We pit the all-new Hyundai Alcazar against its market rivals on grounds of specifications
Hyundai India recently launched the 7 seater Alcazar SUV in the domestic market, putting an end to months of anticipations. The Alcazar is essentially the 7 seater guise of Creta and rivals the all-new Tata Safari and MG Hector Plus here. The Mahindra XUV 500 could also be taken for a rival, which, however, is too aged and under-equipped to be considered one. Thus, let’s now pit the Alcazar against the Hector Plus and Safari alone, on grounds of specifications. Should you wish to know how the XUV compares with the Hector Plus and Safari, check out our previous story.
Size And Dimensions
| Hyundai Alcazar | Tata Safari | MG Hector Plus | |
| Length (mm) | 4500 | 4661 | 4720 |
| Width (mm) | 1790 | 1894 | 1835 |
| Height (mm) | 1675 | 1786 | 1760 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2760 | 2741 | 2750 |
At 4500 mm, the Alcazar has the lowest overall length but tops the chart in terms of wheelbase (2760 mm). The Safari is the tallest and widest SUV of the three. All three ride on large 18 inch wheels in their higher trims.
Going by the figures released by Hyundai and the overall dimensions of the vehicle, we expect the Alcazar to have just about-enough space in the third row. The last row could be suitable just for kids, a character that is not unusual with many common 7 seater SUVs here. However, we would be able to cast a more specific and authentic opinion on this only as we get to drive the Alcazar in real. With the available data, the Safari’s third row should be the most spacious.
Interior And Features
All three SUVs have cabins that look up-to-date and are pleasant to live in. The overall cabin quality and livability of these vehicles are on par with each other. However, Alcazar gets the largest-sized digital instrument cluster of the three. The 10.25-inch full-colour display comes directly from Hyundai’s global models.
The three SUVs get efficient infotainment systems and premium audio systems (JBL on the Safari and BOSE on the Alcazar) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on offer on all the vehicles. However, the Safari’s touchscreen is the smallest of the lot.
Panoramic sunroof is another highly sought-after feature in this segment, which all the three contendors get. However, while just XT+, XZ+, XZA+ variants of the Safari and the Hector Plus Sharp get it, a panoramic sunroof is offered across the entire Alcazar range. Much like its Indian and Chinese rivals, the Alcazar also gets 7 seater and 6 seater iterations.
Mechanical Specifications
While the Safari is a diesel-only model, the Hector Plus and Alcazar get both petrol and diesel powertrains. The Hector Plus offers the most number of transmission options and the only hybrid turbo petrol engine of the lot. There have been rumors of Tata Motors developing a petrol engine for the Safari, but we have no clue of its details yet.
| Alcazar | Safari | Hector Plus | |
| Engine | 1.5 L Diesel | 2.0L Diesel | 2.0 L Diesel |
| 2.0 L Petrol | – | 1.5 L Turbo petrol hybrid | |
| Power (hp) | 115 | 170 | 170 |
| 159 | – | 143 | |
| Torque (Nm) | 250 | 350 | 350 |
| 191 | – | 250 | |
| Transmission | 6 Speed Manual 6 Speed Automatic | 6 Speed Manual 6 Speed Automatic | 6 Speed Manual 8 CVT 7 DCT |
As evident from the spec sheet, the Alcazar has the lowest-hp diesel engine. It gets the Creta’s 1.5L diesel engine with minimal retuning gone into it. The actual impact of this on the driveability could be explained only after getting the car for a detailed road test.
The Hyundai’s petrol engine, however, is quite promising with 159 horses on offer. Hyundai claims the petrol Alcazar to do the 0-100 km/h sprint in 9.5 seconds. On paper, it is evidently the most powerful petrol in the segment.
Variants And Prices
The Alcazar is available in three different trim levels- Prestige, Platinum, Signature, and with both petrol and diesel powertrains. Platinum and Signature get 6 seater configurations as well.
| Alcazar | Safari | Hector Plus | |
| Petrol Variants | 16.30-19.85 lakh | – | 13.63-19.18 lakh |
| Diesel Variants | 16.53-20.00 lakh | 14.91-21.81 lakh | 15.04- 19.61 lakh |
The Hyundai SUV however, would not impress everyone alike with its price. The base spec Alcazar Prestige is priced at INR 16.30 lakh, ex-showroom. This is a whopping 2.67 lakh rupees more than the Hector Plus petrol’s starting price. However, the Alcazar Prestige petrol gets more equipment than the Hector Plus, including the large panoramic sunroof.
Alcazar’s diesel range also has clear price premiums on its lower trims. The price gap however, narrows down as you move up the range. The fact that Alcazar’s diesel engine is the smallest and makes the lowest power in the segment should also be taken into account here. On paper, it is the petrol lineup of the SUV that deserves your money.
