cabin looked too plasticky, even though my reviewer instincts kept insisting the ergonomics were solid and the storage solutions well thought out. Forest; trees.
What no one could argue with, however, was the sheer comfort it offered. And once I turned up the Bose sound system, their criticisms faded as quickly as the bass kicked in. The broader lesson here is that a car is more than just a checklist of features — personal preference will always shape the verdict. As someone trained to stay objective, I naturally look past the surface-level stuff and focus on what truly matters, which is why I’ve grown to genuinely love the Creta, especially the Creta Electric. Whether ICE or EV, it’s simply a car that gets everything right.
