SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a preselected course. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get a test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.


It’s family: 2018 Hyundai Creta

- Hyundai iX 25 in some markets

Big where it counts

Posted: 10 Sept 2018

Creta, currently smallest of Hyundai’s people carriers (the sub-compact Kona/Kauai will be here soon), is no lightweight when it comes to earning its keep, having cornered around 33 percent of its particular market segment since being launched here last year. 
 
It wasn’t really due for a facelift but the design studios decided that all family members needed nose jobs, eyelid tucks and butt lifts. Creta was therefore given a new cascading grille, LED daytime running lights, two-tone bumpers, new skid plate and fog lamps, redone roof rails and subtly restyled rear.

They left the interior alone, so buyers can enjoy the familiar imitation leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel with satellite controls, and six-speaker infotainment centre with 8” colour touchscreen. It’s ready for satnav; all you need is the SD card at R2522-00.

Also left alone is the three-model product range featuring 1600 cc petrol or diesel engines, six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes and common trim at mid-range Executive level.

This provides alloy wheels with 205/65R16 tyres and fully sized spare, ABS brakes with EBD, six airbags, projection headlamps with static bending function, fog lamps at both ends, automatically locking doors, manual air conditioner, follow-me lighting, powered windows all around with one-touch and anti-pinch for the driver, electric mirrors with indicator repeaters and folding function, reversing camera with beepers and a trip computer.

The petrol engine, offered with choice of manual or automatic transmission, is naturally aspirated and develops 90 kW/150 Nm. Claimed average fuel consumption numbers are 7.9 litres per 100 km (manual) and 8.4 l/100 km with the automatic.

The turbodiesel motor comes with automatic only and puts out 94 kW and 260 Nm. Combined cycle fuel consumption is said to be 7.4 l/100 km. Zero to 100 km/h sprint times are around 12 seconds for all versions and maximum speeds are between 165- and 179 km/h depending on configuration.

Practicalities include 402 litres of load volume behind the split-and-fold rear seats, speed hump-mocking ground clearance of 190 mm and a fairly tight turning circle of 10.6 metres. Braked towing capacity ranges from 900- to 1100 kg, also dependent on configuration. Fully grown back seat passengers can wallow in luxurious space featuring a folding armrest with cupholders and share the aircon via repeater vents in the centre console.

We drove one just over a year ago and noted: “…we took it out into agricultural country over a mix of gravel roads with small embedded stones (tooth rattling stuff in lesser vehicles) and long stretches of “washboard.” It soaked up whatever we aimed it at and while not quite as absorbent as really expensive air suspension, it coped well and remained on course all the time.”

Despite appearing rather small on paper, it’s actually quite big where it counts, performs more than adequately and will move a family of five plus luggage comfortably. Any more is actually wasteful.

Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored press launch

Prices:
1.6 Executive manual         R339 900
1.6 Executive automatic     R359 900
1.6 Executive diesel auto    R399 900
Warranty and service plan:
5 years/150 000 km with roadside assistance plus additional powertrain warranty up to 7 years/200 000 km. Included servicing is for 5 years and 90 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals.

There were exciting updates for MY 2021

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.