Hyundai Creta crossover teased

Hyundai Motor has released sketches of the Creta, a new subcompact crossover SUV due to launch later this year. While confirming the Creta is slated for sale in India, the automaker did note that its first-ever venture into this category "will be an influential global model for the Hyundai Motor brand in one of the fastest-growing vehicle segments, helping the company to reach out to many more consumers in new and established international markets." There’s still no word yet as to whether that will include America, but given the explosion in popularity of subcompact SUVs with U.S. buyers, it would seem to be a logical candidate for Hyundai’s American portfolio to go up against the new Fiat 500X, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX-3.

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Save for confirming that the vehicle’s simple, easy to remember name is meant to evoke similarities with the word "creative" as well as with the idyllic Mediterranean island, Hyundai would only say the new Creta will have a premium look based on the automaker’s "evolved design philosophy" and be "consistent with the core concepts underpinning Hyundai Motor’s Modern Premium brand direction: Simple, Creative, Caring." Although a similar vehicle, the HCD-9 Intrado Concept presented at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show featured a fuel-cell powertrain, the Creta will have a conventional small-displacement gasoline or turbodiesel engine when it goes on sale.

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