N LINETENMENT

Pardon the dad joke, but the Creta N Line is worthy of its price tag, even if doesn't quite take you to motoring nirvana

-  Pablo Chaterji

I’ll cut straight to the heart of the matter here. Is it worth spending Rs 35,000 over a top-spec, ‘regular’ petrol-powered Creta for the Creta N Line? The answer is yes. End of story. Everyone can go home now.

Oh, you want me to elaborate? I’m not sure why that’s necessary in the age of social media, where memory spans are measured in goldfish, but I’ll indulge you nevertheless. It’s just… better, and nicer. Unless you want a diesel engine, in which case you’re clean out of luck, since this variant is offered only with Hyundai’s excellent 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, with 158 bhp and 25.8 kgm of torque. Yes, you can spec it with a 6-speed manual, for that authentic boy-racer touch. Yes, there’s also a 7-speed DCT, for that lazy boy-racer touch. Is that explanation enough? No?

All right, pay attention then. Hyundai has a division called N (for Namyang, and for Nürburgring ), whose task it is to take unsuspecting Hyundais and vigorously beat them with a performance stick. The results are cars like the sizzling Elantra N and i30 N, and models like the outrageous Veloster N and Ioniq 5 N. All of these cars offer enhanced cosmetic features, sportier suspension and (often) unhinged performance, at prices that make the more established performance brands weep. In a corner. In secret.