Chevrolet Tracker vs Hyundai Creta – which car to choose

Compact crossovers are very popular in the Russian market. It is for this reason that the departure of a number of manufacturers seriously hit domestic buyers who could afford a new car.


However, the Hyundai Creta bestseller can still be purchased from a number of dealers without any problems - the price for this crossover starts at 2 million rubles. There are a number of alternatives, because not everyone likes the Creta design. For example, Chevrolet Tracker. The crossover is not officially delivered to Russia, but thanks to parallel imports, you can find it, albeit in just a few places.

The cost of the Chevrolet Tracker starts at 1,6 million rubles. They are sold as used, but does a 1-50 km mileage make a car that way? There is at least one offer on the market where the crossover is offered exactly as new, but there the equipment is “top” and the price is about 2,5 million rubles.


Today we will compare two cars of the same class with each other. Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to “move” the Hyundai Creta, but for those who simply do not like the appearance of a Korean car, it will be interesting to learn about the alternative Chevrolet Tracker.

Overview

The second-generation Hyundai Creta debuted in 2019 under the ix25 index. It was first sold only in the Chinese market. In 2020, the crossover debuted in India under its own name.

In Russia, the second generation Hyundai Creta appeared even later - in mid-June 2021. The car in our country "shot" in sales and quickly became a bestseller. The Koreans managed to find a sought-after segment of the Russian market, which needed inexpensive compact crossovers.


Hyundai Creta is offered with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Like most models of this Korean brand, the crossover is rich in equipment for its class.

The fourth generation Chevrolet Tracker debuted in 2019. This model has nothing to do with the cars of the first and second generation, which were produced in the USA. Starting with the third generation, the Chevrolet Tracker has become a car for the developing countries of South America and Asia.

This crossover has nothing in common with the classic Chevrolets - the engines are low-volume, the dimensions are compact, and there are no versions with all-wheel drive. However, all this helps to save both when buying and during operation. As for all-wheel drive, the city crossover does not need it in fact.

If we compare the two cars in terms of general characteristics, then the Hyundai Creta wins due to the availability of all-wheel drive versions. Let's see what happens next, but for now the score is 1/0.

Appearance

Hyundai Creta second generation looks debatable, frankly for an amateur. The design is somewhat ambiguous, typically Asian and "cute". Many people like it, but there are people who speak about the appearance of the crossover in a frankly negative way.


Sales in Russia prove that the design of the Hyundai Creta is more likely to appeal to buyers. Although, it is likely that many simply put up with their appearance, since the combination of other characteristics still prevails.

Chevrolet Tracker looks more serious. There is no Hyundai Creta cartoon in its appearance. The pseudo-American crossover is firmly knocked down, but you can find fault with its appearance - it is too rounded.

If you put two cars side by side, it turns out that the Chevrolet Tracker looks definitely better. This is a more “masculine” car, at least Russian drivers think so.

Chevrolet Tracker wins in the "appearance" nomination - so far the score is 1:1.

Salon

Inside the Hyundai Creta is spacious, atypical for its class. In the back row, three passengers can accommodate with a sufficient level of comfort, especially if their height does not exceed 180 cm.


The trunk has a volume of 433 liters, if you fold the rear sofa, then the cargo area can be more than doubled. The only negative is that a completely flat floor will not work.

The interior design of the Hyundai Creta is more serious than playful. The only thing that spoils the overall impression is the seats both front and rear. Somehow they do not fit into the interior, they look budget.

Chevrolet Tracker does not indulge in design frills - inside it is frankly cheaper than that of its Korean competitor. The interior plastic stands out especially negatively against the background of the Hyundai Creta - it simply “screams” about its budget.

But the seats of the Chevrolet Tracker look better - there is even a hint of lateral support for the front seats. The trunk volume of the Chevrolet is inferior to its competitor - 390 versus 433 liters.

Comparing the salons of the two crossovers with each other, it is immediately clear who will win in this nomination. Of course, this is the Hyundai Creta - a total of 2:1 in his favor at this stage.

Technical features

The Korean crossover in Russia is presented with two main engines. It is immediately clear that the manufacturer has studied the preferences of local drivers and gave them exactly what is in the highest demand in our market. These are simple gasoline aspirated.


The base engine is a four-cylinder 1,6-liter power unit. This engine is from the popular Gamma family. In the front-wheel drive Hyundai Creta, the engine produces 123 hp. With. A 4x4 car has 121 liters. With.

For those who think 1,6 is not enough, there is a choice - a 2,0-liter power unit of the Nu family with 150 hp. With.

All two-liter Hyundai Cretas come with an automatic transmission only. With a 1,6-liter engine, a 6-speed manual transmission is offered in the database, but there are few such cars on the Russian market.

Of course, the all-wheel drive of the Korean crossover through the clutch is unstable, but it is there - the manufacturer should be thanked for this. Competitor is offered only in front-wheel drive.


Chevrolet Tracker is technically more advanced - this car is offered with turbocharged gasoline engines. The working volume of power units starts from 1,0 liters. In this version, the car produces 125 hp. With.

The second engine has a volume of 1,2 liters. Power - 132 liters. With. In the "top" version, the Chevrolet Tracker boasts a 1,3-liter engine. It is more powerful than the two-liter Hyundai Creta power unit - it develops 165 hp. With.

That's just Russian drivers traditionally do not trust a small engine. As practice shows, their resource is less, and the turbines take care of no more than half of it.


Yes, and modern engines are much more difficult to repair, especially since many service stations are unfamiliar with Chevrolet Tracker engines of the latest generation and do not want to get involved.

In theory, Hyundai Creta loses in terms of technical characteristics to the opponent. But in practice, at least in Russia, everything is exactly the opposite. Our drivers prefer structurally simple and reliable naturally aspirated engines.

It turns out that in this category Chevrolet Tracker loses to the opponent. The total score is 3:1 in favor of Hyundai Creta.


As the review showed, the Korean crossover is the leader in almost all categories, except for appearance, and even then, this statement is controversial and not for everybody. It is not just that Hyundai Creta is a bestseller in Russia - the Koreans were able to give the domestic client exactly what he was looking for. Of course, I would like the price of a crossover to be lower, but there are practically no alternatives in our market now.

Considering that the Chevrolet Tracker is not officially sold in Russia, plus turbocharged low-volume engines have a shorter resource than aspirated ones, buying a pseudo-American crossover does not look very attractive.

It is better to take the Hyundai Creta, especially since this crossover will definitely be in demand in the secondary market.