Hyundai Alcazar 1.5 Turbo Petrol AT Long-Term Review: City Report
Living with a three-row SUV in a city like Mumbai can feel daunting. Narrow lanes, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and limited parking space often make you question whether a large family SUV is truly practical. Over the past two months, the Hyundai Alcazar 1.5 Turbo Petrol Automatic has been my daily driver across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, giving me a clear picture of how well it handles the realities of urban life.
City-Friendly Size and Easy Maneuverability
The first thing that stands out about the Alcazar in city conditions is how well-judged its dimensions are. Despite being a proper three-row SUV that can comfortably seat four adults, two children, and luggage, it never feels unwieldy in traffic. In fact, it feels almost perfectly sized for urban use.
In heavy traffic, the Alcazar doesn’t feel intimidating or bulky, something that even smaller SUVs can struggle with during peak hours in Mumbai. It offers good road presence without becoming stressful to drive through narrow lanes or congested roads.
Parking, too, has been largely hassle-free. The Alcazar fits into most standard parking spots without excessive maneuvering, which is a major advantage for a family-oriented SUV in a crowded city.
Excellent Visibility, Slightly Heavy Steering
Visibility is another strong suit. Large windows and a high seating position provide excellent views from the front and sides, making it easy to judge gaps, crawl through tight spaces, and edge forward at junctions confidently.
The only minor drawback here is the slightly heavy steering at low speeds, which becomes noticeable during tight U-turns or lock-to-lock maneuvers. However, it’s something you adapt to quickly.
Refined 1.5 Turbo Petrol Engine for Urban Use
Under the hood, the Alcazar is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with an automatic transmission. In city driving, refinement is its biggest highlight. The engine remains smooth and quiet, keeping the cabin calm even during long traffic jams.
Performance is more than sufficient for daily commuting. Even with a full load, the Alcazar keeps pace with traffic effortlessly. At low revs, it can feel slightly relaxed, especially with gentle throttle inputs. Push past 2,500rpm, though, and the engine responds eagerly, making overtakes and quick gaps easy to manage.
Automatic Gearbox and Drive Modes
The automatic gearbox performs well in stop-and-go traffic, delivering smooth and jerk-free shifts. While the default driving mode works well, the Alcazar feels most responsive in Sport mode, where throttle response sharpens and the gearbox holds gears longer.
Eco mode, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to offer any noticeable improvement in fuel efficiency during city use.
Real-World Fuel Efficiency
Over two months of city driving—much of it during peak traffic—the Alcazar has delivered an average fuel efficiency of around 10 kmpl. Considering its size, turbo-petrol engine, and Mumbai’s traffic conditions, this figure is quite respectable.
Useful Features for Daily City Driving
Hyundai’s reputation for offering a strong feature set continues with the Alcazar. One of the most practical features in city conditions is Auto Hold, which keeps the vehicle stationary at traffic signals without needing constant brake input—extremely useful in crawling traffic.
Another standout feature is the blind spot camera system. Activating the turn indicator brings up a live camera feed on the instrument cluster, showing traffic in the adjacent lane. While similar systems exist in rival SUVs, Hyundai’s implementation is exceptionally polished, with clear visuals and excellent integration, making lane changes far safer and stress-free.
Ride Quality and Comfort
Ride quality in the city is good, though not the softest in the segment. At low speeds over sharp bumps or broken roads, the suspension feels slightly firm. However, it never becomes uncomfortable.
Interestingly, the Alcazar rides better when fully loaded. With more passengers onboard, the suspension settles nicely and handles rough patches more effectively—exactly what you’d want from a family-focused SUV.
Verdict: A Surprisingly Easy SUV to Live With in the City
Overall, the Hyundai Alcazar 1.5 Turbo Petrol AT has proven to be an excellent companion for city driving. Its size feels just right, visibility is excellent, and day-to-day usability—especially in traffic and parking—has been stress-free. Add to that a quiet cabin, refined engine, and thoughtful features, and the Alcazar makes a strong case as a city-friendly three-row SUV.
Now that city life with the Alcazar is well understood, the next step is to take it out on the highway. With the holiday season approaching, a long road trip is on the cards—and that’s something we’ll cover in the next report.
Product Details
Make: Hyundai
Model: Alcazar
Trim: Signature 6-Seater
Fuel: Petrol
Kilometres this month: 1,040
Fuel efficiency: 10.3kmpl
Price when tested: Rs. 24.99 lakh, OTR, Mumbai