Hyundai Terracan Tow Test

IT'S IN THE CAN: Part II
The seven-seater, dual range, medium-size 4WD Hyundai Terracan is targeting serious offroaders, primarily those looking for a capable towing vehicle and the rural sector. Performance is more than adequate with lots of pulling power from low revs, economy is great, emissions are minimal and noise inside the wagon is very low.

The CRDi (common rail direct injection) system is electronically controlled and offers accurate fuel metering and delivery, with virtually instant keyturn startup.

This ensures the right amount of fuel is used at all times, maximising performance, reducing consumption and eliminating the smoke and smells often associated with diesel engines.

ADR 81/01 standardised consumption testing, which combines the city and highway tests previously used but is biased towards city usage, credits the manual Terracan with 10.1L/100km while the auto diesel uses only a whisker more at 10.3L/100km, and the 2000kg Terracan will provide economical motoring.

At 110km/h cruising along the highway the auto ticks over at a modest 2200rpm. With 345Nm of torque on tap, hills and overtaking manoeuvres present no problems. And the absence of wind noise means conversing with passengers is easy. Terracan is excellent value, with features such as low and high range 4WD, ABS, limited slip rear differential, generous ground clearance, driver and passenger airbags and side impact protection.

Inside you'll find air-conditioning with pollen filter, engine immobiliser, power windows, central locking, cruise control, three 12V power outlets, overhead console and an MP3/CD player and radio with six speakers. There are also a variety of storage compartments and cup holders.

TOWING ABILITY
To cater for the needs of owners who wish to go offroad or tow heavy loads Hyundai's accessory arm, Astrel, has developed an optional heavy duty suspension kit called Trek'n'Tow. Besides the claimed offroad benefits, it also increases the allowable towball load from 200kg up to 250kg (tow capacity 2500kg).

Variable-rated springs are supplied by Eibach, Performer IAS shock absorbers from Edelbrock automatically adjust to respond to varying terrain and new Elastrogran bump stops double as a secondary spring.

The Trek‘n'Tow kit raises the Terracan 20mm. This not only helps to avoid obstacles when venturing into the rough, but also prevents the Terracan from sagging too much when heavily loaded.

The initial impression was one of firmness, particularly on bumpy, suburban roads, but after a couple of days it felt par for the course. It felt comfortable at higher speeds and along bush tracks.

We tested a new Jayco Freedom caravan and a Cameron camper trailer behind the Terracan. With regard to ride quality, the vehicle appeared happier when loaded than with just the driver onboard.

Stability when towing was excellent, proving the Trek'n'Tow development engineers have done their homework. When it comes to towing, a firm suspension is superior to a soft one any day. (Experienced caravanners will know that stronger springs don't replace the need for a load-distributing hitch if the towball load is such that weight is taken off the car's front wheels.)

SUMMING UP
If you want value for money, the Terracan 4WD diesel (or for that matter the 3.5 V6 petrol) takes a lot of beating. At the time of preparing this article the 2.9 CRDi manual was selling for $37,490 and the auto version for $39,590.

If you want the Highlander with constant 4WD and other niceties like climate control and leather trim it will set you back $41,490 and $43,590 respectively. The petrol model is even less.