Hyundai’s success in the Indian market is attributed to three products currently. The Grand i10 and Elite i20 are accompanied by the Creta SUV since its market entry in mid-2015 and although placed in an upmarket segment, it has been the closest rival to the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza in terms of sales when the whole of SUV category is considered in recent times.
In our latest comparison, we are pitting the popular Creta against the Jeep Compass because of the new rivalry we are buoyed about. There is a similarity, however, between these two models as they appeal for larger set of audience with unique price range. It is a signature quality of the compact Creta that racked positivity and sales.
While some potential buyers of subcompact SUV segment could get attracted to the Creta, the Compass will do its job in covering a scale starting from Creta and Innova due to its illustrious off-roading brand image. The comparison would showcase different routes both SUVs take amidst similarities that made the Creta a grand success with Compass likely to follow suite:
Jeep Compass v Hyundai Creta Exterior
The Jeep Compass takes inspiration from the smaller Renegade with angular elements while the macho design resembles the popular Grand Cherokee. With a rugged stance, the Compass has tapered headlamps, signature seven-slated Jeep grille and bold front bumper with decent looking fog lamps.
A uniquely designed set of alloy wheels resides beneath the squared off wheel arches. The side profile has prominent character lines while the horizontal tail lamp cluster with LED lamps, integrated roof spoiler and a twin exhaust system elevate the overall presence. Jeep designers say the F22’s exhausts and SR-71 chimes inspired the overall design.
The Hyundai Creta, launched in 2015, has an elegant profile and sharper stance mainly due to the global fluidic design language used by the South Korean’s brand. The front fascia features hexagonal chrome grille, blackened air dam, vertical fog lamps with black surrounds, sweptback LED headlamps and pronounced bonnet covering a muscular overall styling.
Deriving design cues from the flagship Santa Fe, the sides of Creta have character lines angled towards the rear end from the flared wheel arches. It has quite a tapered roofline and roof rails, black bumper, diamond-cut alloys, vertically stacked rear and wrap-around tail lights to wrap up a boxy yet styling design.
It is hard to choose between which SUV comes on top in terms of bare styling. Creta has the compactness to its design but the Compass is kind of dual-purpose with its rugged and tall nature alongside being a well put together package. It is down to the likeness of buyer but the Compass with its illustrious Jeep badge has the premium status and will stand out in the crowd.
Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Creta Dimensions
| Dimension Comparison | ||
| Jeep Compass | Hyundai Creta | |
| Length | 4,447 mm | 4,270 mm |
| Width | 1,813 mm | 1,780 mm |
| Height | 1,651 mm | 1,630 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,634 mm | 2,590 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 178 mm | 183 mm |
| Bootspace | 410 litres | 398 litres |
As the replacement of Patriot in the global markets, the Compass measures 4,447 mm long, 1,651 mm tall and 1,813 mm wide. Based on the same small, wide 4×4 platform as the Renegade, the wheelbase stands at 2,634 mm for spacious interior and comfort of the passenger.
The Jeep Compass gets Frequency Sensitive Damping (FSD) system for better ride quality and MacPherson front suspension. Top-of-the-range variants will come equipped with dedicated four-wheel-drive system and Selec-Terrain Traction Management system that optimises the SUV for different surface conditions. The American SUV has a ground clearance of 205 mm, 60:40 rear seat split arrangement and luggage capacity of 410 litres.
The Hyundai Creta, on the other hand, measures 4,270 mm in length, 1,780 mm in width, 1,630 in height and comes with a generous wheelbase of 2,590 mm. The ground clearance is at 183 mm and it features a boot capacity of 398 litres. It uses couple torsion beam at the rear and MacPherson strut with coil spring up front for suspension duties.
Dimension wise, the Compass is 177 mm longer and 21 mm taller as well as 33 mm wider than the Creta. The difference in wheelbase is also substantial at 44 mm allowing more room for occupants. The 12 more litres of bootspace works in the favour of Compass but has 5 mm less ground clearance in comparison.
Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Creta Engine and Transmission
| Engine, Performance and Mileage Comparison | ||
| Jeep Compass | Hyundai Creta | |
| Engine | 1.4L MultiAir Petrol / 2.0L MUltijet II diesel | 1.6-litre gamma dual VTVT petrol / 1.4-litre U2 CRDi diesel / 1.6-litre CRDi diesel |
| Power and Torque | 162 PS and 250 Nm / 173 PS and 350 Nm | 123 bhp and 154 Nm / 90 bhp and 224 Nm / 128 bhp and 265 Nm |
| Transmission | six-speed manual and seven-speed auto/Six-speed manual | six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic |
| Mileage | 12 kmpl / 16 kmpl expected | 15.29 kmpl / 19.67 kmpl / 21.38 kmpl |
The Jeep Compass gets power from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged Multijet diesel engine capable of producing 173 PS and 350 Nm peak torque. It is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and comes available in both 4×2 and 4×4 configurations while a nine-speed automatic might be provided in a later time.
The 1.4-litre four-cylinder MultiAir unit should be good enough to deliver around 162 PS and 250 Nm and it comes mated to a six-speed manual or an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The low ratio 4×4 system with multiple selectable driving modes will help tackle different surfaces.
The Hyundai Creta is currently in three engine options: a 1.6-litre gamma dual VTVT petrol, 1.4-litre U2 CRDi and 1.6-litre CRDi diesel units. The 1.6-litre, four-cylinder Gamma Dual VTVT petrol engine is capable of giving out a maximum power output of 123 bhp and 154 Nm of peak torque.
The 1.4-litre U2 CRDi diesel mill allows for a total power output of 90 bhp and 224 Nm of peak torque while the powerful 1.6-litre U2 CRDi oil-burner produces 128 bhp and maximum torque of 265 Nm. The two transmissions being offered are a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic.
The 1.6-litre dual VTVT petrol has a claimed fuel efficiency of 15.29 kmpl, the 1.4-litre U2 CRDi diesel is ARAI-certified to return 19.67 kmpl and the 1.6-litre CRDi diesel mill has a fuel efficiency of 21.38 kmpl and the fuel is fed from a 55-litre capacity tank. We expect the mileage of the smaller 1.4-litre petrol motor equipped Compass to be around 12 kmpl while the diesel could be tuned to return around 16 kmpl.
The Creta has a wide range of power deliveries but the Compass is the clear winner in terms of performance but it does come at a cost as the former is more frugal in both fuel options. However, with selectable driving modes and nine-speed automatic transmission, the more expensive Compass gets our nod.
Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Creta Interior and Features
As for the interior, the Jeep Compass gets seven-inch U-Connect infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three spoke steering wheel with mounted controls, climate control and engine start/stop. The top-of-the-range models will feature dual-tone exterior paint job with added premium features to justify the extra money.
The conventional design layout, traditional instrument panel and centre console with large multi-functional steering wheel, accessible buttons and controls are present in the Compass. Below the seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system is space for gear lever, air conditioning and four-wheel-drive controls.
Certain variants of the Compass comes equipped with two-tone interior theme and several impressive design touches to enhance the premium feel. The front seats have sufficient thigh and back support while rear seat passengers get good amount of space and comfort with impressive head and leg room. However, the India-spec Compass doesn’t get sunroof.
The Hyundai Creta has interior theme identical to the current Verna sedan and it garners keyless entry and start/stop button, steering mounted controls, FATC with cluster ioniser, 1GB internal memory, navigation, climate control, supervision cluster, auto headlamps and wipers, five-inch touch-screen infotainment system with CD/MP3/Radio/USB/ AUX-in and Bluetooth connectivity and rear AC vents among others.
Hyundai employs premium soft-touch material for the dashboard while the top-spec versions get leather seats with contrast stitching. For the quoted price, the Creta has been packed with good deal of features and that is why it is a highly likeable SUV in its segment but the locally manufactured Jeep Compass is brimmed with driver assist as well as convenience features.
Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Creta Safety Features
Safety has been an eminent factor in modern day vehicles and the Compass addresses it with packed features like ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), electric handbrake, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), hill start assist, traction control and dual airbags as standard fitment while as much as six airbags are provided in the 4×4 trims.
The other features are standard EBD, PBA, HBFC and EBP, disc brakes on all four wheels, all aluminium front and rear crumple zone, electronic rollover mitigation, windshield glass with anti-fog coating and cornering fog lamps among several others. The body consists of 64 percent high strength steel for occupant protection. The hot stamped parts in the Compass’ structure claimed to increase strength and reduce overall weight.
The Hyundai Creta is no slouch either when speaking about safety. Six airbags are offered in the top-end model with two airbags standard from base variant. Also provided are Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill-start assist control and Rear parking camera.
Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Creta Price
| Jeep Compass Price: Rs. 14.95 lakh to Rs. 20.65 lakh | Hyundai Creta Price: Rs. 8.92 lakh to Rs. 14.00 lakh |
The Jeep Compass is priced very competitively between Rs. 14.95 lakh and Rs. 20.65 lakh (ex-showroom) courtesy of localised production. With this price range it will not only take on the top-spec variants of Creta but various other vehicles like the Toyota Innova Crysta, Hyundai Tucson and Tata Hexa.
Jeep Compass v Hyundai Creta Verdict
The assertiveness of Hyundai Creta in its segment is undeniable but the trend seems to be changing with the Jeep Compass. While admitting that Creta is placed lower down the Compass, the influence of the latter and its potential volume sales could trigger manufacturers to bring in more stuffed SUVs and crossovers into the market in the premium space.
Hyundai Creta’s strong engine lineup is a huge advantage. Compounded by its alluring looks and packed features, it is likely to continue its successful run in the Indian market for more time but the Compass could slice away few of the customers who opt for the top-end variants of Creta. Its iconic badge may play a big role !