Hyundai Alcazar 7 seat SUV’s first drive impressions on video

Hyundai’s latest – the Alcazar will be launched in the Indian market in the coming few months. It remains a much-awaited car and we spent a few moments with the pre-production version of the model.

While we cannot talk about a lot of things that will be available with the Alcazar, here is everything that we gathered about the Alcazar.

What does it look like?

One look at the Alcazar and you know that it is much bigger than the Creta. Instead of just increasing the length of the body, Hyundai has also increased the wheelbase, which means it is a truly different car than Creta and also it translates into a lot of space inside the cabin. Apart from the front, which gets a similar grille outline and the headlamps as the Creta, everything else about the Alcazar is different. The car also gets a differently designed grille that makes it distinctive from the Creta.

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From the side, it gets large windows and interesting creases. There are also new alloy wheels and you get a choice between 17 and 18 inches depending on the variant positioning. Yes, you cannot see the design under the camouflage but Hyundai will reveal the car officially in the coming weeks. The rear design of Alcazar really stands out. It gets sophisticated looking LED tail lamps and a chrome strip running across with the ALCAZAR branding. The roof even gets a shark fin antenna, adding a premium touch. We did see the Alcazar without the camouflage and we must say that it will grab quite a few eyes on the roads.

Cabin?

The cabin we cannot show in the video due to the embargo but we can tell you about the space and feel of the cabin. In terms of design, the dashboard does look like Creta but there are enough differentiating factors that will remind you that you are in the Alcazar. Creta is a new product launched in the market last year. It is selling like hotcakes and we cannot deny that the dashboard design looks modern and is functional as well. Talking about the space, there is ample legroom in the middle row and you can slide the seats and adjust the reclination in both 6 and 7 seater variants. Tumbling down the middle row is an easy job. Just pull the lever on the side and you will see the seat collapsing and folding down, showing you the way to the third row.

Just like its competition, the Alcazar offers a decent amount of space that will fit two adults in the third row. But the seats are not made for adults if you plan to travel for more than a couple of hours continuously. Yes, there is a recline function but it does not add a massive amount of space. Even the luggage space is 180 litres, which is the biggest in the segment but if you want to carry more, you can always tumble down the third row flat to reveal a grand amount of space.

Engine and driving

The engine is the most interesting part about the Alcazar. It gets 2.0-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel units. We got a short drive with the petrol manual version so we will talk only about that combination. It is the same engine that powers the more premium Tucson but this is the third generation, which produces 7 PS of more power and is 4.4% more fuel-efficient. It produces a maximum of 159 PS but Hyundai is yet to reveal the fuel efficiency. During our short drive of 9-10 km, the display showed around 11 km/l, which is decent since I did push the car around to check the performance. And that’s because Hyundai says that the Alcazar can do 0-100 km/h in under 10 seconds and it did seem true. The petrol engine is naturally aspirated so the power delivery is linear and is tuned to provide the best of fuel efficiency and performance.

Yes, you do not get the kick in the head feeling but it is a seven-seater, not a sports car. The body roll is not extremely high but above the speed of 80 km/h, quick steering movements should be avoided. The suspension is tuned to give you a carpet ride even on the rocky surface. Yes, the comfort and NVH is absolutely brilliant. Hyundai has used a lot of soundproofing material to make the cabin as silent as possible. During our drive, we could mostly hear the AC fan only.

Should you wait for it?

The price reveal of the Alcazar will happen in the next few months but before that, you will get to know how the car looks and what features it offers officially. The price is likely to remain about Rs 2 lakh higher than the Creta for the base petrol variant and about Rs 1.5 lakh more for the diesel variant. Hyundai will launch the Alcazar to take on the likes of Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus and the Mahindra XUV500. It sure is a promising product and if you are seriously looking at the 7-seat options in this segment, you should wait for more official details in the coming few weeks.

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