India’s best-selling midsize SUV is getting a new face inside and out, and we have now seen its cabin for the first time. Fresh spy shots of the third-generation Hyundai Creta, snapped while testing in the hills of Manali, reveal a completely redesigned interior with a larger touchscreen, a slim digital display for the driver and a brand-new steering wheel. The SUV, known inside Hyundai by the codename SX3, is expected to reach showrooms by mid-2027.
The pictures, first shared by Instagram user @mrd_vlogs and reported by Autocar India on 11 November, are the first look at the new Creta’s cabin on Indian roads. A similar cabin was spotted on a test car in South Korea in February this year, but this is the clearest view yet of what Indian buyers can expect.
What the spy shots show
The biggest change is the dashboard. Gone is the single connected screen layout seen on recent Hyundai and Kia models. Instead, the test car gets a large standalone infotainment touchscreen in the centre, paired with a separate, slim digital display for the driver. The driver’s display sits deeper in the dashboard, closer to the look of a head-up display than a conventional instrument cluster.
The steering wheel is new too, and it has not been seen on any Hyundai model so far. It carries the brand’s Morse Code logo, the pattern of dots and dashes that spells out the letter H, along with touch-enabled buttons and two physical scroll wheels. The cabin keeps the current Creta’s off-white and black colour scheme, which is also visible on the seats.
Other details in the pictures include a floating centre console with two cupholders and an extended section that forms the front centre armrest, door panels with horizontal design elements similar to those on the Hyundai Bayon, and buttons for the front passenger seat’s boss mode function. A rotary knob sits below the infotainment screen, which could control the volume or the air conditioning, or switch between the two with a tap, as on the current Creta.
A new infotainment system on the way
The screen layout points to Hyundai’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system. If it arrives on the Creta, the SUV would be the first among the newer Hyundai-Kia models to move away from the connected display setup seen on the new-generation Kia Seltos, the new Hyundai Venue and the facelifted Verna, where the infotainment touchscreen and the driver’s display sit in a single integrated unit.
Pleos Connect is part of Hyundai’s push towards software-defined vehicles, where most controls move to the central screen and the car can be updated over the air. The slim display would then show only the essentials, such as speed and fuel level.
Bigger car, new platform
Under the skin, the 2027 Creta will move to the K3 platform, the same architecture that underpins the new Kia Seltos. That should make it larger than the current model and free up more space inside the cabin. In Hyundai’s India line-up, it will sit above the Bayon.
Earlier spy shots have already shown the new exterior design: a Venue-like boxy grille with rectangular elements and a centrally mounted radar sensor for the driver assistance systems, split-style headlights with LED daytime running lights above the main units, and LED tail-lights split into three segments. The test cars also show front and rear parking sensors, revised outside mirrors with camera pods for the 360-degree camera system, and flush-type door handles.
Engines: petrol, diesel and a hybrid
Hyundai is expected to carry over the current Creta’s three 1.5-litre engines: the 115hp naturally aspirated petrol, the 160hp turbo-petrol and the 116hp diesel, with manual and automatic gearbox options retained. The big addition will be a strong-hybrid powertrain based on the existing 1.5-litre petrol engine, which Hyundai is developing alongside the Kia Seltos. The hybrid is expected to join the line-up later, after the launch.
With the hybrid in the range, the new Creta will take on not just its usual rivals, the Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Nissan Tekton, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun, but also hybrid SUVs such as the Maruti Victoris, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder and the Renault Duster.
What it will cost, and when it arrives
Hyundai has not shared prices or a firm launch date, and the final Indian specifications are still to be confirmed. Reports point to a launch by mid-2027. The current Creta is priced between Rs 10.79 lakh and Rs 19.95 lakh, ex-showroom, and the new model is expected to command a premium over that.
For buyers weighing a purchase, the new cabin tech and the hybrid are still more than half a year away.
FAQs
When will the 2027 Hyundai Creta launch in India?
Reports point to a launch by mid-2027, in the first half of the year. Hyundai has not confirmed a date yet.
What is new inside the 2027 Creta?
A redesigned dashboard with a large standalone touchscreen, a slim digital driver’s display, a new steering wheel with Hyundai’s Morse Code H logo, and a floating centre console. The Pleos Connect infotainment system is expected.
Will the new Creta get a hybrid?
Yes, a strong-hybrid based on the 1.5-litre petrol engine is under development and is expected to join the range after launch. It will be shared with the Kia Seltos.
Which engines will the 2027 Creta offer?
The current 1.5-litre petrol (115hp), 1.5-litre turbo-petrol (160hp) and 1.5-litre diesel (116hp) are expected to continue, with manual and automatic options.
How much will the new Creta cost?
No prices have been announced. The current Creta costs Rs 10.79 lakh to Rs 19.95 lakh, ex-showroom, and the new model is expected to cost more.
Hyundai has not officially confirmed the final specifications, features or prices for the 2027 Creta. Details in this article are based on spy shots and reports from Autocar India, MotorBeam, Times Now and Motoroids.
