Hyundai has announced its first global compact crossover will go by the name and will begin sales in India before launching elsewhere, Digital Trends reports.
For Hyundai, the Creta name was derived from largest Greek island, Crete. Hyundai chose the name because Crete was the focal point for Greece’s global dominance in trade and culture. The company hopes to mirror the whole “global dominance” thing with the Creta as an important model in a growing segment.
“Pronunciation of Creta deliberately evokes welcome similarities with the term ‘creative,’ and draws on positive associations with the Mediterranean island of Crete, which is famed for combining a relaxed and tranquil environment with a vibrant, energetic approach to outdoor activities,” Hyundai said in a statement, according to Digital Trends.
The upcoming CUV will go on sale in the second half of this year. In India, the Hyundai Creta will compete with models from Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault, Nissan, Ford and Tata Motors.
Elsewhere, the Honda HR-V and upcoming Mazda CX-3 will rival the new crossover. While Hyundai has called the Creta a “global model,” that hasn’t always guaranteed it will make the trip to North America.
