Simply grand

The Centennial is a loaded top-end luxury sedan offering value for money, writes Visvas Paul D Karra after an extensive test-drive


The Centennial has been conceptualised by Hyundai as an ultra luxury sedan to compete with vehicles manufactured by German luxury auto giants. After test driving the Centennial on the roads of Muscat we can safely conclude that it is a good buy for those who want value for money but don’t want to spend an exorbitant sum of money on German brands.

Plush interiors (has four roomy leather seats) with wood grain panels, a massage system in the right rear VIP seat, active head rest, driver memory seat, rain sensor for windshield wipers, 17 speaker Lexicon audio system and numerous other features will leave you basking in the luxury of the Centennial.

Take for example, the seating which has been made into a science. Redefining the sumptuous inside the Centennial, every seat is a masterpiece of design and engineering. An interior environment with the finest comfort and convenience is provided from structural aesthetics through the appropriate arrangement of genuine materials.
 

Seat climate is controlled by thermoelectric devices in the seat back and cushion that regulate the temperature and humidity, thereby maximising comfort and optimising freshness for the occupants. The headrests have wing sections that can be adjusted up to 30 degrees for passenger comfort. The whole ambience is one of pure, but practical, opulence.

When you take into account the safety features loaded into the car and the smart cruise control which brakes and accelerates intelligently when it detects obstacles in front of you, cruising on any road, whether tough city roads or leisurely highways, is a sheer pleasure. Nine airbags mean additional safety inside the Centennial. Front side and full-length curtain airbags are supplemented by a driver’s knee airbag and side airbags for the rear seat passengers. Working together with the pre-safe seatbelts and electronic active headrests, they provide a cocoon of maximum safety.

For our drive, we took the Centennial 4.6 GLS AT 11, powered by a V8 best-engine award winner for two years, with a 6-speed transmission and a tiptronic option as well. Although slightly sluggish on the pickup, the car is very agile on the trot and nimble on the turn. The electro-hydraulic power steering wheel is very smooth and light if you take into account the size of the car.

The V8 engine is a piece of refined modern sculpture with a world class power unit. By using a sophisticated high pressure die-casting system, the compact all-aluminium Tau V8 incorporates variable valve timing and a variable induction system for maximum efficiency. It is clean and lean, yet still delivers a massive 366ps with 44.8 kg•m torque at 3,500rpm. Electronic continuous damping control in real time keeps the Centennial stable, steady and smooth, by increasing or decreasing ride height for varying road conditions. Disc brakes with ABS, TCS and BAS combined with a pre-safe seatbelt means you are always in the safest position.

The adaptive front lighting system (AFLS) provides optimal forward field of vision by adjusting the beam angle of the headlights while driving at night while LED outside mirror repeaters, elegantly integrated into the mirror housings, increase visibility and safety when turning. Puddle lamps mounted under the outside mirrors, illuminate the way for driver and passengers when getting out of the car. The wrap-around energy-saving distinctive LED rear lights resembling the shape of an eagle’s wings increase visibility both day and night.

A 3.5-inch TFT LCD monitor for detailed information is built into the supervision cluster. On it, information is displayed in coloured text or icon images with sounds. The screen not only displays the view from the front and rear cameras, it superimposes in simple graphic form the perfect guidelines to park. Simply follow them for totally problem-free parking. The parking guide system uses the rearview camera, and a simple, superimposed graphic with parking guidelines to help direct drivers into even the tightest parking spots. Front and rear parking sensors offer an extra line of protection in case you get too close to another car or object.

All in all, the Centennial’s other names could be convenience, luxury and safety. 

 

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