MG Windsor EV Vs Hyundai Creta: Should You Buy The Electric Crossover Or The ICE-Powered Compact SUV?

MG has recently launched its electric crossover, the Windsor EV in India. The car has been part of a lot of talks among EV enthusiasts ever since, owing to its aggressive pricing, novel battery rental ownership program and some best-in-segment features it is packed with. 

With prices going up to Rs 15.5 lakh, the Windsor EV undercuts a lot of similarly sized compact SUVs, while offering you a similar, if not more advanced tech and feature package. So in this story, we compare it with the stalwart of the compact SUV segment, the Hyundai Creta. 

Price

The Windsor EV undercuts the Hyundai Creta by nearly Rs 5 lakh. As you can see in the table above, it has a starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh but with that, you need to pay an extra Rs 3.5 per km for the battery usage. There is an option to buy the vehicle inclusive of the battery as well, prices for which go up to Rs 15.5 lakh. We’ve covered the detailed pricing in our article previously.

(Also Read: Full variant-wise price list of the MG Windsor EV detailed.)

Let us move ahead and look at the feature list to see who has what. 

Dimensions

The MG Windsor EV is bigger in all aspects, save for the length. Owing to a larger wheelbase and ground-up EV platform, it offers more space inside and a bigger boot for storage. So if you pack up a lot of luggage during your rides, Windsor EV is the winner for you.

Features

The Creta has all the modern amenities you’d expect out of a car in its price range. So does the Windsor EV, but it goes a step further by offering you larger alloys, a larger infotainment display, more speakers in its sound system and 256-colour ambient lighting as well as rain-sensing wipers. It also offers more comfort for rear passengers with a multi-level reclining seat compared to a 2-step recline the Creta comes with.

But the Creta does offer Level-2 ADAS features, which can come in handy on long-distance road trips. 

The Hyundai Creta justifiably dominates in all the other aspects of this list. 

Powertrain

• The Windsor EV gets a single 38 kWh battery pack with which the motor pushes out an output of 136 PS and 200 Nm.

• The Hyundai Creta gets three engine options: 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine.

• The Creta’s 1.5-litre petrol engine delivers an output of 115 PS and 144 Nm, the 1.5-litre diesel engine delivers 116 PS and 250 Nm and the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine delivers 160 PS and 253 Nm.

• Creta’s turbo petrol engine is more powerful than the Windsor EV’s powertrain.

• With a claimed range of 332km, the Windsor EV won’t be able to take you on long road trips without planning a charging stop.

Verdict

Both the cars are a great pick. The Hyundai Creta makes up for a comfortable vehicle to drive and travel in and the same is applicable for the Windsor EV as well. But if you want a car that can go beyond your regular city commutes and take you on uninterrupted long-distance road trips, then the Creta might be a better pick for you. 

But if you already have a road trip vehicle in your garage, and want a comfortable and premium car for city runabouts, then the Windsor will be the better option. It’ll be more frugal to run and its second-row experience is unmatched at this price point. Either way, both cars offer you a premium and feature-rich experience, and choosing between them is just a matter of the vehicle suiting your use case.