Hyundai Alcazar launch pushed to June 2021

The Hyundai Alcazar three-row SUV’s global debut in production form, along with its price announcement, is now expected sometime next month. Its launch, earlier slated for May 2021, has been pushed forward by a month, due to the ongoing COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions in most Indian states.

• Hyundai Alcazar will be available in two seating layouts
• Will get a 2.0-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine option
• It will rival Hector Plus, the XUV500 and the Tata Safari

Hyundai Alcazar:  what do we know so far

The Alcazar shares the Creta's platform, a few body panels and many interior bits as well. In essence, the new Alcazar is a 6- or 7-seat derivative of the Creta midsize SUV. It, however, has been updated to sport a longer wheelbase – 2,760mm (150mm more than the Creta) – in order to accommodate the extra row of seats.

A closer look reveals that the Alcazar does get subtle styling tweaks to help distinguish it from the Creta. These include a tweaked grille, an updated front bumper, a prominent rear quarter glass, new wraparound tail-lights, a slightly more upright tailgate, faux dual exhaust tips and a larger set of 18-inch alloy wheels (compared to the Creta’s 17-inchers).

2021 Hyundai Alcazar: features and equipment list

The Alcazar is expected to get all the features available on the Creta, such as the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Hyundai’s connected car tech, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, ISOFIX child seats mounts, wireless phone charging, automatic climate control and much more.

As already mentioned, the Alcazar will get an added row of seats, with either a 6-seat (with captain’s chairs in the second row) or 7-seat (with bench seating in the second row) configuration. The interior will also be offered in a dual-tone colour scheme, and the version with captain's chairs gets a unique floor-mounted central armrest with cupholders and extra storage space.

2021 Hyundai Alcazar: engine and powertrain options

Hyundai will offer the Alcazar in India with a petrol and a diesel engine option. The petrol engine is an updated and more powerful version of the Elantra and Tucson’s 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit, making 159hp and 192Nm. The diesel engine will be the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit from the Creta that produces 115hp and 250Nm, though it has been tuned differently. Both engines will come with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. You can read our review of the Hyundai Alcazar prototype to see what it is like to drive.

2021 Hyundai Alcazar: rivals in India

The Hyundai Alcazar will compete with the likes of the MG Hector Plus, Tata Safari and the Mahindra XUV500. The segment is set to get more competitive later this year, once the new Mahindra XUV700 is launched in our market.

Along with the Alcazar, the new Skoda Octavia will also see a market launch in June.