Hyundai Debuts Creta Crossover in India

Hyundai Motor Co. is jumping into India's fast-growing market for small crossover vehicles with the all-new and highly styled Creta.

The small SUV priced between 859,600 and 1.36 million rupees ($13,500-$21,400) joins Hyundai's larger Santa Fe crossover in the Indian market. SUVs are proving popular because of their safety and ability to cope with India's poor roads.

The five-seat Creta will compete with such models as the Ford EcoSport, Mahindra & Mahindra Scorpio and Renault Duster. The well-equipped car will be offered with the choice of a 1.6-liter gasoline, 1.6-liter diesel or 1.4-liter diesel engine coupled to a manual or automatic transmission.

Hyundai's factory in Chennai has capacity to build 5,500 Cretas per month. The company targets monthly sales at 5,000 units. Remaining output will be exported to Africa and Latin America. The company predicts the new model will help it hike sales in India by about 14% in 2015.