1000 km with my Hyundai Alcazar P AT: Pros, cons & initial observations

The fuel efficiency is around 7 - 8.5 km/l in the city and 12 km/l on highways.

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Took delivery of our Starry Night, Petrol AT, 6 Seater, Signature (O) Alcazar in June. Though I haven’t driven it much, here are my initial thoughts and buying experience.

Current ride:

2018 Vento 1.2 TSI DSG. It was on a 4-year company lease that expired in April 2022. Hence there was a need to get a new ride, even though Vento was loved and had just 17,000 km on the ODO. Hence, we were contemplating options as to what to do. Our last ride was a Verna SX (O) Automatic Petrol as well and we also own a Ciaz, MT Delta (2017) Petrol (now converted into CNG as well). We had to let go of the Verna at the 4-year interval as well after just 16K on the ODO.

We are a family of 7 adults and one toddler (15 months) and my dad is a complete paralytic, so we need one proper sedan with full boot space for his wheelchair, as well as a sedan that is easy for him to get into. However, this time the itch to move to a crossover/SUV was also there just to mix and change things up.

Due to this, given that Ciaz was converted to CNG which meant compromised boot space, we decided to keep the Vento. The residual value on Vento was is around 3.4 Lakhs including GST, so paid that and kept it. Sent it to a service centre for inspection and managed to get an additional one-year warranty on it for some more peace of mind. Though I have had no issues whatsoever with Vento so far except for one malfunctioning ABS sensor, that was replaced under warranty.

That being decided and arranged, we decided to check the Psuedo SUV segments. The initial budget was around Rs 20-22 lakhs on road and started taking test drives in November - December. Cars checked:

1. Skoda Kushaq: This was the first car on my Radar. Though the rest of the family wasn’t too keen. And yet we fell in love with the riding dynamics and sorted handling. We test drove 1.5 DSG, as one of our requirements was an Auto and I did not want to downgrade from 1.2 TSI Engine. The interiors were a letdown though from Vento. I had still somehow managed to book the Kushaq and then the ORVM fiasco happened and it put us off as we need to fold down ORVMs frequently while getting into a tight parking spot in our society. Therefore having to fold the mirrors manually wasn’t just practical nor was desirable in a car that costs 21 big ones in Mumbai and hence dropped.
2. VW Taigun: Preferred the Kushaq over this, plus cheap fabric seats and no ventilated seats in the top end as well and the ORVM fiasco and this was out as well.
3. MG Astor: Loved the interiors, felt plush but found the three-pot engine to be noisy.
4. XUV 700: This was in consideration for 5 seater version - but no 5-seater top-end version and non-adjustable rear seats put us off.
5. Hyundai Creta: Once we drove the DCT Turbo version of this car, and once the family saw the huge sunroof, there was no looking back. The interiors were plush, and good quality and the loaded version came with 6 Airbags, so this was right on our shortlist.
6. Kia Seltos: Checked this after the Creta and we were a divided bunch, some wanted Creta solely for EPB and Big sunroof while some wanted Seltos for that HUD. However, after driving both cars back to back, Hyundai won on riding and handling dynamics.

So we booked Hyundai Creta DCT Turbo SX (O) on 27th January 2022 with the understanding that delivery would take 8-10 weeks. Booking was done at Modi Hyundai. However, come the first week of May there was no sign of delivery and the dealer indicated that it will be a few more weeks at the very least because of the ongoing chip shortage.

It was at that time that we decided that we could live with Alcazar instead if it was available faster. Since this car would be mostly be used by 3 or at max 4 adults, and no one would be in the backseat as we usually use our second car as well on long trips involving the family.

So we asked about Hyundai Alcazar’s top-end Petrol version - 6 Seater. The car feels very Creta-like to drive and even my wife who hasn’t driven crossovers before could handle it easily. 360-degree camera helped navigate and allay her parking fears. So we decided to book it. Mody Hyundai said that it would take 4-6 weeks for delivery for our colour - Starry Night. We kept the booking but also started looking at other dealers.

Just a few days later, Shreem Hyundai informed us that the car we wanted was in stock and could be allotted to us. I immediately paid the initial booking amount and asked ORIX, with whom we have an arrangement through the employer to proceed with Car Lease. We were given VIN and Chassis numbers almost immediately. The thread at Team-BHP was useful as I discovered that the car was manufactured on 11th May 2022. I went with my brother for PDI while ORIX made the lease papers. Satisfied we gave them a go-ahead and took delivery on 7th June 2022.

Buying experience: This was kinda impersonal when the salesperson found out that we would be taking a car through a corporate lease and the person attending us realised that the booking wouldn’t be routed through them but the showroom’s corporate guy. However, the test drive and delivery experiences were satisfactory.

For accessories, I just picked up mud flaps and floor mats and ORIX insured that we could get insurance through them, so it was easy.

Yet to pick up the extended warranty, contemplating it. The plan is to keep the car for 5 years and then change it once the lease expires. My running is less than 500 Kms a month. So we are unsure but will go with it mostly for added peace of mind.

The delivery in charge at the Shreem Hyundai’s Mahalaxmi was fantastic and helped explain each and every aspect of the car. Even made us download Bluelink and create an account and show how it worked.

So after 2 months and almost 1000 Kms on the ODO here are my thoughts:

Pros:

• The 2-litre petrol engine does the job well even with Automatic. There is an imperceptible lag before 1500 RPM but it doesn’t annoy. Even the ECO mode works well in the City. I have been driving around in City with Eco mode and it feels adequate. The 2.0 Ltr petrol engine does not feel underpowered at all.
• The Auto hold function is a god sent in Mumbai traffic. I love it, and I don’t think that we can go back to not using it.
• The finishing in the car is top-notch, even the quality of hard plastics is great.
• The panoramic sunroof, though a gimmick for me personally, is something the family loves and adores. The drives in rain are more pleasant.
• The Car feels really Creta like to drive, you do not really feel like you are driving a big car, and it helps.
• I took the car to Lonavla in scary rains, and the car drove through the ghats really well even with 4 passengers and a full load of luggage. Never once did the car feel underpowered in any manner.
• There was a 1.5. Km stretch in Patna was like driving on a waterfall, as the road was washed away. The car handled downslopes well, but at one particular point at an upwards incline, there was a slight hesitation and the car seemed stuck, but it picked up as soon as I put the car in ‘Mud’ mode and pulled through.
• The AC works really well, haven’t had a complaint as yet. Will see how it works in peak summers though.
• The mileage I am getting is around 7 - 8.5 km/l in cities and 12-ish on highways. I plan to do a Mumbai - Ahmedabad drive early next month and will get a better sense of highway mileage at that time. I do not expect to drive the car for more than 1000 Kms a month. So I am not concerned about mileage at this point.

Cons:

• I feel the dead pedal is not positioned very comfortably, and it does get some time getting used to. I wish it was slightly broader.
• No Rain-Sensing wipers. They were there in my Vento and feel great. I miss them here.
• The car lacks outright grunt and power surge like my Vento 1.2 TSI. However, the 2.0 engine more than makes up for it.
• No illuminated switches on the driver side for windows. Come on Hyundai - this is basic stuff, I wonder why it isn’t there.
• I can't find a way to open the boot of the car from inside the car. Maybe I just need to explore the car a bit more to find that out.
• The brakes, while adequate lack the bite or feel, and are not confidence-inspiring at the first go.
• The throw of headlights at night is barely adequate.

Overall, the car looks and feels great, and I will add more as I explore and drive more.

Warranty, I have not taken an extended warranty, but will take it soon. Wondering if I should take it just for the 4-5th Year or take it till 7 years. Ordinarily, I do not keep cars for more than 5 years. Will take a call in the next few days as the car is due for its first service.

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