Hyundai Alcazar Review

Venkatesh · 25th June 2021, 14:31

Hyundai Alcazar and Tata Safari comparison:

Dimensions
Ride, handling and ease of use
Engines and Price difference

https://youtu.be/nOQ8jifMouU

BoneCollector · 25th June 2021, 14:57

A great review.

Although I'm not so fond of this design language of Hyundai with Creta and Alcazar, I just can't digest that face.

If I've to look at a 7 seater, I have Ertiga at one end and Safari and Crysta at the other. Similarly, if I've to look for a 6 seater, XL6 at one end and Crysta at the other. Alcazar just misses out due to poor space management and a not so good looking face ( no offense to Creta and Alcazar owners and would be owners). Although I would love to have such gizmos in my next car. Heard that XUV7OO has got lots of gizmos, but then I will prefer a mechanically sound car rather than an electronic nightmare with niggles. O boy, it's a nightmare to hunt for a proper car that satisfies your needs and wants including the service part. Maybe better to settle with a spacious or a good looking 5 seater. Who is listening?

TrackDay · 25th June 2021, 15:11

Well written and detailed review !

Coming to the car, it seems to be loaded up with pretty much everything that one can ask for. The interior too seems to be very well appointed in the pictures. However for the room space and leg space there are other options with more generous space on offer. The exterior like the creta is not everyone's piece of cake. The rear does have a neutral styling, but seems to lack character and looks generic. And what is the deal with the alloy wheel design?

This car will definitely find customers from folks upgrading from the first generation creta as well existing Hyundai customers. Even younger families with toddlers and smaller kids will find this car practical, especially in the urban environment. For driving comfort and looks I would pick the Safari over this any day. For chauffer driver and absolute comfort, if budget is tight the Ertiga and if money is not an issue, the Crysta. This segment is really getting heated up. Thank God for competition

car_guy1998 · 25th June 2021, 15:19

A very well-written review, Omkar, and this thread deserve 5 stars!

I had checked the Alcazar a day after its launch and here are my observations:

1. The car looks much better from the rear than the Creta! Though I hated the rear look of the Creta before, the rear design is slowly growing into me!

2. The interiors definitely felt premium and looks like an expensive luxury vehicle inside!

3. While I felt the first row and second row comfortable, then here comes the spoilsport, which is the third row! To be honest, I felt the third row in the Alcazar poor in terms of space and the under-thigh support in the third row is nowhere close to the Innova even after pushing the middle seat to the maximum and the vehicle, which I sat was a 7 seater one! In fact, I felt its cheaper sibling, i.e, the Creta, felt better than the Alcazar in terms of comfort! It might be weird to compare a 5-seater car with a 7-seater car, but one has to accept the truth!

After having compared the third row of the Alcazar with the Innova, I felt the Innova still better in terms of the comfort in the third row and no people mover vehicle can beat the Innova in terms of third-row comfort and under-thigh support, period!

The Alcazar is a good vehicle, no doubt, but what I felt is, if Hyundai could've focused much on the third-row comfort instead of giving a huge set of features and plonked in a 2.0 Diesel of Tucson over 1.5 Diesel engine of Creta, it would've been a winner and can make the Safari and the Innova Crysta run for its money and we could have bought this one as the replacement for our Innova with eyes closed!

The only advantage of the Alcazar apart from the huge list of features is the fuel efficiency, which gives much better than the Crysta!

And, overall I can say that the Alcazar is best called an extended Creta with 4 seater rather than calling it a 6-7 seater car!

No wonder, the Alcazar will sell well, thanks to the Hyundai brand! But, I've realized that it is not a worthy upgrade from the Innova, which the third-row seat comfort is still the best!

And, in my POV, instead of buying the Alcazar, I'll save that 3L and get its cheaper sibling, i.e, the Creta, which has better rear-seat comfort than the Alcazar and I'll be getting the similar features of Alcazar in the Creta as well! The Creta is best for the people, who don't require a 7-seater and at the same time, who want better rear-seat comfort as well!

Or, if a 7-seater car is a necessity, will extend a bit and get an Innova Crysta for its bulletproof reliability along with third-row comfort or Safari for its looks, performance and has better comfort as well!

Kosfactor · 25th June 2021, 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Hyundai Alcazar and Tata Safari comparison:

I expected this to happen very quickly, quite obvious who is feeling the heat.

Will history repeat?

When Mk1 Creta launched to an internet full of Ecosport and Duster, Creta did not have the driving dynamics of Ecosport or the space or the size of ground clearance or the ruggedness of Duster - which was THE urban compact SUV at that time. I do not need to explain what happened afterwards.

sanmish · 25th June 2021, 15:30

Had a chance to check out the 6 seater variant in the showroom yesterday. Ingress is easy for the 3rd row but it is strictly for small kids. Boot is almost unusable with the 3rd row up. So it would be a choice between kids and luggage on your next long holiday 😊. I am 5’10” and contrary to many opinions here, I found the 2nd row decently spaced with the front seat adjusted to my height (not as much as the Creta though). Found the under thigh support a bit underwhelming. The armrest in the 2nd row is set nicely, and allows the middle row passengers enough space to sit comfortably.

Interiors look great especially in the brown/cognac shade. It is feature packed and that would be its USP compared to its competitors. Judging by the crowd checking out the Alcazar, it is definitely drawing attention which will surely translate into good sales. The top variant is priced competitively but the lower variants is where it might lose some sales.

Good product and will leverage on Creta’s success.

Stribog · 25th June 2021, 16:03

I somehow get the sense that this car is to the 7 seater MPV / CSUV 7 seater what the abomination that was the i20 Active (no offense to any i20 active owners, just my personal opinion) was to the then unknown Creta.

This seems to be Hyundai testing waters in this hitherto untested / unknown (for them) segment. At minimal design, retooling costs they rushed this allegedly 7 seater to the market.

Based on long term trends we might get a ground up designed proper 7 seater.

I visited the Hyundai showroom near my office with a few colleagues and I honestly was very underwhelmed by how it looks and feels. Though none was available for a TD (it was short notice and we randomly dropped in, so don't blame them). The grill looks very very ugly and this coming from a guy who thinks that the new gen Creta looks decent, so you can imagine how bad it must look.

Space is a serious constraint and am not sure which market the boffins at Hyundai are targeting because the budget end of the 7 seater market has the Ertiga and for a few lakhs more you get the Safaris and at the same cost the Hector plus which quite simply is far more spacious.

Could this be one of the few failures the otherwise Midas touched HMIL might see?

And as a long time HMIL fan, I hate this trend of depowered engines. When the Fluidic launched with its blistering (for its segment) 1.6l, 126 bhp, super torquey engine it was a trend setter and now they are regressing towards more sedate, relatively less torquey engines while its competition is going the other way.

udaikalra01 · 25th June 2021, 18:02

Great review!

Read this, and then watched Autocar review. If I am given a choice between Safari and Alcazar, I will go for Safari without having a second thought. Especially now that I have seen the reviews. I cannot even look at it as a Safari Or Hector Plus competitor with that 1.5L diesel and around 20 cm shorter length.

This simply cannot seat 6 adults at a time even for short distances without compromising second row space. The Autocar host, as expected, mentioned that the diesel feels underpowered with 6 people sitting and it will struggle on a slope. The public opinion, as seen in the comments section, is also against the car. Let's see how it fares against the (claimed) competitors. I am not considering this one.

swiftdiesel · 25th June 2021, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

The Alcazar is a good vehicle, no doubt, but what I felt is, if Hyundai could've focused much on the third-row comfort instead of giving a huge set of features and plonked in a 2.0 Diesel of Tucson over 1.5 Diesel engine of Creta, it would've been a winner and can make the Safari and the Innova Crysta run for its money and we could have bought this one as the replacement for our Innova with eyes closed!

There are 2 reasons for going with the 1.5 diesel.

1. Economies of scale, especially at a time when the future of diesel is bleak. It helps keeps production costs low.

2. The 2.0 litre diesel will not fit the engine bay. This is a Creta until the B pillar.

Overall, the Alcazar is overpriced for what it offers.

wheelguy · 25th June 2021, 19:32

Deliveries started!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFjQbFRO5sQ

ashishk29 · 25th June 2021, 20:55

Ideally the cons should also have listed:
"There is no official NCAP rating available". Also, possibly
"Hyundai/Kia are not the most well known for NCAP scores on their Indian market cars".

On a slight side note:
All new and upcoming reviews should ideally include whether or not a car has an official NCAP rating, and just like a lot of reviews mention stuff like "XYZ's after sales service is a hit and miss", the respective manufacturers general NCAP attitude should also be a part of the list.
I personally feel that NCAP results, and the brand's overall attitude towards making less safe cars for Indian market is not being highlighted enough.
Just my 2 cents.

anjan_c2007 · 25th June 2021, 21:02

The Alcazar is a part of Hyundai's strategy to crowd a segment where the demand is, with whatever models possible. The mechanicals in such cases could be one of the old, proven ones, from their menu.

The looks could be new but the smart buyers (many have become smart) will sense things amiss in the technical specifications that mostly match the Creta's.

We have seen Maruti doing this by crowding the B segment since the turn of the millennium when there was a great demand and the Santro and Matiz had made their entries with a bang.

Maruti after launching the Zen in 1993, launched the Wagon R, Alto VX/VXi (1.1 L) (though shortlived), but later appearing as the K-10, Zen Estilo, Swift, A Star, Ritz and quite a few more. The B segment crowding by MSIL continues till the present day.

GeeTee TSI · 25th June 2021, 21:31

For some reason, the promotional photos seemed to have masked how (rather ordinarily) the C pillar has been integrated, or maybe I imagined flush fitting glass panels. The Creta profile is clearly visible via the protruding ridge along the roofline till the C pillar

Emvi · 25th June 2021, 21:35

As already opined by many, Alcazar may not be the 'perfect' 6/7 seater. Alcazar is probably for those who want a "bigger" and "better looking" Creta. A lot of potential Creta buyers were(and are) put-off by its looks. Alcazar might help bring them back to the showrooms. Even the base variant is quite feature rich and scores high on Value For Money quotient, IMO.

Livnletcarsliv · 25th June 2021, 22:24

Another great and best review by the team. Kudos to the great teamwork and excellent review. Reiterating and re-assuring that Team-bhp's reviews are the best.

Well adding my few cents here.

1. Definitely not a game-changer in any aspect.
2. Poorly specced car.
3. Not a suitable 5/6/7 seater - the other options are much better for every additional seat.
4. The only impressive factor is the Gizmos/tech factor - as usual a lot of gizmos, features, and cosmetic add-ons from Hyundai.
5. A big let down on the engine specs and space
6. Well looks are subjective (for the fact that even the looks of the Creta are not impressive - my personal choice)
7. I don't understand the reason for a mediocre product from Hyundai in a segment that is well played by big boys like Crysta, Safari, XUV500 (and upcoming XUV700), Hector plus. Probably Hyundai-Kia group wants to test the water before Kia launches a full-fledged and proper MPV (to be positioned between Ertiga and Crysta) that is scheduled for 2022.
8. Extending the chassis, stiffening the suspension and adding more strength to the chassis and body are highly mediocre moves by Hyundai.
9. My overall verdict - a mediocre product in every aspect except for the techs and gizmos.

25th June 2021, 14:57	#32
BoneCollector Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: ..... Posts: 3,338 Thanked: 11,413 Times View My Garage	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review A great review. Although I'm not so fond of this design language of Hyundai with Creta and Alcazar, I just can't digest that face. If I've to look at a 7 seater, I have Ertiga at one end and Safari and Crysta at the other. Similarly, if I've to look for a 6 seater, XL6 at one end and Crysta at the other. Alcazar just misses out due to poor space management and a not so good looking face ( no offense to Creta and Alcazar owners and would be owners). Although I would love to have such gizmos in my next car. Heard that XUV7OO has got lots of gizmos, but then I will prefer a mechanically sound car rather than an electronic nightmare with niggles. O boy, it's a nightmare to hunt for a proper car that satisfies your needs and wants including the service part. Maybe better to settle with a spacious or a good looking 5 seater. Who is listening?
	(2) Thanks

25th June 2021, 15:11	#33
TrackDay Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Magic land Posts: 1,057 Thanked: 4,433 Times	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review Well written and detailed review ! Coming to the car, it seems to be loaded up with pretty much everything that one can ask for. The interior too seems to be very well appointed in the pictures. However for the room space and leg space there are other options with more generous space on offer. The exterior like the creta is not everyone's piece of cake. The rear does have a neutral styling, but seems to lack character and looks generic. And what is the deal with the alloy wheel design? This car will definitely find customers from folks upgrading from the first generation creta as well existing Hyundai customers. Even younger families with toddlers and smaller kids will find this car practical, especially in the urban environment. For driving comfort and looks I would pick the Safari over this any day. For chauffer driver and absolute comfort, if budget is tight the Ertiga and if money is not an issue, the Crysta. This segment is really getting heated up. Thank God for competition Last edited by TrackDay : 25th June 2021 at 15:13.
	(2) Thanks

25th June 2021, 15:19	#34
car_guy1998 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: TG08/New Jersey Posts: 820 Thanked: 1,516 Times View My Garage	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review A very well-written review, Omkar, and this thread deserve 5 stars! I had checked the Alcazar a day after its launch and here are my observations: 1. The car looks much better from the rear than the Creta! Though I hated the rear look of the Creta before, the rear design is slowly growing into me! 2. The interiors definitely felt premium and looks like an expensive luxury vehicle inside! 3. While I felt the first row and second row comfortable, then here comes the spoilsport, which is the third row! To be honest, I felt the third row in the Alcazar poor in terms of space and the under-thigh support in the third row is nowhere close to the Innova even after pushing the middle seat to the maximum and the vehicle, which I sat was a 7 seater one! In fact, I felt its cheaper sibling, i.e, the Creta, felt better than the Alcazar in terms of comfort! It might be weird to compare a 5-seater car with a 7-seater car, but one has to accept the truth! After having compared the third row of the Alcazar with the Innova, I felt the Innova still better in terms of the comfort in the third row and no people mover vehicle can beat the Innova in terms of third-row comfort and under-thigh support, period! The Alcazar is a good vehicle, no doubt, but what I felt is, if Hyundai could've focused much on the third-row comfort instead of giving a huge set of features and plonked in a 2.0 Diesel of Tucson over 1.5 Diesel engine of Creta, it would've been a winner and can make the Safari and the Innova Crysta run for its money and we could have bought this one as the replacement for our Innova with eyes closed! The only advantage of the Alcazar apart from the huge list of features is the fuel efficiency, which gives much better than the Crysta! And, overall I can say that the Alcazar is best called an extended Creta with 4 seater rather than calling it a 6-7 seater car! No wonder, the Alcazar will sell well, thanks to the Hyundai brand! But, I've realized that it is not a worthy upgrade from the Innova, which the third-row seat comfort is still the best! And, in my POV, instead of buying the Alcazar, I'll save that 3L and get its cheaper sibling, i.e, the Creta, which has better rear-seat comfort than the Alcazar and I'll be getting the similar features of Alcazar in the Creta as well! The Creta is best for the people, who don't require a 7-seater and at the same time, who want better rear-seat comfort as well! Or, if a 7-seater car is a necessity, will extend a bit and get an Innova Crysta for its bulletproof reliability along with third-row comfort or Safari for its looks, performance and has better comfort as well!
	(4) Thanks

25th June 2021, 15:30	#36
sanmish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 30 Thanked: 42 Times	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review Had a chance to check out the 6 seater variant in the showroom yesterday. Ingress is easy for the 3rd row but it is strictly for small kids. Boot is almost unusable with the 3rd row up. So it would be a choice between kids and luggage on your next long holiday 😊. I am 5’10” and contrary to many opinions here, I found the 2nd row decently spaced with the front seat adjusted to my height (not as much as the Creta though). Found the under thigh support a bit underwhelming. The armrest in the 2nd row is set nicely, and allows the middle row passengers enough space to sit comfortably. Interiors look great especially in the brown/cognac shade. It is feature packed and that would be its USP compared to its competitors. Judging by the crowd checking out the Alcazar, it is definitely drawing attention which will surely translate into good sales. The top variant is priced competitively but the lower variants is where it might lose some sales. Good product and will leverage on Creta’s success.
	() Thanks

25th June 2021, 16:03	#37
Stribog BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Chennai Posts: 828 Thanked: 3,482 Times	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review I somehow get the sense that this car is to the 7 seater MPV / CSUV 7 seater what the abomination that was the i20 Active (no offense to any i20 active owners, just my personal opinion) was to the then unknown Creta. This seems to be Hyundai testing waters in this hitherto untested / unknown (for them) segment. At minimal design, retooling costs they rushed this allegedly 7 seater to the market. Based on long term trends we might get a ground up designed proper 7 seater. I visited the Hyundai showroom near my office with a few colleagues and I honestly was very underwhelmed by how it looks and feels. Though none was available for a TD (it was short notice and we randomly dropped in, so don't blame them). The grill looks very very ugly and this coming from a guy who thinks that the new gen Creta looks decent, so you can imagine how bad it must look. Space is a serious constraint and am not sure which market the boffins at Hyundai are targeting because the budget end of the 7 seater market has the Ertiga and for a few lakhs more you get the Safaris and at the same cost the Hector plus which quite simply is far more spacious. Could this be one of the few failures the otherwise Midas touched HMIL might see? And as a long time HMIL fan, I hate this trend of depowered engines. When the Fluidic launched with its blistering (for its segment) 1.6l, 126 bhp, super torquey engine it was a trend setter and now they are regressing towards more sedate, relatively less torquey engines while its competition is going the other way.
	(1) Thanks

25th June 2021, 18:02	#38
udaikalra01 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Sri Ganganagar Posts: 299 Thanked: 1,871 Times	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review Great review! Read this, and then watched Autocar review. If I am given a choice between Safari and Alcazar, I will go for Safari without having a second thought. Especially now that I have seen the reviews. I cannot even look at it as a Safari Or Hector Plus competitor with that 1.5L diesel and around 20 cm shorter length. This simply cannot seat 6 adults at a time even for short distances without compromising second row space. The Autocar host, as expected, mentioned that the diesel feels underpowered with 6 people sitting and it will struggle on a slope. The public opinion, as seen in the comments section, is also against the car. Let's see how it fares against the (claimed) competitors. I am not considering this one.
	(5) Thanks

25th June 2021, 20:55	#41
ashishk29 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Pune Posts: 792 Thanked: 1,665 Times View My Garage	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review Ideally the cons should also have listed: "There is no official NCAP rating available". Also, possibly "Hyundai/Kia are not the most well known for NCAP scores on their Indian market cars". On a slight side note: All new and upcoming reviews should ideally include whether or not a car has an official NCAP rating, and just like a lot of reviews mention stuff like "XYZ's after sales service is a hit and miss", the respective manufacturers general NCAP attitude should also be a part of the list. I personally feel that NCAP results, and the brand's overall attitude towards making less safe cars for Indian market is not being highlighted enough. Just my 2 cents.
	(15) Thanks

25th June 2021, 21:02	#42
anjan_c2007 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 8,714 Thanked: 22,972 Times View My Garage	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review The Alcazar is a part of Hyundai's strategy to crowd a segment where the demand is, with whatever models possible. The mechanicals in such cases could be one of the old, proven ones, from their menu. The looks could be new but the smart buyers (many have become smart) will sense things amiss in the technical specifications that mostly match the Creta's. We have seen Maruti doing this by crowding the B segment since the turn of the millennium when there was a great demand and the Santro and Matiz had made their entries with a bang. Maruti after launching the Zen in 1993, launched the Wagon R, Alto VX/VXi (1.1 L) (though shortlived), but later appearing as the K-10, Zen Estilo, Swift, A Star, Ritz and quite a few more. The B segment crowding by MSIL continues till the present day.
	(2) Thanks

25th June 2021, 21:31	#43
GeeTee TSI Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: KA01 Posts: 1,479 Thanked: 3,363 Times View My Garage	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review For some reason, the promotional photos seemed to have masked how (rather ordinarily) the C pillar has been integrated, or maybe I imagined flush fitting glass panels. The Creta profile is clearly visible via the protruding ridge along the roofline till the C pillar
	() Thanks

25th June 2021, 21:35	#44
Emvi BHPian Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: KA-21 Posts: 638 Thanked: 3,550 Times	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review As already opined by many, Alcazar may not be the 'perfect' 6/7 seater. Alcazar is probably for those who want a "bigger" and "better looking" Creta. A lot of potential Creta buyers were(and are) put-off by its looks. Alcazar might help bring them back to the showrooms. Even the base variant is quite feature rich and scores high on Value For Money quotient, IMO. Last edited by Emvi : 25th June 2021 at 21:59. Reason: Better wording
	(2) Thanks

25th June 2021, 22:24	#45
Livnletcarsliv BHPian Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: TN66/TN14 Posts: 948 Thanked: 2,320 Times	Re: Hyundai Alcazar Review Another great and best review by the team. Kudos to the great teamwork and excellent review. Reiterating and re-assuring that Team-bhp's reviews are the best. Well adding my few cents here. 1. Definitely not a game-changer in any aspect. 2. Poorly specced car. 3. Not a suitable 5/6/7 seater - the other options are much better for every additional seat. 4. The only impressive factor is the Gizmos/tech factor - as usual a lot of gizmos, features, and cosmetic add-ons from Hyundai. 5. A big let down on the engine specs and space 6. Well looks are subjective (for the fact that even the looks of the Creta are not impressive - my personal choice) 7. I don't understand the reason for a mediocre product from Hyundai in a segment that is well played by big boys like Crysta, Safari, XUV500 (and upcoming XUV700), Hector plus. Probably Hyundai-Kia group wants to test the water before Kia launches a full-fledged and proper MPV (to be positioned between Ertiga and Crysta) that is scheduled for 2022. 8. Extending the chassis, stiffening the suspension and adding more strength to the chassis and body are highly mediocre moves by Hyundai. 9. My overall verdict - a mediocre product in every aspect except for the techs and gizmos.
	(3) Thanks