2024 Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq comparison review - the hype is real?

Tuhin Guha Updated: April 16, 2024, 04:10 PM IST

For many, the Hyundai Creta is a right of passage in their car ownership journey. To put a number to this, this facelifted model has already raked in 1 lakh bookings in just over three months. The hype aside, how does it stand against something like the Skoda Kushaq with its premium badge and focus on driver involvement? Or can you have most of what the Creta offers but in a far more efficient package with the Toyota Urban Cruisier Hyryder with its hybrid powertrain?

Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq styling, dimensions

The Skoda Kushaq and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder both do enough visually to give you that substantial SUV presence. Despite the considerable parts-sharing they have come from, these two have also managed to retain their brand identities. The Kushaq has that classy, strong theme to it while the Hyryder is also reasonably differentiated from the Grand Vitara. The Skoda also happens to be the only one here with foglamps.

But the Kushaq is the tallest and narrowest car here, which shows in its slightly top-heavy proportions. The Hyryder on the other hand is very similarly sized to the Creta but could do with a shade more presence in this midst.

The Hyundai Creta in this facelift form isn't perfect either, the heavily revised lighting and panels don't quite gel with the more rounded profile that's carried over. But the sharp H-pattern full-width lighting, oversized grille and contrasting panels give it a dollop more road presence than the other two. It also looks the largest of the lot here, which many will like.

The Hyryder goes the extra mile with its 210mm ground clearance, and the Creta and Kushaq are closer to the norm at 190 and 188mm. Also helpful on the longer trips you might take with family in these cars is the Creta's 433-litre boot. It's flat load floor and wide shape is the most practical here. The Kushaq makes do with 385 litres and you have a deep floor to contend with. But this frees up a good deal of volume and you have a wide opening that helps. With the Hyryder and its battery pack in the boot, you will have to pack light. The stepped arrangement doesn't help the 255-litre number either.

Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq interiors, practicality, space

Following on from the outside, the new Hyundai Creta also seems the most inviting space to spend time in. At first glance at least. The light colour choices, the gloss black panels and the horizontal themes with the restrained copper highlights make this space feel like the highest quality of the lot. But look closer and you'll find that soft surfaces are lacking, the plastics though textured could have been of a nicer quality and panel gaps could be tighter too.

This is especially apparent with the Skoda Kushaq at hand. There's a similar lack of soft materials here but the Skoda draws you in with its tough build and richer textures and materials on the inside. It continues with that classy solid feel that you associate with this brand which also comes through in the switchgear, there's a crisp heft to all the controls here that's lacking in the other two, despite this being the only one with the unintuitive touch climate panels.

The Toyota Hyryder is not to be dismissed either. A large section of the dash and door cards are leatherette draped and the converging design feels modern too. Like the others, you'll find ambient lighting here as well that adds a special touch at night and there are limited touch panels to contend with. But you can't help but feel shortchanged with the Maruti Suzuki parts-bin switchgear at this price and the many dummy switches that litter the cabin. These will last long enough but don't quite work with the tactility of the ones in the Creta and Kushaq.

All the SUVs here will give you various forms of digital driver's displays. The one in the Hyryder is the most informative but it's the 10.25-inch one in the Creta that feels especially modern and fluid. The Skoda's isn't quite as vibrant and is also not the easiest to use despite being the most customisable one.

It's tough to choose between the touchscreens in the Creta and Kushaq. Both are thoughtfully laid out and smooth to use. The 10.25-inch one in the Creta is packed with kit like onboard navigation and ambient sounds but still uses a wired connection for Android Auto/Apple Carplay. The other two give you a wireless function that works smoothly, especially so in the Hyryder. Otherwise, the 9-inch screen in the Toyota is functional and not the most responsive or intuitive of the lot here. But you still get a system that feels contemporary.

The Kushaq and Creta both do cabin practicality well. You have large door pockets in all three cars in both rows, the ones in the Kushaq especially so. The Creta also does well with the way it carves out space in the centre console while the Kushaq will give you Type-C charge ports for all passengers. You get just the one in the Creta and none in the front of the Hyryder.

The Kushaq has the longest wheelbase of the lot here at 2,651mm. This means taller passengers at the rear will have oodles of legroom and the raised front seats make for the most footroom of all the SUVs here. You don't get a sunroof but that also means that all the added height of the Skoda is put to good use as headroom. The Hyryder has the shortest wheelbase at 2,600mm and the hybrid packaging also eats into leg space while head space is the least too. You do get a panoramic sunroof but the dark trim makes for a cosy space.

The Creta is somewhat in the middle but the light upholstery, a larger sunroof than the Hyryder and the wide bench make this the most spacious cabin for five. The flat bench is not the most comfortable over long journeys but it's at just the right height making for good underthigh support. You also get a two-step recline function that's especially comfortable. The Kushaq has the most supportive seats, with firm well-contoured cushions that are the best here if you travel four up regularly. But its narrow width will make life tough for the middle passenger. It's somewhat similar in the Hyryder with the hybrid gubbins but the cushioning is better than the Creta even if the backrest is a touch too upright.

Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq features, safety

You get powered driver's seats in the Creta and Kushaq, with the Hyundai also giving dual dual-zone climate control, a wide range of connected car features, Bose audio and rear sun blinds. The Hyryder has a HUD display as a unique touch while all the SUVs here give you auto headlamps, wireless charging, cruise control, climate control, auto-dimming rear mirror and ventilated seats.

The Kushaq is the only car here with a 5-star Global NCAP rating. The Creta also happens to be the only one with ADAS. This is one of the better such systems out there for our conditions and does help with staying alert in regular driving. The Hyryder also gets a 360-degree camera set-up like the Hyundai but is let down by a grainy feed that limits effectiveness. This is starkly different from the crisp, hi-res displays in the Creta which also adds the blind view function.

The Kushaq doesn't get rear disc brakes but its stable chassis means it takes the least distance to stop. The Toyota with its regen braking and heavy hybrid gubbins take the longest.

Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq engine, gearbox, real-world mileage

The Hyundai Creta and Skoda Kushaq are about as close as two cars can get on paper. Both are powered here by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and pair with seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions. The Hyundai has a slight edge with 160PS/253 Nm against the Skoda's 150PS/250 Nm.

The Hyundai's motor, and the Creta in general, is the most refined of the lot here. The engine isn't too noisy at slow speeds and even when it's audible, it's not a harsh note. This is in contrast to the gruff note in the Skoda and the quite apparent three-cylinder thrum and vibrations of the Toyota. This soft edge leaves you surprised by the fact that the Creta is a full second quicker from 0 to 100 kmph than the Kushaq, doing it in 8.7s.

This smoother, easier performance is noticeable in regular driving too. The Hyundai's motor is less laggy and seems to make gaining speed and pulling overtakes easier. Both engines have a good step up in performance as you get to higher revs, but again the Creta seems more effective. That said, the Skoda may seem more exciting to some, but the Hyundai can feel slightly clinical at times in the way it gains speed.

A lot of this is down to the way the gearboxes function. The Skoda seems to choose as high a gear as possible. The Creta's more tractable engine masks this sense, and when you do need downshifts, the Hyundai is again more alert. Both give you an S gearbox mode that seems to bring more change to the Skoda, getting the gearbox much closer in alertness to the Hyundai.

But neither of these turbos can match the crisp, immediate electric response of the Hyryder's hybrid system in slow traffic. The 116PS output is misleading as is the 0 to 100 kmph time of 11.2s. In the real world, especially on crowded roads, it's not far behind the others. The hybrid system makes sure you also have smooth and linear forward motion. The system is quite responsive to medium throttle inputs and here, the stepless performance of the CVT makes for a seamless experience. The electrical assistance also dials out a lot of the gearbox's inherent rubberband effect, even at highway speeds.

This quite cohesive system also doesn't feel out of breath on the highway. The engine is in focus but you always sense that the electric motor is supplementing it, so maintaining speeds here is not a problem either even if may not be the most exciting experience.

The Creta and Hyryder get drive modes, where the Hyundai slightly alters the steering, throttle and gearbox responses which does have its benefits, especially the quite eager Sport mode. The Hyryder similarly brings either the EV or ICE powertrain to the forefront depending on what you want and when you have the battery in a high state of charge there's also an EV-only mode that makes low-speed manoeuvring simpler still. There's also a Brake gearbox mode that is meant to aid engine braking, which the Hyryder's hybrid powertrain isn't as good at as the other two.

The Kushaq and Creta are also quite close to each other in efficiency. The Hyundai's less-stressed nature and eco drive mode do a similar job as the quite well-integrated cylinder deactivation function in the Skoda. They also run quite calmly at high speeds with their extra cogs, so you see some impressive figures with both doing over 16 kmpl.

But they don't get anywhere close to the Toyota's hybrid system. Even in some very heavy traffic, the kind that electric motors don't like, we managed over 17 kmpl. Also impressive was the over 21 kmpl we managed on a crowded highway.

Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq ride, handling

The Hyryder may have the most advanced drivetrain of the lot, but it could do with a touch more sophistication in the way it carries itself on the road. At slow speeds, the Toyota feels pliant and comfortable but you do feel like you are being bounced around a touch too much over uneven road surfaces and potholes.

The Creta is the most impressive in this regard. Hyundai has notably reworked the suspension with this update, and there's now a solid, substantial demeanour to the Creta that was always missing earlier. This pairs with some thoughtful suspension tuning that is comfortable in most road conditions. There's a soft edge to it that isn't disturbed over rough patches, which is more apparent in the Skoda with its European-like tuning.

This shows its benefits at highway speeds, where the Kushaq is still the one to match with its high-speed stability and plaint, solid feel. The Creta is now especially close to this sensation but just misses out on creating a similar sense of security. The Hyryder isn't any less comfortable than the other two here, but can't match them in stability, you find yourself making small corrections often.

The new suspension tune also means that the Creta now handles better than ever. It leans predictably and the hefty steering is usually quite reassuring. There's a good sense of confidence to be had but the Skoda is still the more secure and fun. There's a sense of agility to it that the Hyundai can't quite match. The movements are more taut and the steering though lighter than the Creta feels more direct, adding to its sense of confidence. The slightly loose feeling in a straight line in the Hyundai takes away some engagement.

The Hyryder's soft suspension and light steering make it a bit less sure around faster turns than the others. There's also more lean that you need to manage at these times. But slow down a bit and it's still about as good as you need a functional SUV such as this to be, although the heavy steering at slow speeds can get tiring at times.

Hyundai Creta vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder vs Skoda Kushaq price, verdict

The Toyota Hyryder starts to make an immense amount of sense when you see that at Rs 23.92 lakh, it doesn't charge a premium for the hybrid system. So if an efficient, easy-driving city car is your highest priority look no further. The other two can't match the frugality but feel like more complete packages. The Kushaq( Rs 23.28 lakh) does a bit better with its cabin ambience and impressive driving character but the Creta, for a slight premium(Rs 23.67 lakh), gives you so much more. It's faster, almost as engaging to drive and packs a heap more equipment and practicality.