Hyundai steps up and delivers

The name 'Terracan' (pron Terra-karn) is a fusion of 'terra', Latin for earth or terrain and 'khan', Turkish or central Asian for ruler or king, as in Genghis Khan.

As such, the new Terracan projects a strong masculine identity that evokes Hyundai’s strategic goal to challenge other entrants in the medium-heavy 4WD market with a vehicle that weds performance with comfort, refinement and fresh styling.

Unlike Santa Fe, which is a lighter duty 'crossover' vehicle, Terracan is definitely the latter, a pure-bred off-road wagon built on a heavy-duty, separate full-length chassis and dual range transmission with 4WD full-time on-demand or part-time.

"Terracan is a fully-fledged family off-roader, its spacious seating for seven and big cargo room, torquey V6 drivetrain and supple suspension all add up to genuine ability off the beaten track," Hyundai Automotive Distributors Australia managing director Doug Croker said.

"Our comparison testing outback showed that Terracan is right up there with the other big 4WD names, excelling in wheel articulation and traction transfer in tough conditions. However, recognizing the reality of its competitors’ usage patterns, most Terracans will probably seldom venture very far or very often off-road. Therefore, Terracan’s on-road ride comfort, refinement and ease of driving have been honed as major Terracan strengths.

Two models are offered, Terracan and Terracan Highlander, both powered by Hyundai’s new 3.5-litre V6, quad-cam, petrol engine and either five speed manual or four speed automatic transmissions, driving through a dual-range transfer case with a low range reduction gear ratio of 2.48:1.

Both models come well equipped with pollen filtering air-conditioning, driver and passenger airbags, cruise control, CD player, remote central locking with alarm and immobilizer, power windows and mirrors, 16” alloy wheels shod with meaty 255/65 tyres, variable ratio power steering and ventilated disc brakes all round.

A range of custom accessories are also available including the first available cargo barrier with an emergency access door, tow bar kit, grill guard, side steps, transfer case skid plate (until fitted as standard around February), moulded cargo floor liner, driving lights, roof rack storage box, roof holders for skis or snowboards or surfboards, a tow bar-integrated bike rack and floor mats. In all, you could accessorise until the cows come home...

Elegance, strength and functionality were the guiding principles for Terracan’s exterior styling.

The overall look is one of a simple, elegantly straight-edged body, personalized by several highly styled elements, such as the distinctive multi-projector head and tail lights. The hood-into-grille sculpturing and prominent wheel arch flares integrated into the front and rear bumpers also add style to the exterior.

The wheel arch flares and side cladding are available in three shades of silver-grey, matched appropriately to ten body colour finishes to create a two-tone look. Further streamlining the side profile is a fairly steeply raked windscreen for this class at 49 degrees.

Chunky tri-double spoke 16-inch alloy wheels shod with wide and relatively low profile 255/65 tyres fill the wheel arches nicely. The spare is a full size alloy wheel and tyre, too.

Terracan’s rear appearance is particularly neat and clean for this vehicle class, with no tailgate-mounted spare wheel blocking vision or compromising rear access.

The spare is tucked up under the rear end and the top-hinged tailgate offers ready access and even weather protection when opened. The rear window sill is scalloped low to further aid rear vision.

A major strength of Terracan is its powerplant, a newly developed smooth and torquey 3.5-litre version of the Grandeur's Sigma twin-cam (per bank), multi-point, fuel-injected, 24-valve, six-cylinder engine.

Delivering a peak torque of 302Nm @ 3000rpm, and around 90 per cent of that on tap from only 1500rpm, the Terracan is ready when you are.

With maximum power of 145 kW @ 5500 rpm, the Terracan can cruise or drive at a more brisk pace, accelerating from standstill to 100km/h in just 9.5 seconds. Not bad for a big 4WD.

The engine is inherently balanced, having a 60-degree cylinder bank Vee angle and it also incorporates pent roof combustion chambers for optimal efficiency and hydraulic valve lash adjusters for less wear, in effect translating to reduced maintenance.

The Terracan's overall length of 4710 mm is slightly shorter than Prado, Pajero and Jackeroo but the latter trio's figures include their rear door-mounted spare wheels. Minimum ground clearance is 216 mm (approx 240 mm under the transfer case and the fuel tank, 205 mm under the live rear diff). Towing is also a forte of the Terracan, which can haul a braked trailer of up to 2500 kg, the first Hyundai vehicle tow-rated at over two tonnes.

The new Hyundai is arriving in Australia as we speak and there should be limited numbers for sale before Christmas. The Terracan manual will fetch $36,990, while the Terracan Highlander manual is $42,990

Automatic on both is an extra $2990 and all include three year, 24 hour roadside assistance. A small number of Highlanders without ABS and EBD have arrived in the first shipment and will be offered from $41,990. The only other options are metallic paint at $165 and mica paint at $198.