Hyundai Motor India, which is set to launch the new six- and seven-seater Alcazar later today, has ensured the SUV is well stocked at its dealerships across the country. In May 2021, the Korean carmaker produced a total of 1,460 Alcazars at its plant in Chennai and despatched 1,360 units. The company has a total of 522 dealers and more than 1,298 service points across India.

The Hyundai Alcazar is based on the Hyundai Creta which is currently the top-selling SUV in India. The second-generation Creta was introduced in March 2020, and has sold over 121,000 units in a span of one year, being the driver of catapulting Hyundai's UV market share to a substantial 21 percent in FY2021.

In the April-May 2021 period, Hyundai has sold a total of 37,633 UVs, which gives it a market share of 24.43 percent for the first two months of the ongoing fiscal. 

The Alcazar is powered by a 2.0-litre Nu-series, third-generation naturally-aspirated petrol engine that delivers 157bhp or Hyundai-Kia Group's ubiquitous U2 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, 113bhp diesel motor. Both BS VI-compliant engines will come mated to either a 6MT or 6AT gearbox options. Although there's no all-wheel-drive system on offer, both engine options will offer Eco, City and Sport driving modes. Hyundai Motor India claims to have conducted a testing procedure of over 400,000 kilometres through the various terrains and geographies of India.

Some salient mechatronic features include an electric control variable oil pump in the 2.0-litre unit that aids efficiency by lowering the engine's power consumed by the pump.

In terms of NVH, the company has implemented structural adhesives, foam add-ons in the BIW, and drive shaft dampers for reducing noise during acceleration.

Key highlights of the new Alcazar include a 10-25-inch multi-display digital cluster, eight-speaker Bose sound system, air purifier with AQI display, front row seatback table with retractable cupholder and IT device holder, front row sliding sunvisor, side foot step and rear window sunshade.

Inside, the SUV comes with dual-tone Cognac Brown interiors, a voice-enabled smart panoramic sunroof, second row one-touch tip-and-tumble seats (Captain and 60:40 split seats), 64-colour ambient lighting, eight-way power driver seat and Advanced Hyundai Blue Link connected car technology.

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 India.