Where size is concerned, Hyundai Creta EV will rival Mahindra XUV400 and MG ZS EV already on sale along with upcoming Maruti eVX
Globally, Hyundai and Kia are among the leading electric car makers. In India however, they operate in premium segments as we can see with Kona Electric, Ioniq 5, EV6 and the likes. Hyundai is set to change that with Creta EV, its first mainstream electric car that could spawn a Kia version in the form of Seltos EV or Kia EV3.
Hyundai Creta EV 45kWh Battery Likely
The South Korean brand has been testing Creta EV for some time now. Both here and abroad. The early test mules spotted India had the same exterior design as current ICE Creta on sale. However, the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV will have design in line with ICE Creta facelift that is currently being tested too.
Recent reports suggest that Hyundai is implementing a 45 kWh battery setup on Creta EV. This is slightly strange as immediate rivals sport slightly larger battery packs. If we take MG ZS EV, it packs in a 50.3 kWh battery pack. Upcoming Maruti Suzuki eVX production version is currently on testing too and is expected to pack a larger battery.
That said, Mahindra XUV400 (electric version of XUV300) is of comparable size and packs a 39.4 kWh battery. So, Hyundai might intend to position Creta EV at a reasonable bump in price over its top-spec diesel variants. As of writing this article, top-spec ICE Creta diesel AT variant costs Rs. 19.2 lakh (ex-sh).
Rs. 19.2 lakh is exactly what Mahindra XUV400 also costs with top-spec variant. At launch, Hyundai Creta EV 45kWh model might be priced starting from around Rs. 21 lakh, which is a lot logical as MG ZS EV with a bigger battery starts from Rs. 22.88 lakh (all prices ex-sh).
What to expect?
Hyundai Creta EV 45kWh model is likely to be based on a modified version of current ICE Creta’s platform. As per the cells in this battery pack, the recent report mentions that upcoming Creta EV is sourcing them from LG Chem, which is Hyundai’s global battery pack supplier. This battery will be placed along the floorboard, like most EVs.
Upcoming Creta EV will probably share its motor with recently launched Hyundai Kona EV, which is not on sale in India. This is a single motor setup driving the front wheels in FWD architecture and is likely to develop close to 140 PS and 250 Nm of torque, mated to a single-speed gearbox.
Features of Hyundai Creta EV will be similar to its ICE counterpart. New additions expected with Creta facelift are Level-2 ADAS suite of active safety features, LED lighting all around (including turn indicators), probably rear ventilated seats, electrically operated tailgate, among others.
Testing for both ICE Creta facelift and Creta EV are underway. We can expect Creta EV to debut at a later date. Maybe late 2024 or early 2025. While ICE Creta facelift is expected to debut as early as next month.
Source
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
