Next Creta With Pleos Connect: Hyundai Is About To Out-Tech Every Mid-Size SUV
The next-gen Hyundai Creta has been spied in India with Pleos Connect, the brand's new single-screen cockpit unveiled globally and already lined up for the Grandeur in Korea and Ioniq 3 in Europe. Our take: this is the upgrade that puts the Creta a full generation ahead of the Seltos, Taigun, Grand Vitara and Elevate on cabin tech, and it will matter to Indian buyers more than any styling refresh.
The Car Jury verdict
The current Creta already sells on tech, space and predictability, which is exactly why our Creta review and Creta Electric review both carry a BUY. Pleos Connect doubles down on that strength. A single large centralised display that merges instrumentation, infotainment and connectivity is the right answer for a segment where rivals are still bolting on twin pods and calling it innovation. Kia will eventually get the same architecture, but Hyundai is moving first in India, and that head start counts.
Rachit Hirani of MotorOctane (30 April 2026) noted that several features being talked up in newer launches are "already given in Hyundai Creta in India," and that pattern is about to repeat with Pleos. Faisal Khan of FasBeam (17 May 2026) has separately pointed out that the Creta's MPI engine "offers similar performance" to costlier turbo rivals, so the powertrain story is already settled; cabin tech is the next battleground.
The risk is pricing. If Hyundai pushes the top Pleos-equipped Creta past Rs 22 lakh on-road, it walks into Grand Vitara Hybrid and base Harrier territory. Hold the line under Rs 20 lakh on-road for the loaded variant and the 3rd-gen Creta becomes the default mid-size SUV recommendation in India.
What was announced
Hyundai is developing the third-generation Creta with comprehensive updates, and fresh spy shots from India confirm that the new SUV will carry Pleos Connect, the company's recently unveiled infotainment and cockpit system. The same system is also confirmed for the new Grandeur sedan in South Korea and the Ioniq 3 in Europe, making the Creta one of Pleos Connect's first global SUV applications and its India debut vehicle.
Pleos Connect moves away from the current industry default of dual screens or full-width curved displays. Instead, Hyundai uses a single large centralised screen that integrates instrument cluster information, infotainment, navigation and connectivity functions in one layout. Hyundai's stated goal is to make tech features more accessible while reducing driver distraction and improving safety, with information on the central screen presented in a structured, layered manner.
The spy images show the system already running in a test mule on Indian roads, indicating that calibration and localisation work is underway rather than at concept stage. Hyundai has not yet announced an India launch window, ex-showroom pricing or variant structure for the next-gen Creta. The current Creta range in India spans roughly Rs 11 lakh to Rs 20.30 lakh ex-showroom, and the new model is expected to retain the 1.5-litre MPI petrol, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, with Pleos Connect likely reserved for higher trims at launch before trickling down.