Upcoming Renault Boreal vs Hyundai Alcazar: How Do They Compare?
Renault plans to launch two important SUVs in India soon- the Duster and a seven-seater, likely to be called ‘Boreal’. The seven-seater C-SUV segment has lately been witnessing a rise in demand, and the Boreal is expected to fit in well. It will lock horns with the Hyundai Alcazar, which is currently a strong player in this space. With time left for its market entry, let’s do a speculative comparison between the Boreal and the Alcazar, based on available information.
Dimensions
Let’s start with the dimensions. The Alcazar measures 4500 mm in length, 1790 mm in width, and 1675 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2760mm. The Boreal’s dimensions are expected to be the same as those of the Dacia Bigster SUV. If so, the length, width and height will be 4,570mm, 1,810mm and 1,710mm respectively. The wheelbase in this case will likely be 2,700mm.
Going by these numbers, the Boreal will be longer than the Alcazar, but will have a slightly shorter wheelbase. It is expected to feature a ground clearance of up to 213 mm. The Alcazar’s ground clearance is lower, at 200 mm.
With all rows in use, the Alcazar will offer a boot capacity of just 180 litres. Fold the last row down, and this increases to 580 litres. The Boreal has now been unveiled as a five-seater that offers a boot capacity of 586 liters- 6 litres more than what the Alcazar offers with a five-seater configuration. The ground clearance too is higher, going up to 213mm, as per reports.
Design
The two SUVs have distinct exterior designs. As revealed by the carmaker previously, the Boreal gets the likes of all-LED lighting (LED headlamps with Y-shaped elements, DRLs, and connected LED taillamps), a stylish grille design, a large air dam, C-pillar-mounted rear door handles, and 19-inch wheels. In markets like Brazil, it is available in six colours.
The Alcazar was given a major update in September last year. It now comes with a design that looks like an evolution of the Creta’s styling. The new Alcazar now gets a wide front grille, H-shaped LED DRLs, quad-beam LED headlamps, skid plates on the front bumper, roof rails, 18-inch diamond-cut wheels, a new tailgate design, and connected LED taillamps. It has a wider palette than the Boreal, and comes in nine colours, including dual-tones.
Interior And Features
As revealed by the manufacturer recently, the Boreal will have a modern, tech-packed cabin. It will have two 10-inch screens- one for infotainment and the other for instrumentation, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an Electronic parking brake, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone AC, 48-colour ambient lighting, Harman Kardon audio, level 2 ADAS, and more.
Hyundai has packaged the Alcazar well. It gets more features than its predecessor and offers improved occupant comfort. The equipment list has 8-way power-adjustable front seats with memory and welcome retract functions, middle-row ventilation on the six-seater, touch-based HVAC controls, 10.25-inch HD infotainment touchscreen, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, 8-speaker BOSE premium audio, 70+ BlueLink-based connected car features, wireless chargers, ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, and an NFC-enabled key.
Safety Features
The Alcazar comes with a long list of safety features. It has the likes of six airbags, Hill-Start Assist Control, Electronic Stability Control, Vehicle Stability Management, and four disc brakes. The Boreal gets safety tech like six airbags, ABS, EBD, and electronic stability control.
Powertrain Options
The Boreal will initially have two engines in the Indian market- the 1.3L turbocharged EDC petrol and mild-hybrid 1.2L petrol. The carmaker will introduce a 1.6L strong hybrid in the future. The power and torque outputs of these are yet to be revealed. Both manual and automatic transmissions will be available on the SUV.
The Alcazar, on the other hand, can be had with both petrol and diesel engines. It comes with a 1.5L TGDI turbocharged petrol engine that makes 160 hp and 253 Nm, and a 1.5 turbocharged diesel that has an output of 116hp and 250 Nm. Both manual and automatic transmissions are available on both engines.
Bottomline
We’ll have to wait till launch to know more about the Boreal. The Alcazar will be one of its strongest rivals here. Getting the price right will be critical for the Boreal to have an edge over the Hyundai.