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Look, we expected this. When the Creta got a facelift earlier this year, it was only a matter of time before it was the Alcazar’s turn. The Alcazar follows the same formula: a seven-seat SUV based on the Creta, but this is no hash-job. Hyundai has gone through the trouble of stretching the wheelbase to get more space, and focussing on upping luxury in the second row. This facelift brings styling tweaks, a revised dash layout, more equipment on the inside and a reinforced structure — in line with what we saw with the Creta. With the Kia Carens on one side, and the Tata Safari and Mahindra XUV700 on the other, the Alcazar sits in an interesting space. And the updates certainly improve the package.
The styling changes are massive. The older Alcazar started with the Creta’s base styling but then chromed things up a little too much in a bid to look expensive. That has changed with this update. The Alcazar doesn’t look like the regular Creta any more, in fact is shares its nose with the more sporty-looking Creta N Line — split headlamps with lighter, a slimmer grille with black-chrome elements and chunky bumpers. I really disliked the old design. This one, gets a big thumbs up. In profile, it continues with 18-inch wheels with a new wheel design, gets gloss black cladding and also gets chunky roof rails — these are functional and can support the weight of a roof box or carrier. The rear design is highly improved, and is vastly different even from the Creta N Line — the light bar joins vertically stacked taillamp elements and the rear bumper is really chunky, but also accentuates the width of the car. In terms of dimensions, the Alcazar is longer, marginally wider and taller than before. Crucially though, the wheelbase is stretched 150mm over the Creta to improve room in the rear seat.
Step inside and the dash is a familiar place. The dash layout is similar to the Creta, with the twin 10.25-inch screens dominating the dashboard. Unlike the Creta’s white interior, the Alcazar gets a tan and navy blue colour scheme. This will certainly be a lot easier to maintain compared to the stain-prone white / grey that the Creta comes with. It also gets some trim differences on the central tunnel and on the dash. As expected of Hyundai, equipment levels are generous — dual zone climate control, Bose audio, 360 camera, wireless phone charger, 6 airbags, Level 2 ADAS and a panoramic sunroof — all shared with the Creta. However, it gets some additional goodies as well — mainly an electrically adjustable passenger’s seat, a memory function for the driver’s seat, and a digital key feature which allows you to unlock and start the car with your smartphone. It is also worth nothing that the diesel variant no longer gets a sunroof. Hyundai claims that this is due to weight: the additional strengthening of the chassis does make the car weigh a little more than before and culling the sunroof allows them to maintain efficiency and performance on the diesel. We suspect it could have something to do with meeting Cafe norms, which factor in the kerb weight of the cars in the fleet.
As before, the real party with the Alcazar is the second row. Captain seats are available on the six-seater variants and they’re upgraded with BMW-style extendable thigh supports and winged headrests. They also get seat ventilation. Together, the significantly upgrade the comfort equation in the second row. You can also electrically adjust the front passenger seat from the rear, you have a manual sunblind, tray table and a wireless phone charger in the second row. Can’t complain in terms of equipment, however I would have liked a little more knee room — the tray tables have been slimmed down from before however they still eat in to knee room and you cant really stretch out in the back if you’ve got someone in the front seats. The third row hasn’t changed. It is cramped for full gown adult, though you do get USB ports, cup holders and a separate blower speed for the third row AC vents.
The Alcazar gets two engine options, a 1.5 diesel and a 1.5 turbo-petrol, both now with an integrated starter motor generator to improve efficiency. It misses out on the nat-asp 1.5 petrol from the Creta, but that engine would have been a bit too out of breath on the Alcazar. Not only does the car weigh approximately 100kg more, but it can carry a larger payload with seven people plus their luggage on the roof.
On test is the 1.5 turbo-petrol putting out 158bhp and 253Nm with the 7-speed DCT, though it is available with a manual as well. Performance is brisk, with a little lag under 1500rpm, but once the turbo spools, it is rather quick. Hyundai claims 9.6 seconds from 0-100kmph on the DCT (0.1 seconds quicker on the manual) and those are good numbers. The engine itself is a familiar one, we’ve driven it in plenty of Hyundai / Kia cars in the last few years, including the Creta. It is smooth, refined, willing to rev and has strong power delivery through the rev-band. The DCT is snappy, with closely spaced ratios keeping you in the powenband, but more importantly smooth at low speeds making it easy in stop-go traffic. Oh, and it gets paddle shifters, which are always welcome. The Alcazar also gets traction and drive modes. The traction modes with Mud, Sand and Snow are not so relevant in a FWD SUV but the drive modes with Eco, Normal and Sport do make a difference to performance. The turbo-petrol does do enough to pull the Alcazar along swiftly, but if efficiency is a concern, then the diesel might be the better bet.
There are changes to the Alcazar under the skin: Hyundai have increased structural rigidity and crash energy absorption with reinforcements to the monocoque. This is similar to the updates made to the Creta earlier this year, but tweaked for the Alcazar’s longer wheelbase. Weight has gone up, and consequently the suspension has been retuned to compensate for the additional weight of the Alcazar.
It drives very similarly to before, but I do suspect that the underlying firmness of the old Alcazar’s suspension has been worked on. This rides with a little more plushness, and soaks up the road a little better. This is great if you’re sat in the back — it simply means a more comfortable ride. It deals with broken surfaces reasonably well too, soaking them up and also damping the sounds made by the suspension. That said, it is worth nothing that it behaves so with two people in the car. Loading it up with six or seven plus luggage could change how it rides a fair bit.
Handling is par for the course, and it won’t tie itself in knots the first corner you chuck it in to. It feels positive on turn in, but it isn’t as nimble as the Creta. The longer wheelbase does contribute to that. The Alcazar’s rear end also feels a little more soft — A mid corner bump could cause some squatting and consequently pitching movements, but that’s only when pushing hard. For the most part, if driven at 7/10ths, it is quite competent and will keep the occupants inside comfortable.
The Alcazar comes in at a more affordable price compared to before: with prices starting at Rs 15 lakh. I’m certain the gameplay here is to attract buyers looking at compact 7-seaters. At the top end, the TGDI is priced at a cool Rs 21.4 lakh (ex showroom), and this undercuts the top-end Tata Safari and Mahindra XUV700. It sits half a segment under them, both in terms of price, power and space on the inside and carves out a comfortable niche for itself here. With far more palatable styling, a more modern interior and a backseat with some clever creature comforts, the Alcazar certainly deserves to be on the radar for someone who doesn’t need the ruggedness of the Tata and Mahindra, but still want a proper backseat experience.
