The new Hyundai Creta has been spotted testing in India alongside the current model and the size difference between the two is visible enough to turn heads. For Indian buyers, this is not just another spy shot story — the Creta is one of the country's top-selling SUVs, and what is shaping up for the next version involves real changes: a larger body, a new Android-based infotainment unit, a confirmed multi-link rear suspension as well as a stalk-type gear selector. No launch date has been announced by Hyundai India at this point.
What You Can Actually See in the Spy Shots
Running the two cars together during testing is something manufacturers do specifically to compare proportions and dimensions — and in these images, the Creta facelift clearly reads as a bigger vehicle than what is currently
on sale. How much of that size difference is real versus test mule padding or dummy overhangs is something only the official reveal will clarify. The production dimensions have not been confirmed yet.
One detail in the spy shots that is worth addressing directly: the test mule is wearing Kia Seltos alloy wheels. This is almost certainly a test-only fitment to keep the actual wheel design hidden, not a sign of any shared design between the two production cars. The more significant detail is the multi-link rear suspension, which has now shown up across multiple sightings of this test mule. The current Creta uses a torsion beam setup at the rear. A switch to multi-link in production would mean a tangible improvement in ride quality and handling — particularly over broken roads and on highway corners — which is something buyers in this segment actually care about.
The Interior: New Infotainment, Stalk Gear Selector, Physical Buttons Retained
Earlier cabin spy shots confirmed the Pleos Connect system — an Android-based infotainment tablet that Hyundai is building around a software-defined vehicle architecture. One thing that stands out: the system keeps physical buttons alongside the touchscreen. Given how much criticism fully touch-based control layouts have received from Indian buyers in recent launches, this is a deliberate choice.
The Pleos Connect unit also supports over-the-air software updates, so the car's systems can be updated remotely the same way a phone gets its software refreshed — no dealership visit required. That is increasingly becoming a real consideration for buyers in larger cities who are comparing this against tech-forward rivals.
The other confirmed interior change is a stalk-based gear selector which is similar to the shift-by-wire setup used on Hyundai's electric lineup. It replaces the conventional gear lever and opens up the centre console. On the powertrain front, no changes are expected — the next Creta is likely to carry forward the existing engine options.
Should You Wait or Buy the Current One Now?
If you are already in the market for a Creta, this is a fair question. Hyundai has quietly started reworking variant structures on the current model and pushing offers — which is typically what happens when a transition is getting closer than the calendar makes it look. There is no confirmed launch window yet, but test activity at this level of development usually precedes a reveal by somewhere between six and twelve months.
The changes accumulating around the next Creta — bigger dimensions, multi-link suspension, Pleos Connect with OTA support and a stalk gear selector — add up to more than a cosmetic refresh. If any of those upgrades matter to your usage, holding off makes sense. If the current Creta does what you need and the numbers work today, the existing model is not going anywhere quietly either.
