Hyundai Grandeur CRDi 2008 Review

Hyundai Grandeur CRDi

What we liked
>> Diesel engine and auto box combination
>> Packaging
>> Generally quiet and cosseting

Not so much
>> Vehicle dynamics not ground-breaking
>> Styling and design a little bland
>> Minor ergonomic issues

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 2.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
Would Hyundai have placated those who remember the original Grandeur from 1999 if the company had renamed its latest model the 'i60'? That would have fitted with the new nomenclature for Hyundai's smaller cars and, in one stroke, would have eliminated any lingering memories of the rather bourgeois model that introduced the name to Australia.

The latest model is an upgrade of the current generation, launched here in 2006. It's been upgraded with (subtle) new looks and some minor specification changes, but it's the introduction of the diesel-engined Grandeur CRDi that will catch everyone's attention. This new variant marks the first occasion a large car -- as opposed to a 'luxury' car -- has been offered for sale in Australia with a compression-ignition engine.

The minor cosmetic changes for the upgraded Grandeur are limited to a revised radiator grille, chrome inserts for the bumpers, a new style of 17-inch alloy wheel and indicators integrated in the exterior mirrors. Accompanying the facelift, a new exterior colour selection has been specified for the 2009 models.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Trimmed and specified as for the V6 model, the Grandeur CRDi is priced at $41,990 -- a $2000 premium over the petrol variant. The only ex-factory option for the Grandeur is metallic or mica paint, a further charge of $375 for those who want it.

Only available in the one grade, the Grandeur CRDi is equipped as standard with: dual-zone climate control, cruise control, remote central locking, trip computer, leather trim, electric windows/mirrors, the upgraded audio system mentioned in detail in the PACKAGING section below, HALO (Hyundai's auto central locking), reach-and-rake steering column adjustment and electric adjustment for the front seats (with memory for the driver's seat).

For more on the original Grandeur, check out our 2006 local launch coverage here.

MECHANICAL
Hyundai's own 2.2-litre diesel is a four-cylinder powerplant that develops 114kW at 4000rpm. More importantly, it also produces 343Nm of peak torque between the engine speeds of 1800-2500rpm. Fuel consumption, based on the ADR81/01 combined-cycle test is 7.9L/100km.

The diesel engine drives through a five-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels, which are suspended by double-wishbone suspension and braked by ventilated disc rotors. Steering is a rack-and-pinion system with variable power assistance, inversely proportional to the engine speed.

At the rear, the Grandeur features a multi-link IRS system and solid disc rotors.

PACKAGING
There are very few changes to the Grandeur's packaging for 2009. Hyundai has upgraded the audio system to an eight-speaker JBL six-disc in-dash CD player with USB input and iPod compatibility. Other than that and the addition of Hyundai's Active Locking Operation (HALO), the only other change to the Grandeur's cabin is the migration to blue illumination for the instruments.

HALO is an auto-locking facility that operates once the car is on the move and has attained a speed of 45km/h. The system unlocks automatically when the driver removes the key from the ignition lock barrel or if a door is opened by one of the front-seat occupants.

The Grandeur's interior packaging provides very good head and legroom for front and rear passengers, as a large front-wheel drive sedan should. Where being front-wheel drive really hits home is in the boot, which is impressively long and accommodating.

Despite the Grandeur's likely appeal to those who aren't disconcerted by faux wood, Hyundai has applied the trim sparingly -- in parallel with some decorative chrome for the interior. This reviewer is not a great fan of woodgrain, but in the Grandeur it's subtle at least.

SAFETY
Standard safety features fitted to the Grandeur include stability control, traction control, ABS with EBD, active head restraints for the front seats, dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the thorax protection of front-seat occupants and side curtain airbags for the head protection of front and rear-seat passengers. In addition, the Grandeur features rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off headlights and an electro-chromatic (auto-dipping) mirror. The Grandeur rates 2.5 stars in our safety rating ('average' -- see above), because very few of its competitors are not equipped to the same level.

COMPETITORS
There are no diesel-engined competitors in the VFACTS large-car segment, but there are some petrol-engined models, such as Honda's Accord V6 that could conceivably offer similar fuel economy benefits on the open road (although Honda's ADR81/01 combined-cycle figure doesn't reflect this).

If diesel is not a drawcard in itself, Ford's Falcon G6E is available with LPG for about $5000 more than the price of the Grandeur CRDi and the savings from running on gas could quickly mount up -- but for the present, the Ford is only available with a four-speed automatic transmission and no stability control.

Ford also offers the Mondeo TDCi, a diesel mid-size car that's actually larger than the Grandeur in every dimension except overall length -- and even there, it's a difference of merely 50mm. The Mondeo is markedly cheaper than the Grandeur and the drive is ultimately more enjoyable than the Hyundai, but the Grandeur's diesel is ahead on points for power, torque and general responsiveness.

Current cars also in with a chance are the Holden Epica CDTi, Peugeot's 407 ST HDi and the Volkswagen Passat 103 TDI -- all a bit smaller in external dimensions than the Hyundai.

In the next few months, we'll also see the release of the Mazda6 diesel (next month) and the Skoda Superb, both of which will provide the Grandeur with some serious competition (as if the Hyundai wasn't already facing enough anyway).

If there's one other car that might be considered alongside the Grandeur, it's Hyundai's own Sonata CRDi. That car is not much smaller than the Grandeur and also boasts an excellent (2.0-litre diesel) drivetrain. As a clincher, it has suspension that has been well sorted for Aussie conditions -- the Grandeur doesn't.

ON THE ROAD
As a quick aside on our ratings for the Grandeur, we rated it above average (three stars) for ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN/CHASSIS, simply because the engine and transmission combination more than compensate for perceived deficiencies in the (adequate) suspension and steering. At present, no other vehicle in the large-car segment offers a diesel alternative. That gives the big Hyundai an unfair advantage from the off.

Added to that, the 2.2-litre engine is a pretty decent offering in its own right. It's quiet on the move, but can be a little noisy at idle. Complemented well by the smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission, the diesel felt brisk enough for a car of this size and weight. Certainly there was little turbo lag and the engine was capable and refined. It could be argued that the combination of engine and transmission is the Grandeur's strong point.

Taking into account the car's very soft ride, the cornering wasn't bad.

This is a car with virtually no sporting pretensions whatsoever. Although it held the road fairly well, the tyres did start to get 'vocal' at a relatively early stage on slower corners. With power off, the Grandeur handled close to neutral, but power on did tend to widen the line through a corner, progressively.

Although the steering was quite light, it did provide some feel and the steering response was okay, but this was in the context of a car with suspension tuned to cater more for ride than handling.

The Grandeur's NVH is well controlled, with tyres contributing most to the ambient noise in the cabin. Given the relatively high ratio of fifth gear, the engine noise at cruising speed was virtually no worse than a muted ticking.

Instruments were easily read and the driving position was quite decent. Controls were properly placed for RHD operation, but the buttons to toggle through the trip computer functions were on the dashboard; a bit of a stretch forwards from the driving position -- hello again, 2003. There was no pushing buttons at the end of stalks for fuel economy read-out or distance travelled.

Most Grandeur owners probably won't care, but the sequential-shift plane for the transmission selector was a bit of a stretch from the driver's seat; especially with a couple of water bottles in the cupholders to the south of the selector plinth in the centre console.

It's important to place the Grandeur CRDi in the proper context though. The (very) minor concerns over the packaging and ergonomics of the large Hyundai should not deter buyers from considering the car. There's more to like in it than there is to dislike.

Sales of the Grandeur in this country have never been outstanding, but the diesel variant could find a niche for those who still prefer their large, conventional cars -- but with the running costs of small to medium cars.

This latest model Grandeur remains a practical and comfortable car -- particularly for family buyers not infected by the 'SUV' pandemic -- and its combination of low purchase price and low running costs provide a strong argument in its favour.

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