Terracan - King of the Earth

King of the Earth? I don’t think so. Though one cannot blame world cup sponsors Hyundai for a little bit of conceit. Everything they touch is turning to gold. Hyundai’s Irish sales are exploding. January, 2002, saw sales rocket a further 22.4% at time when the car market was contracting by 6.5%.

Forget the royal pretensions. Recent arrival, Terracan is no Range Rover. And Land Cruiser or Trooper won’t see it as an out-and-out off-road title contender. But the price (40,634 euro - 30,475 euro for the commercial version) and the superb packaging suggest that Land Rover’s Discovery, Jeep’s Cherokee, Daewoo’s Musso and Nissan’s Terrano are all seriously ‘ring-fenced’ as Terracan targets.

Slow to sup at the SUV table in Ireland (they’ve been represented in other markets for years) Hyundai aren’t fighting for crumbs. Last year’s newcomer, the Santa Fe, shook its sector to the core and wound up the year with a 14% slice of the cake. More in-yer-face and more versatile Terracan can repeat the performance in 2002 for the high-flying Koreans.

Shades of Jeep Cherokee mixed with a touch of Daewoo Korando emanate from Terracan’s boxed nose and squarish profile. Flared arches, the hefty bumper, a modest bit of skirt cladding, the bonnet-mounted air scoops, and the pair tear-shaped light modules fixed either side of the seven-bar grill bestow this latest Hyundai creation with a tough, not-to-be-messed-with look.

A no-nonsense, 2.9-litre TCI diesel engine provides the pulling power. Featuring a superb common rail injection system, this potent performer kicks out a thumping good 147bhp @3800rpm. 333Nm of readily-available torque is served up at a very low 2000rpm.

Terracan is a full 4WD, with low ratios available when needed. Most of the time, though, the vehicle works in a rear-wheel 2WD mode, switching automatically to 4WD when slippage is detected by the Active Torque Transfer (ATT) system. Gearbox options are 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto.

Cabin space is generous. The high-positioned seats, neither too soft nor too hard, are comfortable and supportive. Rear seats split 60/40 and double fold to offer plenty of cargo carrying options. A net and tie-down hooks keep luggage/cargo in place and a tonneau cover hides the lot from prying eyes.

Standard features on our test vehicle included: ABS with four-wheel disc brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, dual airbags, electric sunroof, electric power windows and side mirrors, keyless entry, adjustable steering column, CD player with RDS radio, 6.0JX 15" alloy wheels and chunky P255/65 R16 all-season performance tyres.

On road, the Terracan is quite adept, enjoyable to drive and relatively easy to manoeuvre for all its bulk once one has become accustomed to handling 2 tonnes of metal. Top speed is 105mph. Fuel average for our 623 miles outing worked out at 33mpg - and Terracan’s tank holds 75 litres of whichever brand you are in to.

A ground clearance of 216mm, shortish overhangs, the rigid rear axle set-up, and the low ratio box suggest fairly decent off-road capabilities. Weather conditions and time constraints didn’t allow for any significant off-road appraisal. It may thus be premature to suggest it doesn’t match big boys like the Land Cruiser, Pajero, Patrol, or Trooper over real rough terrain. An off-road test in three weeks' time will tell the full story.

May 2002

by John Reilly