Hyundai Terracan Car Review

Hyundai has taken advantage of the continuing boom in the 4WD market by introducing the Terracan, a medium-large seven-seat wagon. Unlike the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is seen as a lighter duty 'crossover' all-wheel-drive vehicle, the Terracan is built on a heavy-duty separate full-length chassis and it features a dual range transmission with full-time or on-demand four-wheel drive, depending on the model.

Two models are available, the Terracan and the Terracan Highlander. Both versions provide seating for up to seven people and both are powered by a 3.5 litre V6 quad cam 24 valve engine that puts out a healthy 145 kW of power and 302 Nm of torque.

Terracan prices start at $36,990 for the base manual while the Highlander manual costs $42,990. Automatic transmission adds $2,990 to both models. Metallic paint is an option at $165 and mica paint costs $198.

Hyundai is pushing its class-leading value for money policy with the Terracan, saying that the base model is at least $6,000 less than the base models of competitors such as the Mitsubishi Pajero, Holden Jackaroo and Toyota Prado.

Hyundai says that the Highlander model offers even bigger savings over similarly equipped Pajeros, Jackaroos and Prados. Both Terracan models come standard with air conditioning, driver and front passenger airbags, cruise control, a CD player, remote central locking with alarm and immobilizer, power windows and exterior mirrors, 16 inch alloy wheels, variable ratio power steering and ventilated disc brakes front and rear.

The base Terracan has part-time 4WD with Electric Shift Transfer that allows shifting from 2WD to 4WD High at up to 80 km/h. The Highlander features full-time on-demand 4WD with Active Torque Transfer that varies drive from 100 per cent rear to 50/50 front/rear.

Other standard Highlander features include anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, climate control airconditioning, leather and woodgrain interior trim, and chrome finish on the grille and exterior door handles.

The Terracan sets no styling trends; take away the bold body flaring and the large contemporary headlamps, and the basic structure would look rather angular and somewhat old-fashioned.

Hyundai continues to make good progress with quality and the test vehicle looked well built throughout. However some observers commented that the Highlander's leather trim didn't look as luxurious as they had expected.

Though it's described as a seven-seat vehicle, the Terracan (like many in its class) is really best thought of as a five-seater, due to the rear fold-up seats' suitability for small children only.

Space is good in the front seats and adults also have ample leg and head room in the second row. Second row occupants sit noticeably higher than those do in the front, giving them a good view and avoiding any feeling of being restricted. The front seats are generally comfortable and reasonably supportive; the split/fold second row seat is more basic in its shaping and its comfort.

Luggage space is very limited in its length if all seats are in use, but folding one or both of the third row seats up against the sides gives a useful amount of space. The second seat is divided one third/two thirds and double folds when more capacity is required.

The Terracan's 3.5 litre quad cam engine is a smooth performing and pleasantly responsive unit with good torque characteristics. Outright performance isn't as strong as in 4WD's that have larger capacity engines, but then the Terracan doesn't use as much fuel as those models do.

Overall, the Terracan's performance should prove sufficient for the bulk of most owners' requirements. It would only be for really heavy duty towing work that a vehicle with a larger six-cylinder engine (or a V8) might be desired.

One aspect of the Terracan's on-road performance that disappointed was its ability to cope with varying road surfaces. It's fine on smooth roads, but poorer surfaces (and sometimes even slight bumps) cause the body to jiggle around on the suspension, with reaction through the steering also experienced.

Off-road, the Terracan performs quite well up to a point, but if the going starts getting tough, it's inclined to lift wheels (particularly the front) too readily, indicating limited suspension travel.

Owners who intend to do some serious off-roading in their Terracans may need to consider fitting more suitable tyres. The standard tyres have a very mild tread pattern and have only a two-ply polyester sidewall rating.