Buy Hyundai Creta EV or wait for Maruti e Vitara? Answering an electric question

  • There is a loud buzz in the Indian electric SUV market with Creta EV and e Vitara joining in to raise the stakes.
 e Vitara vs Creta EV
While the e Vitara is the first-ever EV from Maruti Suzuki, Creta EV is the first-ever mass-market battery-powered model from Hyundai.
 e Vitara vs Creta EV
While the e Vitara is the first-ever EV from Maruti Suzuki, Creta EV is the first-ever mass-market battery-powered model from Hyundai.

Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki took majority of the spotlight at the ongoing Auto Expo 2025 in New Delhi. While Hyundai Creta EV was launched at a base price of 18 lakhs (ex-showroom), Maruti e Vitara was officially showcased with a launch coming up soon. But which of the two SUVs have an edge? And how are both likely to fare against existing powerplayers in the electric SUV space?

The Hyundai Creta EV has been launched with two battery pack options and across multiple variants with the top Excellence variant priced at 23.50 lakh (ex-showroom). These prices are introductory, a likely sign that the Koreans are looking at raking in as many bookings as possible before Maruti's first-ever EV is officially launched. The company is also banking heavily on brand ‘Creta’ to work in favour of Creta EV. “Over 1.1 million Cretas have been sold in India," company officials have repeated time and again.

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Also Read : ‘Late but ready to lead Indian EV market’

Hyundai Creta EV: Strengths and weaknesses

The Creta EV has several inherent strengths - a planted drive, feature-loaded cabin which is also fairly spacious and Level 2 ADAS. But while it looks fairly contemporary as well, it still is essentially a Creta to from the outside. Also, the larger 51.4 kWh battery pack is still smaller than what many rivals have on offer and a best claimed per-charge range of 473 kilometres is unlikely to impress those with long-distance runners. Remember, Mahindra BE 6 has a claimed range of anywhere between 550 kilometres and 680 kilometres while Tata Curvv EV has a claimed range that's upwards of 500 kilometres.

Suggested watch: Hyundai Creta EV review | India’s best-selling SUV goes electric | Range, Battery, Price expectation

Maruti e Vitara: Strengths and weaknesses

It may be a little too early to judge the shortcomings of e Vitara but Maruti Suzuki is going all guns blazing to highlight its stregnths. Company officials say a range of over 500 kilometres was absolutely crucial and that the cabin of the EV is far more premium than any Maruti Suzuki car ever. Upon launch, there will also be an All-Wheel Drive version. But do not expect all of this to come at a pocket-friendly price point. Speculation is that the e Vitara is likely to be eventually launched at price points that could even touch 30 lakhs for the AWD version.

Suggested watch: E Vitara, Maruti's first EV, debuts at Auto Expo | Over 500 km range | Bharat Mobility Global Expo

So in a direct face-off, which of the two models is likely to find more takers? Hyundai Creta EV appears to prioritise features and a spacious cabin to make a case for itself while benefiting from the Creta nameplate. Its pricing may also eventually be less than that of e Vitara although not confirmed, obviously.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara, however, will bank on longer range and AWD to push its case. The cabin too is promised to be fairly premium - for a Maruti Suzuki model. But if pricing is well over the 20 lakhs mark, it could spell doom for a model that otherwise appears like a good proposition.

Bring in the likes of BE 6 from Mahindra and Tata Curvv EV, and the mass-market Indian electric SUV is all set for an intense contest.

Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India.

First Published Date: 20 Jan 2025, 14:12 PM IST
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