[car_aficianado]

Good evening and a happy new year folks.

I have a very recently acquired Alcazar and considering I am based in Mumbai, specifically near the area where rusting is rampant, am planning to get the Tufkote Dinitrol based treatment. For the doors, the panels are opened up and sprayed - my concern is with the fitting quality as well as the creaks which I might get after the refitting.

It would be helpful if anyone here can chime-in with the experience of door panel re-fitment in Alcazar or any other vehicle - for rust protection or otherwise.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by car_aficianado

I have a very recently acquired Alcazar and considering I am based in Mumbai, specifically near the area where rusting is rampant, am planning to get the Tufkote Dinitrol based treatment. For the doors, the panels are opened up and sprayed - my concern is with the fitting quality as well as the creaks which I might get after the refitting.

Congratulations on your Alcazar!

In modern day cars you don’t need to do any kind of treatment for rusting. Just enjoy your drive.

[car_aficianado]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Congratulations on your Alcazar!

In modern day cars you don’t need to do any kind of treatment for rusting. Just enjoy your drive.

Thank you for the response and the wishes. Unfortunately this particular location does not spare any car!

My last 2 vehicles (Hyundai Getz and Honda City) by the 4th year developed rusting all over the chassis as well as key areas and joints including the door frame, engine area, silencer etc. This could well be combination of improper washing (daily but with standard water) along with area induced rusting.

Hence trying to preempt the situation by considering the Dinitrol treatment but concerned with the after-effect of refitting the door panels.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

Hi, I am assuming they are JK UX Royale tyres.

Nope. Creta is 215/60/R17, who is only on the Alcazar Prestige. Platinum and Signature were sold with Apollo Apterra 215/55/R18.

JK UX Royales are extremely noisy tires at highway speeds. The sound insulation makes the experience better than the 215/60/R16 UX Royales on my (former) S-Cross. I feel the UX Royales are more noisy with more mileage than when new.

The USPs are:

1. They are cheap (cost 5200 apiece) next cheapest is Alnac 4G at 7500 INR. All other options are 9500+ INR starting with Apollo Apterra.
2. JKs last like a cockroach. Rishi Sinha extracted 97000 km from his Elanzos. Am currently at 52K on the UX Royales and still have about 4 mm tread depth left.

If you like and want to enjoy your quiet cabin and refined engine at highway speeds, rev away from the JKs.

Originally Posted by trave11er

However, 4-5 KM difference between manual & automatic is still on higher side.

My commute is an exception. I keep repeating suburban commute in many posts as it is not pure city driving. I get to drive midrange speeds (40-70 kph) more distance a day. For the same commute, my S-Cross 1.3 used to deliver high 22s and 23 odd kpl

[dash]

Observed wierd behavior today on my New Alcazar. Today morning, camera's have stopped working and screen is not responding to touch!

Other functions of the entertainment system like Radio, Media, Maps are displaying on the screen. I heard, it happens some times during software upgrades??

Feel, if it was a rat bite, whole thing should have stopped working. So, have you guys faced some thing like this?? Please let me know.

[werfish]

Originally Posted by dash

Observed wierd behavior today on my New Alcazar. Today morning, camera's have stopped working and screen is not responding to touch!

Other functions of the entertainment system like Radio, Media, Maps are displaying on the screen. I heard, it happens some times during software upgrades??

Feel, if it was a rat bite, whole thing should have stopped working. So, have you guys faced some thing like this?? Please let me know.

The top right corner would show the upgrade progress if its happening

[callmeneo]

Originally Posted by dash

Observed wierd behavior today on my New Alcazar. Today morning, camera's have stopped working and screen is not responding to touch!

Other functions of the entertainment system like Radio, Media, Maps are displaying on the screen. I heard, it happens some times during software upgrades??

Feel, if it was a rat bite, whole thing should have stopped working. So, have you guys faced some thing like this?? Please let me know.

This happened once to me. I just reset the Head Unit by inserting a sim ejector tool into the hole . Never reoccurred after that

[dash]

Originally Posted by werfish

The top right corner would show the upgrade progress if its happening

hmm.. I didnt notice any such update pogress indicator. Let me try the other option of reset of HEAD unit.

[pms]

Originally Posted by dash

Observed wierd behavior today on my New Alcazar. Today morning, camera's have stopped working and screen is not responding to touch!

Other functions of the entertainment system like Radio, Media, Maps are displaying on the screen. I heard, it happens some times during software upgrades??

Feel, if it was a rat bite, whole thing should have stopped working. So, have you guys faced some thing like this?? Please let me know.

Should be a minor issue, you should try resetting the ICE system or re-starting the car (sure you would have done that). I faced a similar issue post a car wash last week, wherein the reverse camera of my Alcazar was not getting activated automatically while slotting in 'R', rest all cameras worked perfect. I assumed it might have to do with water interference in some circuitry. Drove the car for like 3-4 Kms, stopped and re-started, reverse camera started working like before. No issues after that.

[mtk]

Originally Posted by dash

Observed wierd behavior today on my New Alcazar. Today morning, camera's have stopped working and screen is not responding to touch!.

Faced this twice. Cameras didn’t work while reversing. Restarted the car and it worked fine. Unsure, why these happen though.

[Gummybear]

I took delivery of new Alcazar 1.5 turbo DCT, two weeks back. When driving in comfort mode, in slow traffic or taking slow turns, I see the gear remains in D2 and shifts to D1 only when speed is zero (stand still). So, issue here is, car gets sluggish to gain speed as D2 is bit high gear for that slow speed. So, I have to brake to bring car to stand still for a moment, so that D1 is selected and then it moves on normally. I m not sure if this is normal behaviour or do I need to get this checked ?

[car_aficianado]

Originally Posted by Gummybear

I took delivery of new Alcazar 1.5 turbo DCT, two weeks back. When driving in comfort mode, in slow traffic or taking slow turns, I see the gear remains in D2 and shifts to D1 only when speed is zero (stand still). So, issue here is, car gets sluggish to gain speed as D2 is bit high gear for that slow speed. So, I have to brake to bring car to stand still for a moment, so that D1 is selected and then it moves on normally. I m not sure if this is normal behaviour or do I need to get this checked ?

Turbo lag definitely plays a role and hence the sluggish behavior between 15 - 30 km/hr but bringing the car to standstill sounds very strange. Can you check the behavior in Sport mode to eliminate any other aspects.

[pradeep_mvpa]

I will keep this review short and crisp.

The search

I used to drive a 2009 model Hyundai i10 Era. It has been largely a trouble-free ownership for nearly 14 years. Ever since the car crossed 10 years of its lifetime, I wanted to upgrade to a new car. In mid 2022, we began the search with the following preferences -
1. Panoramic sunroof
2. Automatic transmission. No AMT
3. Good luggage carrying capacity - i10 had negligible boot space. Hence, we ended up using part of rear seat to load the luggage during long trips/airport runs. This was a major inconvenience.
4. Max budget would be 25Lakhs.
5. Reasonably loaded with features + Android auto is must.

ADAS too was in wish list, but options were very limited such as XUV700 AX7 L (too costly for me), MG Astor (I like the looks, but family do not), Honda City Hybrid (too costly for what it offers) etc. Hence did not keep it as primary criteria.

So, we started our search with checking out both Tata Harrier and XUV 700. Liked both cars, especially XUV700. But ended up dropping both due to the following reasons -
1. XUV700 AX5 AT was within my budget. But it did not even come with a rear camera. Also, ORVMs were not folding internally. Waiting period was too high. Hence dropped it too. But I must say, I still admire this car.
2. Harrier XTA+ was within my budget and it had all the required features. But, heard too many QC issues about Harrier/Safari.
3. Both are huge vehicles. I wasn't sure if I would be comfortable using them as my daily drives.

Towards 2022 end, I have evaluated both Grand Vitara and Hyrider Hybrids. The only deal breaker was the rear seat incline angle. It was too upright for me. Also, I felt the sunroof was bit narrow compared to the other panoramic sunroof options available in the market. Not sure if it was just a perception. Family too wasn't much impressed with the car. Hence, moved away from these options.

I had deliberately avoided Hyundai cars initially as I wanted to try a different brand this time. But, ended up visiting Hyundai showroom after running out of options. Plan was to check both Creta and Alcazar.

We took the Alcazar out for a 45 minutes long spin. I could navigate the car easily through city traffic and highway. Everyone liked the car, especially the interiors and panoramic sunroof. Kids liked the extra row too.
Feature wise, Alcazar offered everything we needed and more. It also has many features that Creta did not have such as -
1. 360 degree camera
2. Front parking sensors
3. Optional 3rd row seat which comes handy when traveling with extended family. Also 2 rows can be folded to make a flat bed
4. Second row seats can be reclined like front row
5. Fully digital instrument cluster
6. 18 inch wheels
7. Side steps which can potentially protect your car from scratches. Don't think anyone will use it for the intended purpose.

Finally, we could zero in on our next car. We decided to go for the top end version due to the following reasons -
1. Entry level and top end variants are not priced too far from each other.
2. Signature (top end) variant was priced just 15K more than the Platinum (mid level) variant. It offered front ventilated seats and front parking sensors as additional features. Hence, it was a no brainer to choose the Signature variant.

Bidding adieu to our beloved i10..



PDI

Modi Hyundai guys (both sales and stockyard) have been very helpful in conducting PDI. They too joined me in the PDI activity. It was a very pleasant experience. This was completely different from our PDI experience with TATA for Altroz where they were too hesitant to even show the car to us. Not sure why.



Kids doing their own PDI




Delivery day





Puja




Initial impressions -

1. Car has a long list of features such as Ventilated seats, 360-degree camera, TPMS, Cruise control, Auto IRVM, auto fold mirrors, puddle lamps, Cooled glove box, air purifier with perfume, customizable ambient lights, Idle-Stop-Go, built in navigation, wireless charging, auto headlamps, side cam view on instrument cluster when turn indicators are a few to mention.
2 . This car measures 4.5m long which is shorter than all >4m sedans available in market today. It makes the maneuver in city an easy affair.
3. On open roads, fuel efficiency can easily reach 20kmpl, provided you drive sedately. In heavy traffic, it can drop drastically to 6-7kmpl too. I cover 11kms to reach office. Typically, it takes one hour, and I get around 9.5kmpl. But if the journey takes 45 minutes, I get 11+.
4. Engine/auto gearbox is not very enthusiastic to drive, but no way underpowered. Overtaking is very easy.
5. Ergonomics are spot on.
6. Android auto works flawlessly. Did not explore the inbuilt navigation much, hence cannot comment on that. But one thing I noticed is, if you use the MapMyIndia powered inbuilt navigation, directions show up on instrument cluster as well. Nice feature! Wish it gets replicated to Android auto as well.
7. Very comfortable car to drive.
8. As unique as a special edition!


First long trip - To our native place

Within a month of purchase, we did a Mumbai-Kochi-Mumbai round trip covering more than 3K kilometers. Trip to Kochi was very comfortable as roads were really good.

For return trip we chose Mangalore route as we wanted to visit Mookambika temple.
Few clicks from the journey -
Car returned an impressive fuel efficiency figure.


@home in Kerala



With my father's Altroz


Return to Mumbai


Bekal Fort, Kerala




Murdeshwar, Karnataka



Back in Mumbai, in my building parking space


Just for fun Return from Lonavala



Dash cam installed few days back. Inspiration - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...nancially.html (Dashcam is a Must-Have | Saved me legally and financially)


Few random clicks













Long term ownership review

1. Perfectly suitable for both city and highway usage. AT makes life so easy. Powerful enough, spacious and fuel efficient.
2. Ventilated seats - You may not like it initially, but upon prolonged use, one will get addicted to it.
3. 360-degree camera and front parking sensors are very helpful every time you park/take out the car. Useful in bumper-to-bumper traffic too.
4. Dark colour is very difficult to maintain. Every minor scratch shows up.
5. Car is fuel efficient. No DPF issues yet. Ride quality is decent.
6. Music system is decent enough. Frankly, I expected more from Bose branding!
7. Hyundai has provided just one switch to operate the sunroof. You may want to just open the roof liner to enjoy the rains, but chances of you opening the glass area itself is high!
8. Idle Stop-Go (ISG) feature does not engage at times. Other than this, zero niggles after 8 months of usage. Everything works as expected. A highly reliable car.
9. Auto headlamp sensor is oversensitive.
10. Air conditioner is reasonably powerful
11. Headlights need a special mention. If it doesn't rain you can still manage. When it rains, it is as good as driving without headlights.
12. We have extensively used the third row when we were in Kerala. It was mostly kids on third row. Car behaved normally. Only once we had a 1hr long drive with 7 full size adults onboard. Car was very bouncy in uneven roads.
13. Auto hold is used frequently. Car being an auto, does not roll back easily when on D mode. But due to the Idle-Stop-Go feature, when ignition is off and you lift the foot off the brake, car can roll back for a moment before the engine comes to life. Auto hold will prevent it.
14. Remote engine start - Helps you to keep the car cool when you walk into it. One can either use the Bluelink app or the remote itself if you are nearby.
15. Electric parking brake - The indicator on instrument cluster disappears once you open the driver side door. So, no way one can verify if the parking brake was actually engaged once you are out from car. Many at times I ended up reengaging the parking braking by leaning inside the car. I prefer the indicator to stay on for few more seconds.
16. Android auto is integrated with auto headlamp sensor. When you enter a tunnel, head lights turn on automatically and the navigation switches to night mode. Nice feature!
17. Car needs to be driven for 3-4 minutes for the TPMS to show the tyre pressure. It kind of defeat the purpose, partially at least.
18. Cabin is well insulated from road noise. Upon sudden acceleration, little bit of diesel engine noise creeps into the cabin.

Wishlist for future versions Alcazar -

1. Better headlights
2. More enthusiastic gearbox for Diesel
3. More exterior color options
4. Redesigned front end. Car looks weird from certain angles.
5. ADAS
6. Better safety rating

After 8 months of use, I can confidently say that this car is very reliable, comfortable, spacious enough and economic to drive. Running costs are similar to my old i10 at least for now. Best part about the car is, it is city friendly. I use it as my daily drive to office. I don't own a two-wheeler, hence using it for all neighborhood runs such as take kids to tuitions etc. I find no problems in dealing with heavy traffic, narrow lanes etc. Front parking sensors and 360-degree camera are really helpful in Mumbai traffic.

So, if you are looking for a car with city friendly dimensions, to be used as occasional 7-seater, fuel efficient and super reliable, Alcazar is a good option for you to consider. But if your need is to have a butch SUV with brutal power with bigger space, look elsewhere.

Hope this review was useful for you. Thanks for reading!

[Stoic Surgeon]

Originally Posted by pradeep_mvpa

Hope this review was useful for you. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for the nice review. This reinforces my decision of buying the Alcazar Signature (O) Adventure 1.5 DCT. Some queries

1) Did you get any paint protection?
2) What aftermarket accessories other than Dashcam did you purchase?

Happy driving !!!

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by pradeep_mvpa

7. Hyundai has provided just one switch to operate the sunroof. You may want to just open the roof liner to enjoy the rains, but chances of you opening the glass area itself is high!

Thanks for a very nice and detailed review
About the sunroof operation - If you short press the switch, it only opens the roof liner. If you long press, then only it opens glass area too.

It might need some getting used to. Once you get a hang of it, most of the time you will get it right