2001 HYUNDAI Terracan 2.9L CRDi 5MT FWD (150 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Hyundai expanded its range when it introduced the Galloper in 1991 and, after ten years, it unveiled the Terracan as a successor.

The Korean carmaker evolved with massive help from Mitsubishi, which provided engines, drivetrains, gearboxes, and even entire vehicles sold as re-badged by Hyundais. The Galloper was a second-generation Pajero/Montero/Shogun, and the Terracan used the same chassis. But Hyundai didn’t have enough experience building a new bodywork from scratch, so it just changed a little here and there.

Since it was a body-on-frame vehicle, Hyundai could have made the Terracan look like anything, but they chose not to. They followed the same lines of the Pajero/Montero/Shogun but with softer edges and new plastic molds on the sides. Its tear-shaped headlights and the seven-slat grille were new, but it was easy to guess its ancestor. Unlike the Galloper, Hyundai offered the Terracan as a five-door vehicle only.

Hyundai’s designers tried to make a significant change on the interior, where they arranged an upmarket cabin, at least for the top trim level. The base version featured cloth seats, power windows, locks and mirrors, and an AC unit, plus a decent stereo on the center stack. The full-options models added leather seats, sunroof, and wood veneers everywhere.

Under the hood, Hyundai installed a choice of engines depending on the market. The European and Australian customers received a 2.9-liter turbodiesel, while other countries got the 3.5-liter gasoline V-6 or even a 2.4-liter inline-four.