A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Celebrating 10 years of the Creta's domination with a drive to Pokhran, where India's first ever nuclear test was conducted

- ABHAY VERMA

The Hyundai Creta is turning 10 years old! Effectively, 2025 marks a decade of the Creta's dominance as a midsize SUV. The Creta has set benchmarks and clocked consistent, explosive sales numbers year after year, and this landmark achievement called for a celebration. So, we decided to head to a place that's equally explosive! A place that put India on the global map, just like the Creta has done for Hyundai, putting the car maker on the SUV map like no other SUV has.

We're talking about Pokhran, the very location of India's first nuclear test, conducted back in 1974. You see, Hyundai has sold more than 1.2 million Cretas in less than 10 years, making it the first SUV to do so. To draw parallels, the 1974 nuclear test made our country the first nation outside of the five permanent members of the United Nations Council to become nuclear capable. And like the 1974 test that helped in establishing India's technical prowess on the global stage, the Creta has established Hyundai's prowess as an SUV maker.

The Creta has also evolved progressively over the years to become more premium, in terms of its design, interiors and packaging. But while buyers have welcomed every iteration of the SUV with open arms, its current version has given the Creta's appeal (and sales!) a significant boost. In fact, 1 lakh units of the new Creta were sold in just six months after its launch last year, a record in itself, thanks to the Creta's new, more upmarket design, luxurious interiors and of course, the long list of features, helping it become a game changer.