Name change not only represents a more upmarket push, but also as a means of separating the Alcazar from the now Indonesian-made Creta.
Teased for the first time last month, Hyundai, this past week, officially unveiled the facelift Grand Creta that finally adopts the Alcazar name it has been sold under in India since debuting in 2021.
Facelift means ‘new’ name
Approved for South Africa last year, the name change, according to Hyundai, represents a more upmarket product than the Grand Creta, with no inherent relation to the standard Creta which, since 2022, has been sourced from the Cikarang Plant in Indonesia rather than the Chennai facility in India.
Stylistically, the Alcazar’s updates comprises the H-shaped LED headlights from the Exter, a lower mounted grille, central light bar connecting the light clusters, a redesigned front bumper and skidplate, new bonnet, wider wheel arches and silver roof rails.
ALSO READ: Hyundai starts teasing Alcazar as Grand Creta’s ‘replacement’
At the rear, a complete restyling has taken place to include a new bumper and skidplate, H-shaped light clusters also connected by a horizontal LED light bar, stacked light reflectors on the flanks of the bumper itself, and a new tailgate.
Compared to the Grand Creta, Hyundai has reworked the colour palette to offer six hues: Atlas White, Abyss Black, Starry Night, Titan Grey, Fiery Red and Titan Grey Matte.
New inside
Again furnished with seven-seats as standard, and without the optional six as in India, the Alcazar’s interior restyling consists not only of improved materials, but also a new dashboard which, surprisingly, omits the pair of 10.25-inch displays offered in its home market.
Instead, all South African variants come standard with a 4.2-inch TFT display and an eight-inch infotainment system, the latter equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for the first time.
Carried over from the Indian Alcazar are the new air vents, the new climate control panel with an LCD display and physical switchgear, and a USB port in each row.
Spec
On the model front, the Alcazar range spans three variants compared to the Grand Creta’s five, which has involved the removal of the entry-level Executive manual and the petrol Elite fitted with the automatic transmission.
The line-up, therefore, kicks-off with the Executive automatic, whose specification sheet includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, folding electric mirrors, imitation leather upholstery, a wireless smartphone charger and a multi-function steering wheel.
Further additions include:
- cruise control;
- rear parking sensors;
- reverse camera;
- keyless entry;
- tyre pressure monitor;
- LED headlights;
- Hill Start Assist
As the range’s flagship once again, the Elite replaces the 17-inch alloy wheels with new diamond-cut 18-inch wheels, the manual air conditioning with the mentioned climate control, and the standard cruise control with Adaptive Cruise Control.
Included further are the following:
- electric driver’s seat;
- front parking sensors;
- ventilated front seats;
- panoramic sunroof;
- push-button start;
- rear window blinds;
- LED mood lighting;
- Lane Keep Assist;
- Blind Spot Monitoring;
- Driver Attention Alert;
- Forward Collision Avoidance Assist;
- Lane Follow Assist;
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert;
- drive mode selector (Eco, Normal, Sport, Sand, Snow and Mud)
Same engines
Up front, and as previously alluded to, Hyundai has retained the same engine options as the Grand Creta, meaning option of either the normally aspirated 2.0-litre petrol or the 1.5-litre turbodiesel.
As before, the latter remains an auto-only affair with the six-speed self-shifter sending its 84kW/250Nm to the front axle.
In place of the newer 1.5 T-GDI also used by sister brand Kia in the Seltos, the Alcazar’s petrol develops 117kW/192Nm directed to the front wheels through the six-speed automatic ‘box now that the manual has been dropped.
Price
Priced lower than the Grand Creta in the case of the Executive despite the three-pedal option’s departure, the Alcazar’s price tag includes both a seven-year/200 000 km warranty as well as a three-year/45 000 km service plan.
- Alcazar 2.0 Executive AT – R499 000
- Alcazar 1.5 CRDI Executive AT – R599 900
- Alcazar 1.5 CRDI Elite AT – R669 900
ALSO READ: Facelift Hyundai Alcazar coming to South Africa not as Grand Creta
