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My Hyundai Alcazar ownership: Likes, dislikes & buying experience

2nd January 2023, 15:38 by Rahul Nagaraj

I intend to keep the vehicle for the medium to long term, and a reliable brand with a proven track record was an essential factor.

BHPian Haldian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I was on the lookout for a 6/7-seater with a budget of ₹20 lakhs and had initially booked Alcazar Titan Grey 7 STR Diesel Manual with an expected wait time of 3 – 4 weeks. Hyundai dealer identified my booking first in line for allocation for the given variant and colour choice. Here I am sharing the story as it unfolded. It’s a long read so coffee in the hand is highly suggested. Alternatively, one can skip the sections with a trip down memory lane.

Review Index:

My Previous cars

Here comes the Alcazar

Parting note

My Previous cars

Reminiscing on past wheels in the family that I had an opportunity to drive. We were a joint tribe, and I was more of a younger one amongst many. Family business required having a mix of vehicles and I ended up riding/driving a lot of them including my fair share of non-conventional ones. Like long nose truck or even a tractor. From viewpoint of family wheels to travel from point A to point B over the years, it was the usual Fiat / Ambassador to Maruti 800 / Zen / Santro / Matiz saga. Throw in a family-owned 4x4 Jeep (Later Mahindra) or an odd Yamaha 350 / Rajdoot / Yezdi / Bullet / Vijay Super / Chetak / Kinetic Honda - followed by Kawasaki/Yamaha RX 100 /Honda CBZ / Activa bikes and that completes the picture with credit to two-wheel variety.

Come 1996 and there was the then-biggest Indian Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Having an avid interest in cars, I was there for the whole 3 days. It was a dream come true with car manufacturers across the globe scrambling for their pie in the Indian market, distributing auto goodies to visitors. I have not heard of brands like Maserati, but their shiny car brochures were drool-worthy and collector’s items. By the next auto expo in 1998, we got to see various 1st generation new car launches like Matiz, and Santro amongst many others including Volvo buses and the like.

Fast forward to the end of 2007 and I was now working for an MNC. Got the opportunity to travel to the UK for 6 months and extensively drove Hyundai Getz in and around Acocks Green – Solihull - Birmingham Business Park region, with a few trips downtown to Bullring and Canal. My UK counterpart, the owner of the car, was happy to let me drive his car. On our way to the office, we used to pass the Solihull JLR plant and hope to see it one day. The fact that Tata will soon be the owner (or it already was) makes us proud Indians.

Hyundai Getz CRDi Dynasty Red

So, when I saw billboards in early 2008 about this car being launched in India – I booked it immediately and was handed over one of the first few Getz CRDi gems Hyundai churned out. Earlier cars were allegedly CKDs, and it took a couple of months for Hyundai to have major localization in place.

After breaking into the car for about a couple of months, I could wait no longer and had my first long drive to Noida – Mussoorie. Then it all began, and I did multiple legs like Noida – Manali – Rohtang, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital - Ranikhet, Binsar, Jaipur etc.

Getz's space and road mannerisms were great. Engine with a meaty torque and power band was always rearing to explode. A step on the pedal will push the car menacingly and as a driver, one is suddenly aware of the need to keep the car in line. Things start moving so fast!

That brings me to a very big miss from Hyundai on that car – No ESC, EBD, ABS or passenger airbag, nothing, nada. Needless to say, I switched to wider tyres, and soft rubber to do what I can do about it. The car used to make short of steep inclines on the mountains and we suddenly started saving an hour (or two) for short 6 hours drives without much effort.

3M Ceramic Coating: I also got 3M ceramic coating and nice alloys which added to the visual appeal of the car. The engine was mostly silent and when driven with a light right foot, bliss for munching early start miles / late night drives when the family is partially having some Zzzzs.

Maruti Ertiga 1.3 DDiS ZDI Anniversary edition Granite Grey

After many souls filling drives on mountains and plains, I parted with Getz in around 5 years, as family + extended family growth necessitated a 6–7 seater. I exchanged Getz with Ertiga 1.3 DDiS with VGT in 2013. Although some engines such as Swift, the VGT and low 2nd gear plus a high 3 gear ratio, gave a different character to Ertiga’s performance.

I also transferred my insurance NCB to Ertiga and used the saved money for door visors and tyres exchange. The anniversary edition cosmetics added a certain flair (both internally and externally) and Ertiga turned out to be quite a looker on the dark grey colour with these additions. Strictly for home-to-office runs, I chose a company-owned Nissan Micra. Both these cars served their purpose well. On a few occasions of self-drive to the office on the Noida - Greater Noida Expressway, I would easily milk 21-22 Kmpl.

Shod Ertiga with Michelin XM2’s and started with a sedate Noida – Kausani – Mukteshwar trip. Ertiga delivered a balanced mixture of comfort, fuel economy and ease of drive suitable to a family. There was no hoopla, and its 3rd row was an instant hit with my kids. My son and daughter will come to like the 3rd row for 90% of the drives that followed.

Work demanded I move to Bengaluru. I was unsure if the move is short-term or long-term at the time. Those were the days when non-KA registered car owners were in constant fear of being flagged down for lifetime road tax plus penalty.

Once I was convinced that my move is reasonably medium-term, I moved my family and invested a handsome amount in the re-registration of Ertiga with Karnataka RTO. The entire process took 4-5 months (end to end with KA number) and finally I was able to drive freely. I had to sacrifice road tax paid to Ghaziabad RTO as there no-one was aware to the concept of a refund!

Ertiga saw a few drives from Whitefield to Ooty, Coonoor & Coorg. Since I then started driving Ertiga for occasional office runs as well, it felt weird initially to drive it solo due to the MPV effect. Gradually I got accustomed to it.

Here are some stats from the lifetime running of Ertiga with yours truly

Due to a 2-wheeler skid incident, my left knee was impacted and post recovery, I was instructed by Doc to let go of the Manual transmission and adopt an automatic for the near term. So an unplanned need arose for a car with city driving dynamics and big on space within a tight budget. This was due to the fact that I did not want to avail loan and the car was supposedly a city car with occasional weekend-long trips. This was while we aimed to purchase a 6–7-seater later when I can possibly go for a manual box again. I needed an immediate delivery so I can resume work post 3 months gap. After deliberating and dropping polo (fun to drive but low on space for my requirement), finalized Honda Jazz CVT Petrol.

Honda Jazz V-CVT Carnelian Red Pearl

I sold off Ertiga with Cars-24 and same day picked up Honda Jazz CVT. I was in crutches to support the left foot and took the service of a DriveU driver to drop the car off at CARS 24 Whitefield. I walked 200 meters to the Whitefield Honda showroom as Jazz, along with all papers and number plate etc., was ready for delivery. The car was delivered with Bridgestone S320 and I did not feel the need for a change this time. Jazz in Carnelian Red Pearl colour looks striking. Its bulletproof reliability could be referred from the fact that even after 2-3 weeks of my overseas tours, it will always start in half a rotation from the shelf. The music system, while adequate on sound, was a big compromise for LCD clarity on the reverse camera, and patchy Bluetooth connectivity if more than one phone is paired to it. The paint was not hard enough and easily scratched with fingernails near door handles. Driving dynamics were completely different not only from oil burners but also from other snappy petrol cars. CVT needs a bit of learning and adaptability – and once there, the refined I-VTEC engine is right up your alley. Driven carefully, one could extract 15-16 Kmpl on long drives. Sports mode comes in quite handy for overtaking manoeuvres or bumper-to-bumper traffic where one wants to set their own quasi-gear using paddle shifters. The car is roomy and has good seating, cabin, and boot space. Suspension is quite sorted, and I have seen ABS being quite liberally used in rough surface braking scenarios. AC could have been better. A noisy blower makes the automatic climate control experience not so great, but maybe I am just nit-picking. Jazz is overall a well-rounded practical car for not only daily city runs, but also long drives. I did a Malpe to Bengaluru 450 Kms run and seat support is fantastic in the front as well as in the rear. There is good under-thigh support in the rear seat. I did quite a few runs with it to Yercaud, Yelagiri, Chikmagalur, and Coorg. On the highway, one will be fine till around the 90-100 Kmph mark. After this, the engine feels lethargic, which might be due to CVT characteristics – but then, it’s not made for speeds in excess of the 90-100 range.

I will let a couple of pics do the talking.

Here are some stats from lifetime running of Jazz with yours truly

Come 2020 Dec, we were all wary of being locked down. It was time to meet family and my favourite mountains were also calling me. So, we flew to my elder sister's place and spend some quality time with family. Thereafter, I picked up my nephew's Vento diesel automatic for a drive to Bhimtal and Nainital and back to Jaipur. The car was well-maintained and joy to drive. This was easily a 1500 Kms near-about trip and never did feel any fatigue. On reaching Haldwani, my brother needed me to take his Toyota Corolla (D) for easy entry to Bhimtal and Nainital due to the local registration number. This was also a very well-maintained vehicle. I had fun driving both of these cars - proving my preference for diesel engines once again.

Here comes the Alcazar

I was on the lookout for a 6/7-seater diesel manual family SUV with a budget of ₹20 lakhs.

Cars considered:

Maruti Ertiga / XL6 / Kia Carens: Previous to my current car, I had Ertiga and we were looking for a change from MPV looks – so decided against these choices. I personally don’t like Carens front facia.
Tata Safari: This is the car that pulls the strings of my heart (or Hexa, if it was still available), but reliability/service issues pushed me out of it.
XUV700: Did not consider due to the long waiting time and also that it's in its first avatar as of now. I would usually wait for a refresh (or two) before finalizing a vehicle to allow the manufacturer to create issues.
Finally, I booked Alcazar, Titan Grey, and 7 STR Diesel Manual with an expected wait time of 3 – 4 weeks. Hyundai dealer identified my booking first in line for allocation for the given variant and colour choice. Here are some requirements fulfilled by Alcazar

Likes:

Diesel engine - intend to own a Diesel again before it becomes extinct in small engine space. The pull characteristic in the meaty torque band of a Diesel mill is quite addictive, and I kept missing it during the last 4+ years of driving petrol. Alcazar’s 1.5 CRDI engine is quite robust and used across various vehicles in a different states of tune. Having a VGT helps its small size in extracting a reasonable performance while delivering efficiency.
Manual – manuals are going out of favour by the masses – but the driving engagement and fun factor one can extract from manuals – could not be matched by automatics IMHO. This is much more applicable to small oil burners as automatics can make a reasonably powered one look lethargic or noisy or both. Moreover, Alcazar’s soft clutch (based on 3 test drives of different vehicles with different odometer readings - all with the same conclusion) provides easy drivability in city driving conditions. Also, my son recently learned driving and IMHO the first connection between Man and Machine must be on a Manual. Moreover, my son reflected the same view and we zeroed in on a manual drive.
Manoeuvrability – Being the only/single vehicle in my parking lot, the vehicle had still got to be city-friendly, while providing better creature comforts on the inside. While MPVs also fit this requirement, this time around - my eyes were set on monocoque SUV space for looks of mild SUV and car-like drivability.
I intend to keep the vehicle for the medium to long term, and a reliable brand with a proven track record was an essential factor. Having proven its mettle as a market leader with its smaller sibling - made Alcazar a no-brainer in this department.
I also had a wish for mostly mechanical vehicles, whereas today, we see increased usage of electronics interfering with driving dynamics and the feel of the vehicle. Though later, I had to reconsider and accept the usefulness and practicality of some new-age features. Also, that no vehicle is now truly mechanical since ECUs found their way into hoods. I can only hope there is no one around the corner with an EMP device or wireless hack !!
Safety features - ESP, Traction Control, ABS with EBD, all-wheel disc brakes, etc. make this a capable vehicle
Security - While earlier I finalized the 7 STR Prestige Executive variant, I was still on the fence about it having 2 Airbags. Upgraded to 6 STR Executive variants with 6 Airbags for peace of mind. (This contributed 50% to the decision to upgrade the variant)
Comfortable seats – Ours is a family of 3 adults and a teenager. But we do need the option of 2 more seats for small city runs while having extended family visiting us. 7 STR Alcazar is strictly 4 adults with perhaps 1 kid in the second row, and two kids (only) in the 3rd row - when driven with full passenger capacity. However, 6 STR can actually seat 6 adults for small city runs as the break in the back of the 2nd row, provides additional knee-room for 3rd-row passengers. With careful planning of the 2nd-row gap (thanks to good fore and aft movement of 2nd-row seats), it is possible to ferry 6 adults in this manner. My daughter’s preference of being a 3rd-row passenger (having previously experienced in our Ertiga) enlightened me on this fact while checking out the 6 STR – even though the purpose of the showroom visit at this instance was to review a different colour for 7 STR. (6 STR offered by Hyundai in base variant – but no availability in sight. Contribution of 30% towards upgrade decision to Signature variant).
Features - Panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, Rear and Front parking camera + sensors, Ventilated seats etc. – are some features that one can’t undo once seen and experienced. While these can easily be marked a luxury, these become a necessity in no time at all. (Contribution of remaining 20% towards upgrade decision to Signature variant).

Had to get my hands on it ASAP (once decided, the itch doesn’t go away)

Though there are some moans on what could have been better, Alcazar is the most all-rounded offering in its price bracket per my requirements.

Dislikes:

Frequent gear change from 2nd to 1st. If speed drops below 10 km/h, even though the car is in motion, 1st gear needs to be engaged for pick-up. This wasn't the case on Ertiga and other vehicles I had driven earlier. In fact, I’ve never had to think about using 1st gear unless moving a vehicle from a standstill. I will still have to get my head around that one. Downshifting from 2nd to 1st in a moving car is also a completely new concept for me.
Poor headlights and their throw. While white lights are inadequate in the glare of all-around traffic, their coverage is narrow and just in front. Turns on unlit streets are purely based on instincts or owl vision.
While the clutch pedal is soft, travel is deep – moreover, the bite point takes some time to get used to.
The rear of the car gets soiled very easily. A few Kms drive in wet conditions will ensure a good amount of Sunday time cleaning it up.

Some small observations:

The ‘Auto Hold’ feature gets engaged only when opted via the push of the button AND pressing the brake pedal a little hard when planning to stop before the next movement.

Once used, the 360 views are constantly missed. Especially at junctions where people are coming close to 2 inches on the side, and one is kept wondering about their safety. Oh, what I will give for it to turn automatically on, for a choice of view, while decelerating from x km/h to x km/h. This is where opting for the 'Signature' variant came in handy. Due to front parking sensors, one has a fair idea of space aft of the bonnet.

My first experience with 120 Kmph constant irritating alert. Though I am not revving hard yet, I was on a particular overtaking manoeuvre when I needed speed to safely come out ahead. Will have to learn to bow down and come back within the limits enforced.

I lived in constant fear of pulling up the EPB and did not utilise Auto hold until the correct switch became a habit of muscle memory - after constantly looking down at the switch for reaffirmation before using it. (see image below)

Side view on the main console while changing lanes or turning is a quick glance stolen - and I keep forgetting that. So it's there, but I don’t get to use it too often. Don’t want to take my eyes off the glass.

After driving a hatch, body roll is taking some time to get accustomed to.

The full flooring mat from Hyundai / Mobis interferes with the fore and aft movement of the front seats as the wiring and pipe harnessed to the seat for motor and air circulation, are restricted for movement. IMO the accessory must have a pipelined cut, in the region to allow that free movement. I intend to get this manually fixed during the first service.