First drive of the new Hyundai Alcazar: an affordable seven-seater family SUV
The new seven-seater Hyundai Alcazar replaces the Grand Creta.
Affordable seven-seater SUVs are quite a popular choice for families looking for a spacious vehicle to travel around in.
If you're looking for one of these in the Hyundai stable, the Alcazar, which replaces what we knew as the Grand Creta, may be a great option worth considering.
The Alcazar shares many similarities with the Grand Creta, which has now been discontinued.
Interior and exterior
The Alcazar measures 4560mm in length, 60mm more than the Grand Creta, and 1800mm in width, 10mm more than the Grand Creta.
The height and ground clearance remain unchanged, at 1670mm and 200mm, respectively.
This translates to a spacious cabin with impressive head and leg room, especially in the second row of seats.
From an exterior perspective, the Alcazar is quite good-looking.
Our test unit at the media launch was finished in a dark matte grey colour, which was first seen on the recently launched Creta.
Hyundai noted that customers appreciated the array of matte colour options so much that they decided to include them in the Alcazar's offerings.
Up front, you get the same design language as the Exter, with LED treatment given to the headlights with a signature 'H' daytime running light design.
The Alcazar also includes a solid LED light bar that runs across the front.
A contrasting silver lower bumper is found below the headlights.
Sporty-looking two-tone diamond cut alloy wheels are also on duty, with the rear featuring LED technology for the taillamps along with an LED lightbar too.
Hyundai has also incorporated 'Alcazar' badging within the light bar unit for a sophisticated look and feel.
Inside, the Alcazar boasts a leather-wrapped multi-functional steering wheel.
Behind it is a digital instrument cluster, which is the same as other Hyundai models we're familiar with.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- The Citizen
PODCAST: Hyundai Alcazar counts on diesel to make an impact
The frugal Grand Creta replacement is ready to take the fight to its Chinese rivals. The Hyundai Alcazar has officially replaced the Grand Creta in the Korean carmaker's local portfolio. The seven-seater SUV slots in above the Creta and underneath the Tucson in Hyundai's SUV family. The three-model range starts at R499 900 and offers a choice of two engines. A naturally aspirated petrol mill that makes 117kW of power and 190Nm of torque and an 85kW/250Nm 1.5-litre diesel engine. Both are hooked up to six-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai Alcazar makes a Pitstop In this week's episode of The Citizen Motoring's Pitstop podcast, we take a closer look at two of the Hyundai Alcazar's main virtues. We believe the diesel engine and its seven-seat configuration give it a definite edge in a tough segment. While there are plenty of Chinese SUVs on offer at the same price point and even lower, they do not offer diesel powertrains. Oil-burners are getting few and far apart, with the recent discontinuation of the diesel Renault Duster a prime example. On paper, the Hyundai Alcazar's 85kW does not seem like a lot. But with 250Nm of torque to boot, there is no shortage of pulling power. ALSO READ: Hyundai Alcazar has an ace up its sleeve against Chinese SUVs Frugal sipper But by far the oil-burner's best attribute is its miserly fuel consumption. Hyundai claims that it will only sip 5.9 litres per 100km and it proved even more frugal during our launch drive. This is much lower compared to petrol-powered Chinese SUVs, which will make a big difference in the long run. In flagship Elite guise, the Alcazar boasts a jam-packed specification list. It features 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, rear window blinds, ventilated front seats, push-button start and LED lighting. A comprehensive set of safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, driver attention alert, forward collision avoidance assist, lane follow assist and rear cross traffic alert. The Hyundai Alcazar is sold with a seven-year/150 000km warranty and three-year/45 000km service plan.
TimesLIVE
18-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
Ogier wins in Portugal for record-extending seventh time
Toyota's Sebastien Ogier won Rally Portugal for a record-extending seventh time on Sunday after capitalising on an overnight lead handed to him when Ott Tanak faced technical issues. Ogier, the eight-time world champion, had been behind Tanak since Friday but the Hyundai driver struggled with a power steering issue that dropped him out of the lead when he lost more than 45 seconds as a result. That gave Ogier a 27.6-second lead heading into Sunday's finale and the Frenchman did not relinquish it as he powered to a second victory of the season to add to his opening round win in Monte Carlo. With co-driver Vincent Landais, Ogier finished 8.7 seconds ahead of Tanak despite the Estonian's attempt at a late comeback, while Kalle Rovanpera finished third, a further 3.5 seconds back. 'I think it's something I can be proud of, the way I have managed to stay competitive after all these years,' Ogier, 41, said. 'Ott was just flying (like) crazy, but maybe a bit too much actually ... On our side, race management is definitely a craft we have, so I'm happy. Seven times here in Portugal, not too bad.' Tanak went for broke on the final day but ultimately ran out of stages to catch up to Ogier, whose victory gave Toyota its fifth win in as many rounds. 'A great disappointment, we are still too fragile to compete with Toyota. But at least the performance on the new chassis is good, so at least we've done some good job,' he said. Toyota's Elfyn Evans retained the overall world championship lead but the Briton saw it cut to 30 points over Rovanpera, with Ogier in third place and Tanak fourth.
The Citizen
17-05-2025
- The Citizen
Hyundai Alcazar has an ace up its sleeve against Chinese SUVs
The Grand Creta replacement's diesel engine delivers exceptional fuel economy. One thing Hyundai just keep doing right is filling little gaps in the market with budget-friendly family cars. The Hyundai Alcazar is another of these. Replacing the Grand Creta nameplate, the Alcazar takes over as a midsize seven-seater SUV that slots in above the Creta and below the Tucson in the ever-growing range of SUVs on offer by Hyundai. Hyundai Alcazar ups the ante 'The new Hyundai Alcazar personifies our business model. To offer real value at an affordable price to buyers. We showed our intent with the recent launch of the Hyundai Exter and the recently upgraded Hyundai Tucson, where we managed to offer an even lower entry-point to the model range, while significantly upgrading our features,' says Gideon Janse van Rensburg, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa. 'The Hyundai Alcazar is not just stepping in for the Grand Creta – it is a major upgrade. For one, it comes with a lower starting price than the model it replaces, making premium family travel more accessible to South Africans,' adds Stanley Anderson, Sales and Operations Director at Hyundai Automotive South Africa. ALSO READ: Hyundai Alcazar officially priced as 'facelift' Grand Creta With the business talk out the way, what does the Hyundai Alcazar offer and drive like? You have the choice of 2.0 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that delivers 117kW of power and 191Nm of torque to go with a claimed top speed of 190km/h and a fuel consumption number said to be 7.5 litres per 100km. This engine choice is only available on the entry-level Executive spec derivative that retails for R499 900. This is cheaper than the model it replaces. A horizontal lightbar is a highlight at the rear. Picture: Hyundai Power outputs misleading The Citizen Motoring did not drive this derivative at the launch, but we did get to sample the 1.5 litre turbodiesel in top of the range Elite spec. This engine is also available in Executive spec and these two derivatives retail for R599 900 and R669 900 respectively. In a reduced and rationalised range, all three derivatives are paired with an easy shifting six-speed automatic transmission which is perfectly suited to the Hyundai Alcazar's urban, people carrying nature. Talking of which, the turbodiesel plays its part here with a power output of only 85kW that you might think is not enough. But when you add to this the 250Nm on tap, you have sufficient drive and urge for everyday type commuting. What is even better is that even though the claimed fuel consumption number is already set at a low 5.9 litres per 100km, we easily achieved less than this on the media launch drive. And this is what Hyundai is trying to hammer home. You can buy a product from another manufacturer, especially the Chinese, and the upfront price might be better, but when your new vehicle is using close on five litres more per 100km at over R20 a litre of fuel, the long-term impact of this will be felt in your pocket. ALSO READ: Facelift Hyundai Alcazar coming to South Africa not as Grand Creta Lots of creature comforts As expected at this level, you get the convenience of the second row of seats having fold-out tables (Elite only) and all three rows get USB charging. For some added practicality both rear rows fold completely flat, transforming the Hyundai Alcazar from a family SUV into a cargo hauler in seconds. The Hyundai Alcazar has a fully digital instrument cluster. Picture: Hyundai The cockpit features a high-resolution dual-screen display that keeps you connected through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It features convenient touches like wireless charging and easy-to-use climate and audio controls with physical buttons so you don't have to spend forever trying to change the aircon or audio. For safety, the Hyundai Alcazar comes equipped with six airbags, ISOFIX anchors for child seats (top and bottom), and a comprehensive suite of electronic safety systems including stability control and hill-assist features. The Elite model takes safety even further with advanced driver assistance features like blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control, all of which reduce driver fatigue on long trips and can help in preventing accidents before they happen. Hyundai Alcazar pricing Alcazar 2.0 MPI Executive AT – R499 900 Alcazar 1.5 CRDI Executive AT – R599 900 Alcazar 1.5 CRDI Elite AT – R669 900 *Pricing includes seven-year/200 000km warranty and three-year/45 000km service plan.
