Hyundai to drive in new SUV Creta in second half of 2015

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL ) is all set to launch a new sports utility vehicle Creta, slated for a rollout in the second half of this year.

HMIL, which already sells top-end SUV SantaFE and i20 Active, is aiming at the 5-seater SUV Creta to be out in the latter half of the year.

"As of now, we are present in the SUV segment in the premium category with Santa FE and i20 Active, a sports-styled version. With Creta, we are entering the full-fledged volume segment of SUVs," Hyundai Motor India (HMIL ) Senior Vice-President Sales and Marketing Rakesh Srivastava told PTI.

Korean auto major Hyundai is looking at strengthening its line-up of sports utility vehicles in India to take on Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault, Nissan Ford and Tata Motors.

"The Creta has been designed and developed in Korea while our engineers in Hyderabad and Chennai have played an important role in customising it for the Indian conditions," he said.

While he declined to put a figure on the expected sales of the upcoming model, Srivastava said, "The SUV segment in India is witnessing sales of about 11,200 units per month, but it has been seeing a decline in sales of about 6 per cent in the last five months. With Creta, we are hoping to turn it around with positive sales growth. The Creta will compete with a range of models, including Ford Ecosport, Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra XUV500 and Tata Safari Storme, which are at a price range of Rs 6.75 lakh to Rs 15.99 lakh."

HMIL said the global rollout of Creta will start in the second half of 2015 in India, followed soon after by sales in other international markets. Hyundai Creta will be an influential global model for the Hyundai Motor brand in one of the fastest-growing vehicle segments, helping the company reach out to many more consumers in new and established international markets, it said, adding that the Creta name would be used for all the global markets.