Hyundai has just officially announced that their upcoming 7-seater premium SUV will be called the Alcazar in India. The Korean carmaker had previously trademarked the 'Alcazar' name in India, and it was then speculated to be the name of the 7-setaer version of the Hyundai Creta. The Hyundai Alcazar has even been spied testing on our roads on a few occasions and it will mark Hyundai's entry into the three-row mid-size SUV segment, a segment that has become extremely exciting with the launch of the new Tata Safari.
The upcoming Hyundai Alcazar will be based on the same platform as the Creta, but it will have its own unique styling. From spy shots seen previously, the Alacazar will boast of a completely unique studded grille design and could feature a reprofiled bumper at the front as well. The split headlamp design from the Creta will likely be carried forward unchanged. It is in profile and at the rear where the Alcazar will really make its unique identity evident. While the wheelbase is expected to be identical to that of the Creta, it will be longer and taller to accommodate the third row of seats.
Also Read : Tata Safari Adventure Persona Is Worth Every Bit Its Premium - Here's Why
Besides increased dimensions, the Alcazar will be completely redesigned post the C-Pillar. It will have a larger rear quarter glass area and as seen in spy shots before, the rear end will be completely new with a new tailgate design, new LED tail lights and a reprofiled bumper as well. The Alcazar is also expected to feature new design for the alloy wheels, possibly with a larger 18-inch size. We just came across interior spy shots of the Alcazar yesterday and from what was visible, it will likely be identical to the Creta in terms of design and equipment list. As is the trend, the Alcazar will be offered in both 6-seater (captain seats) and 7-seater (bench seats) configurations.
Under the hood, the Hyundai Alcazar is expected to carry forward the same petrol and diesel engine options that's offered with the Creta. That means the 1.4L turbo-petrol and the 1.5L petrol and diesel engines will be carried over to the Alcazar, although they could come in a higher state of tune. Transmission options are also expected to be as diverse as with the Creta. There are even reports that the Alcazar could come with certain ADAS technology, which is known as Hyundai SmartSense overseas. While details on this are scarce at the moment, it could feature things like forward collision assist, automatic emergency braking tech, highway driving assist and lane departure warning.
Hyundai will be positioning the Alcazar as a premium product in India. It will likely sit in between the Creta and the Tucson in Hyundai's lineup in the country. Hyundai has said the Alcazar will debut 'soon', which we expect to happen around June 2021. We expect the prices for the Alcazar to range between INR 12-20 lakh (ex-showroom) and upon arrival, it will take on the likes of the Tata Safari, the MG Hector Plus and also the upcoming next-gen Mahindra XUV500. Hyundai says that the Alcazar is not just ‘made in India’ but ‘made first for India’. This mid-size three-row SUV segment is the new trending SUV category in the country right now and one of the most practical ones in our opinion.
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