HYUNDAI Creta

The Hyundai Creta N Line retains most of the overall proportions, design and visual aesthetics of the 2024 Creta launched earlier this year. The differences may not be immediately obvious but also do not require a very close inspection. For starters, the Creta N Line comes with three single and three dual-tone options. In the range of single-tone colour options, a Matte grey shade is not just new to Creta but to Hyundai's India range at large.

N Line also brings Red strip accents all around the outer body of the Creta model which immediately underlines that this is not the ‘conventional’ Hyundai mid-size SUV. Now there is nothing radical about the accents and these can be easily added from an after-market shop as well. But either way - factory fitted or custom added, do add a touch of sporty visual appeal. Additionally, the Red shade finds its way on the brake calipers as well. Then there are minor updates to the front lip and bumper, and a dual-tip muffler at the back. The exhaust notes, however, are not as pronounced as on the Venue N Line and this is a downer for sure.

The biggest - and possibly best - update on the Creta N Line is that it stands on 18-inch wheels which elevates (no pun intended) its visual outlook from outside and ride position for the driver in the cabin. The diamond-cut alloys are striking and continue to go well with the overall design language of the vehicle. And if all of these updates are not enough, Hyundai has plonked a plethora of ‘N Line’ and ‘N’ badges everywhere - bumper, over the front wheel arch, on alloy hub and at the back.

The emphasis on the Red colour permeates to within the cabin of the Creta N Line as well. Now there may not be any feature additions - except for a dual dashcam on the upper variant, on the lines of what is on the Exter - or space improvements over the non N-Line version of the model but the idea is to offer a visual differentiation here as well.

There is a dash line in Red on the dashboard which stretches over the left-most air-conditioning vent, a prominent Red border around the entire stretch of the curved and connected infotainment and driver display screens, Red stitching on the gear knob, steering and seats, and even the piping on all seats is done in the same colour.

Once again, Hyundai has plonked the 'N Line' and ‘N’ symbols on every open space available - top of gear knob, bottom of the steering wheel, on the seats, floor mats and even the head cushions on the rear seats.

The Creta N Line comes only with one engine options but two transmission choices across the N8 and N10 variants. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol motor introduced on the Creta in January is carried forward to the N Line but the most significant update here is that it is now also paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, apart from the DCT. Remember, the Creta on its own does not offer a manual gearbox with the turbo petrol motor option.

On the move, the Creta N Line feels lighter on its feet even though the power output (158 bhp) and torque (253 Nm) figures are identical to what the regular Creta offers with this engine. Company officials say that the suspension set up has been marginally updated but the difference is hardly evident. What is, however, is the steering that is lighter and therefore more fun when navigating through busy city intersections.

On the flipside, there is no roar or grunt from the exhaust and enthusiasts would find the miss rather appalling. This more so because the Venue N Line does offer some aural excitement when pushing the pedal to the metal.