2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta comparison review: Style or substance?

Tuhin Guha Updated: May 06, 2025, 02:50 PM IST

The Hyundai Creta has you more or less covered with everything you might want from a family car until you want to stand out from the crowd. This is where the Tata Curvv comes in. It's one of the first coupe-SUVs you can get at this price point, so making a statement will not be a problem.

But you will spend more time driving than looking at these cars, so how does the Curvv stack up to the segment benchmark? Especially since Hyundai and Tata Motors are only a handful of carmakers that will still sell you a diesel for under Rs 25 lakh.

2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta styling, dimensions, ground clearance, boot space

It'll surprise you to know that the Creta is the longer car here and the Curvv wider. This shows how design can play tricks on your perception so easily. Both follow the modern playbook of sharp LED lighting and big grilles, with the Curvv being a bit more exaggerated, but there is a sense of familiarity to both, the Creta from how many of these you see and the Curvv from being derived from the Nexon. But these ICE versions of the Curvv do a bit better with their distinct, flashier grille.

The Tata's larger wheels and swept glass area add more drama, but the Creta chooses function over form with its upright and flat shapes. Although the bodywork carried over from the pre-facelift version doesn't quite gel with the more angular new additions. Similarly, the flush door handles look great on the Curvv but are a pain to use when your hands are full.

At the rear, the notchback rear of the Curvv is an attention magnet and quite a departure from the flat, clean shape of the Creta. Some may also say the Curvv looks a bit bulbous from some angles but this trait seems more for attention, in which case it works.

Another misconception is laid to rest by the fact that the Curvv has the larger boot of the two at 500 litres. This is a deep, square space that will work well for weekend trips or airport runs and gets a powered function, adding convenience. The Creta has 433 litres and a useful flat loading lip. You can also stack items higher but larger items will need more managing than in the Curvv.

2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta Interiors, space, practicality, rear seat

Much of the sense that you get from looking at the cars from the outside is replicated once you step inside. On first acquaintance, it's the Curvv that seems for lush with the burgundy upholstery, heavy gloss black and various textures and finishes on the inside. The Creta feels more familiar with its beige and light grey theme. The horizontal cabin also accentuates the greater sense of space that you feel here. Both get neat ambient light highlights, but this is more richly executed in the Curvv.

Now, soft surfaces are limited to armrests and other common touch points in both, which is a letdown at this price point. We have earlier complained of this new Creta having dropped a grade in material quality which now narrows the gap for Tata Motors. That said, the Curvv still has some way to go in fit and finish. You notice sharp edges and uneven panels around the centre console, unlike the Hyundai. The switchgear, too, feels of a higher standard with a nicer, damped action to most buttons and stalks, which in many cases is replaced by touch panels in the Tata. These need some effort to get used quite unlike the natural feedback you get from the Creta.

The Creta also seems to carve out more space on the inside, as much as the large windows and larger sunroof accentuate the light cabin ambience. The footwells are more spacious, and the centre console feels wider, giving front passengers more breathing space. There's also much more space in the door bins for bottles and bigger spaces in the centre console. Both give you Type A and C charge ports, but the wireless charger is better placed in the Hyundai.

The Curvv has the better touchscreen. It is larger at 12.3 inches than the 10.25-inch unit in the Creta, with a big difference coming from the seamless wireless phone integration, which the Creta lacks. The Tata screen is also more responsive and has easier to navigate menus. The Hyundai comes back with a more intuitive driver's display. The fonts and dials are easier to read, the Curvv hampered by the screen being quite far away from the driver.

Needless to say, there are some compromises to be made in the second row with the Curvv. Although surprisingly, sitting three abreast is only marginally tighter than in the Creta. The Curvv's bench also seems to have better thigh support with the rounded bolstered edges. The cushioning is a bit flat in the Creta, which may tire you out on a long journey, but the reclining seat has a steeper angle in the Hyundai, which some of you may like.

You have the full experience of a more practical shape and a 50mm longer wheelbase in the Creta. There's quite a bit more knee and legroom here and the large windows and sunroof really do their work. The Curvv loses out on headroom, but Tata Motors has done its bit to carve out the roof to aid this, but six-footers will still be much better off in the Creta. You have two chargers in the back of both but the Creta again has more storage and is the only one here with the all important rear sunshades.

2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta features, safety

Both SUVs here come quite well equipped for the price. Both get auto headlamps, ventilated seats, drive modes, paddle shifters, panoramic sunroof, climate control, LED lighting, branded speakers and powered seats. But there are differences.

The Creta has both front seats powered and dual zone AC. The Curvv gets single-zone AC and six-way power adjustment instead of the eight-way in the Creta. Both get a 10.25-inch driver's display, but the Creta has a small 10.25-inch touchscreen with wired Android Auto/Apple CarPlay instead of the wireless system and a 12.3-inch screen in the Tata. The Curvv's JBL audio gets a sub-woofer too.

In terms of safety, both get six airbags, 360-degree cameras, ADAS, electronic park brake, hill-hold and hill-descent control and TPMS. Both miss a third centre headrest, and the ADAS system in the Creta is more intuitively set up. You don't need to switch it off every time you start the car as in the Curvv, and it is a bit better tuned to our conditions too.

2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta drive Impressions - Engine, Gearbox, Efficiency

If you are upgrading from a sub-four-metre car, these SUVs may seem a bit large at first. But both are easy to get used to. You have good frontal visibility in both but the wider, more upright windscreen and smaller blind spots of the Creta make things all the more convenient. The seating position is more natural too, with wider adjustment for the seats. Some may like the heavy bolstering of the Curvv but the Creta suits a wider set of body types.

These diesel auto variants seen here are a fading sight in this segment, but their charm is still quite intact. Both come with a 1.5-litre turbo, the one in the Creta is the same tried and tested Hyundai-Kia unit we've seen for some time now, while the Curvv gets a heavily updated iteration of the motor from the Nexon. This motor also has the edge on paper with its 118PS and 260 Nm against the Creta's 115PS and 250 Nm. But as our 0 to 100 kmph tested times show, the two cars are dead even at 12.9s, despite the notable difference of the Curvv's motor being paired with a seven-speed DCT and the Creta a six-speed torque converter. A point to note is that the Curvv doesn't need diesel exhaust fluid dosing.

On the move, the Creta makes the better impression. It's quieter and fewer vibrations are felt in the cabin. You hear more of the Curvv although most noticeable is a drone from the gearbox that never quite fades away. The Creta's motor feels more responsive to throttle inputs. There's a touch more pep before you get to the torque band and it also seems to have a wider range of operation. So crawling in traffic or a steady cruise seems more straightforward.

Much of this seems to be down to the gearbox. The Hyundai's transmission is better able to keep the car in its power band and also seems to favour drivability over efficiency. Despite the Curvv using a DCT, it's quite conservatively tuned. It takes a while to give you a downshift, say when you want to overtake, and also seems to be quite keen on choosing the highest gear possible. In effect, you find yourself losing momentum, which takes away from the experience you want from a solid, torquey diesel. Tata Motors has tried to control this by making the Sport mode the Curvv's default setting, but this works best for aggressive driving. The kind you don't often intend on doing with these family SUVs. Both give you paddle shifters, but again, the responses from the Curvv feel a touch delayed through these.

But the more conservative tune of the Curvv shows when you draw up to the fuel pump. It's quite a bit more efficient than the Creta, both in the city and to a larger extent on the highway where the seventh gear makes a difference. We managed 15.84 kmpl in the Tata and 14.37 kmpl in the real world in the Creta.

2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta drive Impressions - Ride and Handling

The Curvv is the more engaging of the two cars to drive. Yes, the steering is quite light and more attuned for use in city driving conditions, the Creta has a bit more heft that adds confidence, but the difference is marginal. The Tata though stays more composed on a winding road. The nose turns with a bit more enthusiasm and body roll is better controlled too. Around higher speed bends, as you might find on expressways, you find that the Creta tends to start running wide a bit earlier than the Curvv, which if you like driving takes a bit of fun away from the experience.

But this pays off for the Creta with better comfort. On a high-speed cruise, the Creta stays more stable. The Curvv can move around a bit here, especially on uneven surfaces, which makes calm, long-distance mile-munching easier in the Hyundai. The smaller 17-inch wheels of the Hyundai also help it tackle our patchy city roads better. Fewer sharp impacts are passed into the cabin, especially when you come across broken unpaved roads where the larger wheels of the Curvv can cause some judder. But it must be said, both cars give you a solid feeling from behind the wheel like they could take a beating. To round things off, the Creta brakes more effectively, although both feel confident in panic braking situations.

2025 Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta price, verdict

Priced at Rs 23.24 lakh on-road Mumbai for this Accomplished Plus version, the Curvv is Rs 1.10 lakh less than the Rs 24.34 lakh that Hyundai charges for the Creta's SX(O). This is good value, considering you get a smart-looking car, a longer features list and better efficiency. So if standing out is a priority, the Curvv is competent enough. But the Creta seems to be easier on the daily grind. It may be quite vanilla but it also just works great as a family car. You have a more inviting space, better comfort and a more refined experience that just takes the edge here.