Hyundai Terracan Reviews

It was no mistake that Hyundai chose the Victorian high country to debut its diesel Terracan, the company knew its new offroader was perfectly capable of conquering the tough terrain and was more than happy to demonstrate it.  The diesel Terracan CRDi was a new addition to the Terracan range in 2005, and the first diesel model Hyundai released in this country.It had been available in other countries for a year or two, but couldn't come here until the quality of the local diesel fuel improved. That had happened by 2005, so it was with great excitement that the Korean carmaker added it to its Terracan range.The petrol-only Terracan was unveiled four years earlier, in 2001, when Hyundai was stepping up its presence here and moving from a seller of cheap-and-cheerful cars to a serious player in the market mainstream.The addition of the diesel served to underline the shift and brought with it an important new choice for SUV buyers.MODEL WATCH While the Terracan CRDi was a new model to the range in 2005, apart from the diesel engine it was the same as the petrol-engined wagon that arrived in 2001.The market for offroaders is a highly competitive one, one in which Hyundai was up against carmakers with years of experience building rough, tough vehicles for the most extreme conditions.It is one familiar to many Australians who love nothing better than a weekend away in a remote corner of the country. These people know their stuff when it comes to an offroader and mark any vehicle that fails to meet their demands hard.  There was no escaping it, Hyundai was going to be closely scrutinized when it launched the Terracan here.True, the market for offroaders has divided into a number of sub-segments as families have adopted SUV all-wheel drive wagons as their preferred means of transport, but any new model with the claim of being an offroader comes under the spotlight of serious offroaders.  Before the launch of the CRDi in 2005 the only engine available was a 3.5-litre V6 with 145 kW and 302 Nm when it was being pressed at its peak. The addition of the 2.9-litre common rail turbo diesel in 2005 changed the landscape for the Terracan, the diesel was much better suited to serious offroading and was also handy when it came to towing.  Both engines carried the option of five-speed manual and four-speed auto transmissions and drove through all four wheels.The Terracan's suspension had come in for some criticism, it wasn't that great once the black top ran out, but in 2005, when it introduced the diesel model, it also added an improved suspension option developed locally.With a package of goodies including Edelbrock gas shocks, revised rear springs and bump stops the 'Trek n' Tow' suspension pack made a huge improvement over the standard set-up, and better still it was fully backed by the factory.While the suspension copped some flak early on, the Terracan was generally praised for its value-for-money proposition.  There were in essence two well-equipped models in the range, the Terracan and Terracan Highlander.The base Terracan had air, cruise, remote central locking, immobiliser, alarm, power windows and mirrors, six-speaker CD sound, roof racks and fog lamps.  Step up to the Highlander and you also got auto air, leather, woodgrain, as well as ABS braking with EBD brake distribution.  An update in 2004 made ABS and EBD standard across the range.IN THE SHOP Hyundai's star is on the rise as can be seen through its rising sales. That's a reflection of its model range that is hitting the spot with new car buyers, but it's also a sign that the company is getting right in terms of quality, durability and reliability.It wasn't that long ago that carsGuide was regularly receiving queries from readers with complaints about their cars, but it's not so now.  The complaints and criticisms, certainly deserved, have largely dried up.That's a great start when looking for a used car. Hyundai's like the Terracan that have been built in the last 10 years are a cut above those built in earlier times.  The Terracan can be approached with confidence, it's really only necessary to carry out the basic checks you would on any used car.Those checks include inspecting for panel damage that would suggest a car has been in a fender-bender, and confirmation that it has been well serviced.IN A CRASH Before 2004 only the Highlander had the important safety features of ABS and EBD, so it's best to opt for a post-2004 model to have those essential features.  All Terracans boasted dual front airbags and pretensioners from 2001.AT THE PUMP Like most four-wheel drives with petrol engines the Terracan V6 is a thirsty beast, not surprising given its bulk and the extra gear the engine has to drive. On average a 3.5-litre V6 Terracan will do around 15 L/100 km.  The diesel is better, and the best option for most situations, and it will do 10.5 L/100 km on average.LOOK FOR Improved suspension after 2005 . High fuel consumption of V6 . Good performance and economy of diesel . Only has front airbags . ABS not fitted to all models . Good build qualityTHE BOTTOM LINEValue-for-money off-roader that is capable of going the hard years in the bush.RATING 70/100

The new $37,490, seven seat, diesel Terracan CRDi raises the bar again because it is arguably the most "together" vehicle Hyundai has in its local lineup.By together I mean, well built, sensibly laid out, impressive performance, high levels of refinement and safety and extremely capable on and off road.Yes, it's a big call, but a drive proves the point.Our test vehicle was the leather equipped manual Terracan Highlander with high and low range constant all wheel drive.The diesel is a DOHC, turbo four cylinder common rail unit of 2.9-litres giving 120kW/345Nm output.It's enough to make the Terracan hum along sweetly in all driving conditions with a good reserve of go under the right foot. Off the mark isn't too bad either but the engine really starts to sing at around 2000 rpm and stays until about 4500. It provides a wide operating range that is capably harnesssed by the slick shifting five-speed manual. A four speed automatic is also available but that's the next test.The diesel is a new device from Hyundai shared with Kia and it displays the strengths now expected from common rail engines – excellent performance, minimal fuel consumption, smooth running, quick start-up, no black smoke.There would be precious little difference on the road between the 3.5-litre V6 and this diesel Terracan in performance.It has softish suspension which allows a degree of body roll when cornering hard. That's the trade off for comfort in the rough. The suspension is a double wishbone and torsion bar front and five link rear with coils and a rigid diff.It should be pointed out that the base model and Highlander's 4WD systems are different with the former having selectable 4WD and the later constant awd.It makes little difference on or off the road as both vehicles are capable, go anywhere vehicles in the true 4WD sense.Terracan is built on a ladder chassis and has adequate ground clearance and wheel travel.The steering is possiblya litle too light but the turning circle is not bad. The diesel manual weighs in at 2200kg.It will go around 800km without too much trouble and is well equipped with goodies like pollen filter aircon, cruise, alloys, dual front airbags, full size spare, ABS remote central locking and electric ancillaries to name just a few.Some might criticise the vehicle's styling but it really only needs a tweak here and there – the grille and side cladding for example.

While the Terracan has been around for three years, until now it has only been available with a 3.5-litre, V6 petrol engine.The new engine is a four cylinder 2.9-litre common rail diesel sourced from Hyundai subsidiary Kia.Hyundai is set to target outback Australia, particularly Queensland, where Toyota rules the roost with LandCruiser.Starting at $37,490 for the CRDi manual, Terracan undercuts the three top selling entry level diesels: Nissan Patrol turbo diesel ($49,540) LandCruiser diesel ($52,600) and Pajero turbo diesel ($49,390) by more than $10,000.And it has a 130,000km/five year warranty.Hyundai is also offering a $2000 suspension package that takes the vehicle's on and off road performance to new levels.Developed in Australia for local conditions and expectations the kit is aimed primarily at the serious off-road market and the "grey" army of caravaners looking for improved towing rates.The kit has a full factory warranty.Hyundai launched the Terracan CRDi in the Victorian alps on rugged tracks that are the normal terrain of serious off roaders such as LandCruiser, Patrol and Land Rover."We know that there is a Toyota-loyal rural market out there, but we will force consideration from customers," said Hyundai's Theo van Doore, speaking atop Mt Blue Rag near Mt Hotham.It had taken five hours of serious four wheel driving, including 24 river crossings, and steep ascents and descents riddled with culverts, to reach the mountain along narrow four wheel drive tracks.Terracan is Hyundai's first diesel model locally.Common-rail diesel has consigned the slow, smelly, smoky and sooty evils of older-tech "oilers" to history thanks to electronically controlled direct injection of ultra finely metered fuel into each cylinder at extremely high pressure from a common fuel rail.Performance is boosted by a turbocharger force-feeding cooled denser air for a cleaner, higher energy burn.Fuel economy is a major reason people buy diesel 4WDs and Terracan CRDi delivers with the manual rated at 10.1 litres/100km and the automatic 10.3.Cruising in overdrive at 110kph in Terracan CRDi is quiet, with the automatic revving at only 2200rpm and the manual at 2600rpm, both well within the engine's fat and flat maximum torque table with ready acceleration immediately on tap.The CRDi's performance virtually equates with the petrol powered Terracan but is achieved at lower engine revs.Top torque of 345 Nm from just 1750 rpm through to 3000rpm and power peaking at 120kW at 3800rpm are the outputs of Terracan CRDi's 2.9 litre, twin-cam, alloy head, 16-valve, four-cylinder diesel.Cool air is fed to a large intercooler through the CRDi's bonnet scoop.Heavy-duty fuel and air filters are fitted to CRDi Terracan to guard against the sometimes varying levels of diesel fuel purity in Australia and dust.The Terracan CRDi model line-up mirrors that for the 3.5 litre petrol V6 models.Terracan CRDi has been available globally for a couple of years but Hyundai Australia waited until low-sulphur diesel fuel distribution was complete across the country.CRDi's introduction coincides with a new look for the 2005 model Terracan.All automatic Terracan models incorporate an extra low gearing hill descent facility which kicks in when low range and first or reverse gear is selected and no throttle applied.Standard kit includes pollen-filtering air-conditioning, cruise control, alloy wheels including a full-size spare, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters, MP3- capable CD/FM/AM audio, remote central locking with alarm/immobilizer, electric windows and mirrors, four 12 volt power outlets and roof rails with integrated carry cross bars.Terracan Highlander uses full-time on-demand 4WD with Active Torque Transfer and even more standard equipment.