Model: Excellence LRTest started: August 2026/18,454kmTenure/target mileage: 3 months/5,000kmMileage this month: NAEfficiency this month: NAIt’s been a long time coming, but the Hyundai Creta Electric has finally arrived in the AT garage. It has joined our fleet in the ‘Excellence LR’ guise, and promises a claimed range of 510km from its 51.4kWh battery pack.
The front-wheel-drive motor produces 171bhp, which should be more than enough shove for a mid-sized family SUV. Mind you, our LT has arrived with more than 18,000 kilometres on the odo, which makes for a unique experience in itself.
Why? Because this vehicle has already been used, it gives a good idea of how it will be to use over a longer period.
Charging times? A 100kW DC fast charger will take the Creta Electric from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 39 minutes.
A 7.4kW AC fast charger will electric version of the Creta from 10 to 100 per cent in 7 hours and 15 minutes. Now comes the interesting bit.
A claimed 510km is all well and good, but our daily lives rarely follow the neat conditions of a test cycle. So, over the coming months, we’ll be finding out just how close the Creta Electric can get to that number when faced with the realities of Indian driving.
Traffic, air-conditioning, highway runs, short trips and the occasional enthusiastic prod of the accelerator will all form part of the test.There is little doubt that the Creta Electric looks distinctive. Our car is finished in matte emerald green, a shade that gives the otherwise familiar silhouette a rather different personality.
It is unusual without being garish, and the matte finish works particularly well with the SUV’s clean lines. The closed-off front, pixel-inspired lighting elements and aerodynamic details further set it apart from the petrol and diesel Creta.
The 17-inch aero alloy wheels also look pretty cool. Inside, Hyundai has retained much of what makes the Creta a practical family SUV while adding the expected EV-specific touches.
There is plenty of equipment, a well-packaged cabin and enough space to make it a convincing everyday proposition. Whether all of that translates into a genuinely easy ownership experience is something only time will tell.
Over the next few months will tell us far more than a couple of days with a press car ever can, and that’s the point. We’ll be recording the range, charging behaviour, performance, comfort and practicality, while also keeping track of the little things that make or break a car over time.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine - Ends