Hyundai Terracan 2001 test drive - 2004 SUV

The Lord of the Earth

Cars have long ceased to be just a thing or, as the classics called them, a means of movement. Now the car is almost everything: a family friend, an indispensable assistant, just a favorite toy of men and women. And it is quite natural that everyone chooses a friend to their taste-someone at a price, someone according to the genealogy, and someone is generally strictly according to financial capabilities, with a calculator in his hand. There are those who, first of all, look at the appearance and evaluate the capabilities of the car, and only then are interested in the price. Very few, however, are such cars, the exterior of which causes such positive emotions that the price fades into the background. Very few, but they are, and we will tell you about one of them today.

At the beginning of its activity, the South Korean company was more likely to be a division of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation than an independent company. Almost all of its models either were modernized and redesigned cars of the above brand, produced by agreement, or equipped with power units and many other production nodes of the same MMS. In principle, such a policy had its positive moments, expressed at least in the fact that such cars had not originally had childhood illnesses. The negative ones were also - such a car could not differ much from the irradiator model both in shape and design in general. However, the Khundaevites were not going to exploit this idea for a long time. There was active work on new models, concept-shows were almost annually exhibited. And it is not surprising that by the end of the eighties Mark Hyundai took a leading position in its market, and its cars were sold very well almost around the world. Our market was no exception - high -quality and fashionable cars, offered at quite acceptable prices, were bought very well both in neighboring Russia and from us. You can even say that in some sectors of the Hyundai market it occupies a leading position, because the popular Sonata sedan and the Galloper SUV are the best choice according to the price-quality criterion.

The expansion of Hyundai continues, and after the popular Santa Fe, the company introduced a completely new general -purpose SUV, called Terracan, designed from scratch. This is the first Hyundai SUV, because the Santa Fe and Galloper models do not count - the first is just a SUV, and the second is a reincarnation of Mitsubishi Pajero, produced in the mid -eighties. And I must say that despite the lack of experience, because to release and even modernize is one thing, and design is completely different, the first pancake of Hyundai was far from lumpy.

Honestly, looking at the spy pictures, I could not assume that the serial Hyundai Terracan would turn out so beautiful. Beautiful and stylish - a chic lighting technique with many small headlights and an immense false radiator grille make a car more massive and more expensive. Delants will surely define Terracan as an American car, although those who are a little Copenhagen in this matter will accurately determine the Hundaevsky pedigree - outwardly, the machine elusively resembles Galloper. Yes, and chromium for an American will be small - a tested car painted in a two -tone metallic, had such a coating only on branded emblems and badges. However, he even benefited from this: the car looks like a business class for impassability, and not just a full-wheel drive car. The profile also did not disappoint, far from a small terracan when looking from the side seems even more and more massive, especially this applies to cars painted in light colors. But behind the new Hyundai Terracan is similar to all SUVs at the same time, but most of all its youngest - Hyundai Galloper. The rear lights and a plastic body kit around the perimeter of both models have a common shape. Corporate style, you understand ...

But this is the only thing that connects them. Although there are rumors that Terracan will replace a popular SUV on the conveyor, it seems to me that it simply complements the lineup of the company. After all, whatever one may say, and the cars are different in everything, starting from cost. The novelty is much larger in size, and it is designed taking into account all the latest developments in the field of ergonomics, security, and the organization of production. And this is already a lot. You yourself could notice such a tendency that modern cars, while maintaining previous external dimensions, have become much more spacious inside.

True, Hyundai still did not have an SUV of such sizes, so there is simply nothing to compare Terracan with. But it can be safely compared with any other, even much larger in size: in the supply of Terracan’s internal space, in my opinion, it is not much inferior to such giants as Chevrolet Tahoe or Toyota Land Cruiser 100. And taking into account some design features of the Korean car , we can say that he will not far lag behind the aforementioned comrades and off -road. Inside Terracan, it also does not give out its origin. In terms of interior design, the machine resembles at the same time Japanese, American and somewhere even English SUVs. The monumental panel and a pleasant steering wheel and a gearbox lever, the dark tones of the upholstery - inside Terracan, I was reminded to me by the Hyundai Centennial limousine, which we conducted last year. The only thing that I did not like: sitting on the front chair, there is absolutely nothing to hold on. The door handle remains under the elbow, and if you take up the handrail traditional for SUVs on the windshield rack, then you block the right mirror.

The landing behind the wheel reminded me of the Toyota Land Cruiser 100, it is more vertical than in other SUVs, but it is very convenient to sit, and you don’t move off the brakes from the chair. An adjustable steering column is included in standard equipment, so a person of any complexion can find an optimal pose. And the rear passengers are generally a sin to complain: because of the same vertical landing, the place behind was just with excess. Honestly, I will not be very surprised if someone will use Terracan as a limousine: wide doorways and high ceilings will allow you to sit down and go out more dignified than from a car. Yes, and Hyundai Terracan looks much more solid. You can find out the exact price from the dealer, I will say from yourself that the basic Terracan costs as much as the usual hatchback of European or Japanese production with a 2.0-liter engine and far from the most chic configuration. In general, you get a lot of car for your money. Again, due to the Terracan layout, he received a very large luggage compartment - even despite the sparelight located there, and the dimension of the wheels of this car is nothole - 255/65R16, there are plenty of space in the trunk.

The tested car was equipped with a 2.5-liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 100 hp, a mechanical 5-speed gearbox and all-wheel drive transmission. Like Galloper, it is advisable to include all -wheel drive on Terracan only to overcome very complex or slippery areas, when it is possible to slip the wheels relative to each other. In all other cases, it is recommended to use the rear -wheel drive mode - the dynamics are better, and the fuel is saved. But now the driver does not need to move the levers to switch the transmission modes, but just turn the regulator - everything else will make electric drives. A rigidly connected front bridge and the rear self -locking differential allow you to feel off -road confidently, especially where the long car base does not interfere. For a complete and thorough planting of Terracan, you need to ensure that at least three wheels be axle to the axle - both rear and one of the front! Moreover, even diagonal hanging, which are a big problem for most very good SUVs, are not afraid of him with such a set of off -road bellows. Yes, I almost forgot: in extreme cases, a number of lowered programs are provided, also, by the way, included by the same regulator. Naturally, with such a arsenal, Terracan will be able to stop a very heavy off-road, overcome perhaps on Hammer, caterpillar equipment and specially prepared for participation in a jeep-trial of cars. On other tracks, few will be able to win, except that, as boxers say, by points. By the way, for those who do not have the need for such outstanding off -road abilities of the car, another all -wheel drive version will appear in the near future, where the OTT system will be offered, which in a literal translation into Russian means the active distribution of traction. As you can guess from the name, this version will have a transmission that allows you to constantly operate the car in all -wheel drive mode. True, like our tested car, most of the time it will also be rear -wheel drive - the front bridge is connected with multi -disc clutch only if the drive wheels are slipped.

A significant role in providing such off -road qualities was played by the engine supplied in the basic configuration. Judging by the torque curve, the 2.5-liter turbodiesel inherited by Galloper, even at birth, was sharpened under the off-road driving manner, which becomes obvious, as soon as the car is touching. The car takes from the place very briskly, and even in the second and third gears a good jerk is obtained, but after the arrow reaches the tachometer, 3,500 about the dynamics of acceleration has to be forgotten - there is more noise than, in fact, overclocking itself. The programs are very short, therefore, to maintain a certain speed mode of movement, you will have to switch often.

When moving along a highly crossed area, such a motor character will be very useful, since unwanted switching on the rise or viscous ground can be avoided, and it will be easier to start from the place. The clutch again will be saved. But in a city with such a motor will have to be tight, especially if you are used to going always in the front row and in the extreme left lane. Each time, twisting the motor to the limiter and switching sharply, you can achieve good results on the circle, but the car of this driving style seems to not accept. By nature, this heavy frame SUV is not much like an passenger car - a little more vertical landing, almost two tons of equipped mass, a high center of gravity. Hence the movement style is born - quickly, but without fuss, switching in a timely manner and using traction on the bottoms. And not bad, by the way, it turns out. And setting records in the nomination acceleration from a place up to 100 km/h is better with a 2.9-liter turbodiesel with the Common Rail system set for surcharge. And even better - with a gasoline 3.5 -liter six, developing power in 192 hp, with which Terracan, as previously written in many -type newspapers, is not inferior to the best analogues of its market sector.

By the way, Terracan can be considered one of the most powerful SUVs in absentia with such a motor. Even the legendary Mitsubishi Pajero of the third generation, also offered with a gasoline 3.5-liter engine, develops only nine horses more. True, he, unlike Terracan, has independent all pendants, but in our conditions this can hardly be considered dignity. In general, Hyundai Terracan, despite the South Korean origin, is sometimes perceived as an ideal car for our hard road conditions.

Judge for yourself: the car body rests on a powerful frame, impenetrable pendants and a simple, but transmission brought to perfection will allow you to cope with all the hardships of nature and tricks of road workers. The pluses include the absence of a mass of extremely complex electronic bells and whistles, the benefits of which, unlike the price, are extremely insignificant. However, it was not possible to do without some of them - there are ABS and air pillows for the driver and the front passenger. As standard equipment on the Hyundai Terracan, a central lock, a power steering, adjustable shockproof column, electric windows and heating of the rear window are also installed. And everything else can be ordered separately, since the options for Hyundai have always been offered for a completely acceptable price.

Korean production cars, including SUVs, have always been perceived by our compatriots as inexpensive and unpretentious vehicles for people who were used to counting money. From all of the above, we can conclude that the new Hyundai SUV has only one characteristic of the Korean production car - a low price. Otherwise, it is not much cast from any other SUV, especially when compared with American models. But the whole thing is that comparing Hyundai Terracan with others would be simply incorrect. Firstly, finding a serious car for the same money is simply unrealistic, and secondly, even if you find something, it will probably be another reincarnation of the once popular model, produced under a different name in third countries. But even if you do not take into account the most important factor, the Hyundai Terracan can be loved at least for the fact that it is exactly what it is. Stylish, powerful and courageous, beautiful and unusual at the same time - this is far from a complete list of epithets that the car had happened about this car. And it seems to me, if you talk longer with Hyundai Terracan, then they will be more ...

(+) High quality manufacturing of the interior and the car as a whole, a spacious interior, outstanding design, pleasant price.

(-) mediocre dynamic qualities, uncomfortable inner hands on the front doors.

Text: Pavel Kozlovsky
 

A source: Auto -Gazeta / N 35 (338) dated 10.10.01