I reckoned I'd drawn the short straw, with a 410-mile mostly main-road and motorway run ahead, as I cranked up the Terracan just after lunchtime. After all, here's a no-nonsense turbo diesel 4x4 whose manufacturers don't hide the fact that it's much more of a workhorse than its stablemate Santa Fe. It didn't quite seem to match the drive ahead.Those first 410 miles later, I was fully convinced that Hyundai has seriously under-promoted this bulky machine. OK, the shiny wood-effect console material is a mistake, and when Korea finally runs out of the almost perversely dull grey colour applied to the fascia trim and cloth upholstery I'll be the first to call for three cheers.But for leisurely motorway cruising, a strong-pulling diesel engine, masses of passenger space and remarkably low noise levels, the Terracan gets ten out of ten - or maybe 9.85, because for all the talk about "terra" meaning land, and "can" being from "khan", so that it works out as "King of the Land", this is by no means as impressive a name in English as it obviously seemed from the Korean peninsula.The 2.9-litre turbo diesel engine with 161bhp and 254lb/ft of torque at 2000rpm is a cracker, though, providing good performance and economy figures for what is a bulky body-on-chassis machine designed to cope with more off-tarmac work than the Santa Fe. Noise and vibration levels are much lower than you might expect, with foam blocks all over the place, padding in the floor, sound insulation under the bonnet and in the wings, and a seven-layer front bulkhead.So there's no problem with noise when you head off down the motorway, and, for a clue as to just how much the Hyundai talk about this being a rough-roader is a little OTT - even if does come with a high ground clearance, front skid plate and so on - have a look at the standard tyres. They're BF Goodrich Macadam, and they produce very little in the way of surface noise to upset the tea-party tranquillity of the passenger cabin.At the price, there can't be many 4x4s which offer so much rear passenger space as the Terracan, especially when you take the considerable cargo-netted load volume into account too.The standard transmission is a five-speed manual, although there's a four-speed automatic at an extra £850. In both specifications Hyundai uses a Borg Warner system with a simple rotary control to provide 2H, 4H or 4L settings, the 2H for normal use letting the car run in rear-wheel drive only. Both four-wheel drive settings offer a 50/50 split between the front and rear axles.Steering is by a power-assisted ball and nut system, and although this makes the Terracan light to handle on ordinary roads, it doesn't turn it into any kind of sporty machine when the going gets really twisty.With a single trim and equipment level for the UK market, the Terracan is pretty well kitted out in standard form. Extra-cost options from new include leather seats at £1300 and Smartnav at £695, and there are plenty of typical 4x4 dealer-fit accessories like a towbar, dog guard, pull-out load bay tray and so on.Larger in most dimensions than its direct but more expensive rivals, the Terracan is an in-house follow-on from a Hyundai model which was never sold in the UK - the 1990s Shogun-based Galloper.Engineering and styling of the Terracan were entrusted to a Hyundai R&D centre in Korea, and in a week when publicity is being given to a US attempt to bad-talk diesels (while the easing-off of Korea's own restrictions on passenger car diesels still isn't complete) it's not surprising that the 2.9 CRTD engine is available only on European-spec models.While it's still possible to smile at the off-road claims for cars like this which in private ownership very rarely go onto the real rough stuff, the Terracan's strong towing performance is more relevant to many users. It's a 4x4 which you see in farming districts as well as around sailing clubs, and it has the advantage of that excellent long-distance main-road performance.Include the amount of passenger and luggage space, and the fact that it comes with the usual Hyundai five-year unlimited-mileage manufacturer's warranty, transferable to the next owner, and the Terracan makes a lot of sense, even if the Hyundai badge doesn't yet bring the same kind of social cachet as some of the longer-established and assumed to be posher 4x4 brands.Second opinion: The silly name and contrived styling do this car a grave dis-service. For a "workhorse" off-roader it is incredibly quiet, and apart from slightly vague steering it grips and handles very well too, as well as giving extraordinary ride qualiy for the class. And the interior is enormous. And the performance is very strong (far more so than the official figures suggest) yet the fuel economy is impressive too. It all makes for a superb package, and if you dismiss the Terracan because it doesn't have the right badge . . . well, more fool you. David Finlay.
Our Rating
