More is never enough
Tata Motors launched the Safari as the seven seat variant of the Harrier. Now Hyundai has a contender in form of the new Alcazar. We find out the better people mover
The current SUV lineup in India might seem to be plenty. However it is here that manufacturers feel that more is never enough. So much so that today you can have a micro-SUV as well as a full blooded off-road ready monster. Somewhere in between all of this resides the people-mover SUV. These are essentially butch looking vehicles which can haul six or more passengers and the newest two are the Tata Safari and the Hyundai Alcazar. So what do they offer? Let’s find out.
EXTERIOR DESIGN
The exterior design of any vehicle might be a subjective matter. But this is where half the battle is won or lost. So it is important for the design to be a rather imposing one. The Hyundai Alcazar borrows most of its front end styling from the Hyundai Creta. Now this is a good thing considering people love the way the new generation Creta looks and as a result it is on the top of the sales charts in its segment. So the Alcazar continues to offer a two-tier full LED lighting console up front. The lights are powerful and come with inbuilt LED DRL which has now become a signature feature. The grille is new and Hyundai has given it the dark chrome treatment, another element which is ‘in’ these days. In profile one can spot that till the B-pillar, the Alcazar is very much like the Creta. But from then on, it is all new. The flared wheel arches look good and the Alcazar also gets a side step. The Alcazar also rides on gorgeous 18in alloy wheels. The Alcazar also comes with puddle lamps which light up the sides well and comes as a boon when the SUV is parked in unknown territory. At the back, one is greeted by a large tail gate which is occupied by the LED tail light units. The Alcazar nomenclature sits prominently in the middle. Then there are scuff plates and the twin pipe tail pipe too. Overall the design is rather balanced.
The Tata Safari on the other hand
THE SAFARI IS LONGER, WIDER AND TALLER. THE ALCAZAR THOUGH SPORTS A LONGER WHEELBASE. THE SAFARI OFFERS MORE CLEARANCE AT 205MM AS COMPARED TO THE 200MM OFFERED BY THE ALCAZAR
comes with a more imposing design. The front end is dominated by the wide grille which ends at the sleek LED DRLs at both ends. The lighting console is also another sporty feature which dominates the front bumpers. These are xenon HID projector lamps which illuminate well. In profile, the Safari continues its assault on the ‘enthusiast’s heart’. The 18in alloys look good and then there are the plastic claddings all around which add to the rufty tufty feel. The roof rails on the Safari are not just for pure looks but it can tackle weights upto 75kg. This means one can add a roof box or even cycle rack. At the back, the Safari looks sporty too with its roof spoiler sticking out. The light console is also sporty and adds to the overall design.
DIMENSION CHECK
Dimensions reveal another story. The Alcazar measures in at 4,500mm while the Safari is 4,661mm long. The Safari is wider and taller too. But when it comes to wheelbase (which essentially opens up cabin space), the Alcazar wins it by offering more. Another number which makes a difference is the ground clearance. At 205mm, the Safari offers 5mm more clearance as compared to the Alcazar. But where the Alcazar scores again is the kerb weight where the nearly two-tonne Safari is much heavier. Overall the dimensions reveal that the Safari is larger and thanks to its design a far more imposing one. As far as platforms are concerned, the Alcazar is based on a reworked Creta platform while the Safari uses the OMEGARC which is derived from the Land Rover D8 platform.
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES
Getting into the Alcazar is a bit easier and once in, we are greeted by a dual tone interior. The shades are unique and might not be to everyone’s taste. But it sure looks good. The dash houses the large 10.2in touch screen infotainment system which is ever so slightly angled towards the driver. The system offers Apple and Android connectivity among other features. It also plays through premium Bose speakers which offers rich audio quality. The section below offers space for the climate control unit and the cubby below can be used for storage. Hyundai is also offering a wireless charging pad here. The centre console is also beautifully crafted in piano black and houses the gear selector, mode selector and controls for the front ventilated seats which come as a blessing during summers. The instrument panel again is a thing of beauty. It is all-digital and displays two dials. But the party piece of this unit is that once the driver switches on an indicator, one of the dials projects the beam from the side camera making it much easier to tackle tight spaces. Apart from this, the unit is also loaded with information and is pleasing to the eye as well. The steering wheel is also well crafted and houses controls for the cruise control function apart from other features. At the back, there are two captain seats which are supremely comfortable. They are adjustable too and make long journeys comfy. There is ample room too on offer. Second row passengers are also
ON THE GO, THE SAFARI FEELS A BIT HEAVY TO DRIVE. THE DRIVE MODES COME TO THE RESCUE WHEN ONE IS IN NEED OF POWER. SO NO COMPLAINING HERE
pampered with a wireless charger mounted on the central armrest which also offers storage place. Hyundai is also offering picnic tables here with clever mounts for tablet computers. Access to the third row is by flipping the captain seat which is easy to do. However getting in and out is not very easy. The seats offer just about enough space for adults although we will not recommend it for long journeys. Kids will be just fine and they will also have a charging point as well as controls for the AC vents. With all three rows in place, boot space offered by the Alcazar is 180 litres. This can further be multiplied by folding the third row down.
Now moving into the Safari takes a wee bit more effort thanks to its height. But once inside, the large seats offer ample space for passengers up front. The dash is a large unit with a floating infotainment system in the middle. The unit is loaded with Apple and Android connectivity and audio quality is also good thanks to the JBL speakers. However the 8.8in unit looks and feels small in the Safari. The large console for the climate control and other functions are easy to use too. The centre console is large but does not offer as much storage as seen on the Alcazar. The Safari also does not get the ventilated seat function. The instrument panel is a mix of digital and analogue displays. The graphics are nice and pleasing and at the same time it offers all the relevant information. However the tell-tale lights are positioned at the bottom and at the same time are a bit too small. At the back, the Safari offers a huge amount of space. We had the bench seat variant which makes it a seven seater. But one can also have it with captain seats. Visibility from within is great and you also get a lever to adjust the front passenger seat from behind. At the back once again, the third row offers little space for adults to be occupying it for long drives. Kids will be just fine though. Another thing which must be noted is that the Safari does not offer as much features as the Alcazar when it comes to the rear seat. The boot too with all three rows deployed is limited to just 73 litres. But start flipping the seats and this number can be expanded to a massive 1,658 litres.
MOTOR MATTERS
The Alcazar comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine which is tuned to offer 115bhp and 250Nm of torque. This motor is mated to a 6-speed automatic box which sends power to the front wheels only. The Alcazar also gets multiple drive modes to give it a bit of ability off the road. However we must mention here that the Alcazar is considerably lighter than the Safari. The Safari is powered by a brute of a diesel engine. The 2.0-litre engine is tuned to offer 170bhp and a mega 350Nm of torque. Once again the automatic box sends power to two wheels only and this has been the heart-breaker for every Safari Storme owner and aspiring buyer. However the Safari does get electronic aids to give it
a bit of off-road ability. On the downside, the engine has to haul all 1,825kg of SUV. So how does it all add up?
DRIVING THE BEASTS
The Alcazar feels a lot smoother at start up. The refinement levels are good and there is little to no clatter filtering into the cabin at idle. There are no vibes felt either. The Alcazar takes off quick and effortlessly and is aided by the smooth shifting gearbox. Inspite of being a considerably smaller motor, the Alcazar does not feel underpowered and more so at cruising speeds. The bottom end grunt though goes missing when driven at full load though. But here is your opportunity to downshift using the paddle shifter to let the engine come into the performance band. Looking at the acceleration figures we can say that the Alcazar takes 12.7 seconds to hit 100kmph from zero and this number is pretty decent. The light weight of the vehicle means that it is not the power figure one should see but the power-to-weight ratio.
Quite good we must say. The Alcazar also returned 13.1kmpl in the city and a rather good 19.1kmpl on the highway. Overall, the Alcazar will be able to achieve 13.7kmpl to every litre of diesel. The Safari on the other hand comes with a much larger engine and more power and torque as well. However it is the weight which the engine has to deal with and this makes it work a lot harder. The Safari does not feel as brisk as the Alcazar but to be honest, the SUV has enough torque to play with. What come to the rescue are the driving modes. Switch to Eco mode and one might find the Safari to be lacking in power. However switch to Sport and the revised mapping will keep you engaged with the right amount of performance. The gearbox is smooth and you will be surprised to know that it has been sourced from Hyundai as well. The Safari in our performance runs took 11.1 seconds to 100kmph which was rather expected considering that the engine is a rather big one. When it comes to fuel economy, the Safari scored 13.3kmpl in the
city and 16.2kmpl on the highway.
RIDE AND HANDLING
The Alcazar is set up with a soft suspension which does a splendid job of ironing out bumps, ruts and the odd speed hump in the city with ease. It just glides through, which is brilliant. The steering too feels light and parking or taking turns won’t be troublesome. However when it comes to handling, the Alcazar is not so confident around corners. No worries on straight lines though.
The Safari offers a rather good ride quality and suspension copes well overall in dismissing obstacles. The ability to tackle these also means that the passengers inside will be rather comfortable. Although it is a rather large SUV, the Safari handles well. On the downside, the steering feels rather heavy and especially so at slow speeds. Taking ‘U’ turns or parking in tight spots might end up being a bit more tiring. Basically, you will sure feel the weight of the vehicle. A little more assist should have made things better.
BOTH ARE THREEROW SUVS. ALCAZAR OFFERS A MINIMUM SPACE OF 180 LITRES AS COMPARED TO THE SAFARI’S 73 LITRES
WHEN IT COMES TO SHEER LOOKS, THE SAFARI SURE LOOKS AND FEEL MORE IMPOSING IN COMPARISON TO THE ALCAZAR