Hyundai Motor India introduced Hyundai Terracan on Indian Road. The essentially boxy structure as was evident in the earlier Pajero and the Galloper has been given a total work over at Hyundai’s Namyang Research and Development Centre at a cost of over US$240 million. With a mix and match of aggressive styling cues the R&D engineers in Korea have managed to create a rather flamboyant and rugged looking SUV. The flatter and thinner front end gives the Terracan an all conquering look while all the lights, whether it be at the front or rear add style and class.

 

The tail lights are especially stylish and draw the attention. As usually happens, the door starts sagging ever so slightly under the weight of the wheel and causes problems in shutting of the door. As the rear-most foldable seats are front facing and have to be accessed from the front, it was not necessary to have a door at the rear. The rear also features a five-link layout with a rigid axle, coil springs, and gas filled shock absorbers as well as an anti roll bar.

 

Stopping a 2.8-tonne behemoth is no mean feat and is performed by ventilated discs up front and solid discs at the rear. The large capacity two-port calliper front brake discs aided by anti-lock brakes combined with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) provide better stability and shortened braking distances. This system also provides the most effective distribution of brake force based on the vehicle’s weight.

 

The Terracan with the 2.5-litre engine was already undergoing homologation trials at ARAI in Pune when Hyundai Motor India decided to hold its horses for a while and wait for the 2.9-litre CRDI engine to find its way under the bonnet of the Terracan for the European market. This 2.9-litre oil burner is the largest of Hyundai’s family of three common rail direct injection engines. The common rail direct injection near-square engine with turbocharger and intercooler displaces 2902cc, works on a 19.3:1 compression ratio and is fed through an aluminium head which features four valves per cylinder, and has double overhead camshafts unlike the CRDi engine on the Accent which is SOHC.

 

Maximum power of 148bhp is churned out at 3800rpm while maximum torque of 333Nm comes at 2000rpm. The engine has a very high specific output of 51bhp/litre which compares favorably with any of the other diesels including the Mitsubishi Pajero 3.2 which has a specific output of less than 50bhp/litre.

 

In India the 2.9-litre brute of an oil burner will be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox which will drive the rear wheels in normal operation but will have an option of driving all the four wheels. The Terracan uses a system called electrical shift transfer (EST) developed by Borg Warner, which allows drivers to change between high ratio four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive at speeds of up to 80kmph. There is also a low ratio mode in four-wheel drive, which generates maximum traction for slow manoeuvring in poor conditions. The car must be stationary to shift between high and low ratio four-wheel drive. These three settings can be chosen through a dial near the handbrake.

 

Instead of having a freewheeling hub, the Terracan uses a centre axle disconnect system (CADS) to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive using the engine’s negative pressure. The CADS system eliminates noise and vibration from the propeller shaft and gear ring set, as the front wheels and axle would be rotating idly in two-wheel drive mode besides effecting a slight increase in fuel efficiency and power characteristics of the vehicle. When in four-wheel drive, the power is transferred equally between the front and the rear wheels. In two-wheel drive, the power transfers to the rear wheels completely. Limited slip differential on the rear axle also ensures that more power is transferred to the wheel having the most traction.

 

The 100kmph mark comes up in less than 14 seconds. But the best part of the Terracan is neither its quick start of the blocks or its long legs or even its top speed of 165.7kmph but its roll on figures.

 

The 9kmpl overall figures and the 7.4kmpl in city driving conditions are exceptional figures. A figure of 13.8kmpl on the highway is also better than the best as the Terracan cruises effortlessly with the rev needle nudging the 2000rpm mark in fifth gear at 80kmph. With a 75-litre diesel tank, the Terracan can go close to 700km before needing a refill.

 

It is a high vehicle with a substantial ground clearance of 215mm, is not awkwardly sprung and has quite high profile rubber. So it is but natural that there would be a lot of body roll and with anti-roll bars both front and rear, there is bound to be some rough stuff as they kick into action. Ride quality given the 75 profile 15-inch tyres and the way the vehicle is sprung is quite nice and the Terracan just glides over bad road surfaces and the like.

Braking is quite superb too given the discs all around and the distances of 50.87m and 32.11m for coming to a stop from 100kmph and 80kmph respectively are comparable to the best. The most important thing though is that the car maintains its poise even under the severest of emergency braking situations.

 

The leather seats are nice as is the steering wheel. Where the Terracan disappoints is in the look of the interiors which do not convey the feeling of wealth as they should. The fake wood panel finish is not convincing and the instrument cluster is plain and simple. What does add gloss to the interiors is the blue coloured LCD which features a clock, a compass as well as an option to switch between an altimeter and a barometer. The interiors are user friendly with the rear seats split 60:40 for extra luggage stowage while the steering column is adjustable for height. Ergonomics on the whole are good and all the controls fall easily to hand.

 

The body on frame construction has been designed to disperse crash energy evenly across the car’s length. Terracan’s single piece bumper unit has a chassis-mounted steel back beam to provide better protection to the vehicle’s structure and its occupants. In addition the specially reinforced front cowls-A-pillar bond helps reduce the risk of cabin deformation in the event of a collision. The Terracan comes with seatbelt pre-tensioners as standard. The instant a collision takes place; the seatbelt pre-tensioner reduces seatbelt slack to hold the occupant in place. The load limiter absorbs any extra energy placed upon the occupant when the pre-tensioners are activated. Driver and front passenger airbags are also standard, and are empowered to reduce the risk of injury.

Filed under: Hyundai Cars in India