Hyundai has officially revealed the Alcazar but only with a very few limited details. The all-new Alcazar, which is the brand’s upcoming 7-seater SUV will take on the likes of Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus and even the Mahindra XUV500 in the Indian market. The Alcazar will be positioned above the Creta. Since the all-new Creta is selling like hotcakes in the market, there is little room for improvement, right?
Well, even though the Alcazar will target a different set of audience compared to the Creta, there will be many buyers who may get confused. With the limited information that we are allowed to share, we will tell you how Hyundai has improved the Alcazar and what more it offers over the Creta.
Longer wheelbase
The all-new Hyundai Alcazar offers a much longer wheelbase compared to the Creta. Even though both the cars share a lot with each other, different wheelbase means that it is one big differentiating factor.
The longer wheelbase on a longer body helps to make the vehicle much more stable and offers smoother ride quality. Yes, a shorter wheelbase has the advantage of maneuverability but a long wheelbase makes the ride feel much more premium.
Larger alloy wheels
The largest wheels that Hyundai offers with the Creta is 17-inch. The Alcazar gets 18-inch wheels but without sacrificing the ride quality. It gets thick wall tyres with bigger wheels. While Hyundai has not revealed the ground clearance of the Alcazar, it seems to have an advantage over the Creta, even if it is a small one.
Mature rear design
We have to say that the Creta looks very sporty but the rear design of the car may not sit well with a few. The Alcazar offers a mature rear design and looks sophisticated. It gets beautiful looking tail lamps and a grand badging of Alcazar. There are even sporty highlights like twin exhaust tips.
Powerful petrol engine
The Hyundai Creta gets two petrol engine options – 1.5-litre naturally aspirated and a 1.4-litre turbocharged. The Alcazar gets only one but it is more powerful than both the petrol engines of the Creta. It is a naturally-aspirated engine so there is no turbo lag but only the good old charm of a four-cylinder petrol engine. It is an excellent engine that produces a maximum power of 159 PS. It is an upgraded version of the engine that powers the Hyundai Tucson too. It is 7PS more powerful and can make the Alcazar reach 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds.
Three-row seating option
Most Indian families have more than five members and they do want to travel together. The Alcazar solves that problem by offering a three-row seating option. There is an option to choose between six and seven seats. Yes, the last row seats offer decent space for kids to travel over long distances and adults to take shorter journeys without getting cramped up.
Captain seats
In the middle-row, the all-new Hyundai Alcazar offers two options – bench and captain seats. The Creta only gets bench seats. But with the Alcazar, customers can choose to be much more comfortable with the captain seats. It will be quite luxurious to the corporates who move around with a chauffeur.
NVH levels
With an aim to make the Alcazar more premium, Hyundai has used additional soundproofing materials and sealants to make Alcazar’s cabin as silent as possible. In fact, at times, we could not even hear anything except for the climate control’s fan inside the cabin. It definitely gets a quieter cabin and probably one of the best in the segment.
Rear seat tray
As we said above that the Alcazar with captain seats will be a perfect choice for corporates who work on the move, Hyundai also offers a rear-seat tray. It can be used as a tablet holder or a food tray. In fact, there is a secret compartment in the boot that keeps valuables like laptop hidden away from plain sight.
Suspension upgrade
Hyundai has made the ride quality of the Alcazar premium. With the longer wheelbase, the Alcazar also gets Hydraulic Rebound stoppers at front struts. The rear gets an almost vertical suspension. It works quite well as you will get to know in the short drive review that we will post tomorrow.
Boot space
Well, with all seats in an upright position, the Alcazar offers 180 litres of boot space. It may not excite many but if you want a five or four-seater with bigger boot space than Creta, you can tumble down the last row seats easily to create a massive amount of space. Hyundai has not revealed exactly how much but it is bigger than Creta. Also, you get the 50:50 rear split seats that can be tumbled down individually too.