While it might have been sidelined in the arms race of tech and convenience features, the humble air conditioner still has the greatest impact on your comfort in a car. But not all air conditioners perform the same, which is why we set out to conduct this full-blown test. Featured here are eight familiar midsize SUVs, and the simple task for the day was to find out which ones keep their cool and which ones break into a sweat over a hot, hot day.
Lest you think otherwise, an air conditioning test doesn’t count as a fun day at the office. On a bright and scorching day in May (we recorded a high of 40.8 deg C), the eight contenders were soaked in the sun for two hours with their engines switched off and windows rolled up. Sunroof shades were kept closed, but rear window shades were rolled away over the duration of the test.
The cars were rigged up with sophisticated VBOX 3 and Thermocouple Module provided for this test by Zen Microsystems. Five sensors provided readings for ambient temperature, cabin temperature, vent temperature (it captures how cool the airflow is), driver temperature (measured near the driver’s ear) and rear temperature (measured at the rear centre armrest).
The tough part? Getting into the blazing hot cars to get the readings. Our job was to simulate a worst-case scenario, so the windows remained firmly shut. The engines were then turned on, with climate control manually set to recirculation mode, the blower at full and the lowest possible temperature selected. The front vents were directed at the driver’s face, while the rear vents were directed at the rear seat centre. Readings were taken after idling for one minute, and then after 5, 10 and 15 minutes of driving over a fixed loop with speeds in the 50-60kph range. A final reading was taken after idling for another minute. It’s peak heat and peak data.
Citroen Aircross
It uniquely gets roof-mounted rear air vents
The Citroen comes into this fight with a trick up its sleeve – the lowest temperature setting of 14 deg C, and there’s a further ‘Lo’ mode, too. The AC sure breathes hard, delivering the lowest vent temperature of 10.9 deg C and the lowest front temperature of 24.9 deg C. The Aircross is unique for its roof-mounted rear vents. But while cooling at the back is good, there is quite a delta of the temperatures recorded up front.
Honda Elevate
Drop in temperature was slower at the rear than it was up front
The Elevate performed well in the AC test. Its climate control system is quick to drop the temperature within the first minute of AC operation, and impressively, the temperature near the driver stabilises by the fifth minute of driving. What marked the Elevate down was the near 2 deg rise in temperature over idling at the end of the drive run. Cooling at the back was pleasant, though the drop in temperature was slower than it was up front.
Hyundai Creta
Rear seat termperatures are up to 3.2 dgrees higher over the first 15min
We tested the Creta in its N Line guise, which uniquely has an all-black cabin theme. Other Cretas use lighter colours. In isolation, the N Line’s frontal cooling was satisfactory, but over idling after the drive, the temperature did creep up by nearly 2 deg. Also, rear-seat occupants will have to contend with higher temperatures (as much as 3.2 degrees more than the front) over the first 15 minutes of a drive.
Kia Seltos
Its AC cools marginally better than the Creta's
The Kia’s AC proved to cool the cabin marginally better than the Hyundai’s. How much of a role, if any, the test Seltos’ lighter interior colours had to play in this would require a separate study altogether. Broadly speaking, the Seltos’ temperature drop trend was similar to the Creta’s. Frontal cooling is smooth, but on the Kia, too, there is a wide gap between front and rear temperatures over the first few minutes.
Skoda Kushaq
Initial cooling is on the weaker side
Weak initial cooling is a complaint on the Kushaq and VW Taigun. We recorded temperature drops of a mere 4.2 deg up front and 2.9 deg at the back after idling for a minute. Thereon, the Kushaq played catch-up and only got close to rivals at the end of 15 minutes of driving. Also, while the front vents have a good throw, the spread is quite limited. Cooling is uniform, though, with similar temperatures recorded front and back.
Tata Curvv EV
Initial cooling is impressive
Tata cars have a reputation for strong air conditioning, and the Curvv featured here in EV form did not disappoint. Initial cooling was impressive, with temperatures up front dropping quickly and consistently reducing over the drive. A strong blower helps carry the cool air across the Curvv EV's cabin very effectively. At the back, however, the cooling effect isn’t quite as strong on starting up, but performance improves on the go.
Toyota Hyryder
After 10 minutes of driving, the rear was nearly 1 deg lower than the front
A disclaimer first: Our Hyryder strong hybrid test car (also representing the Maruti Grand Vitara) had the original sunroof shade, not the thicker new one. This shows in the highest starting temperature. However, it impressed in the first minute of idling, recording a massive 12-deg front temperature drop. The cooling pace slowed over the drive. Interestingly, after 10 minutes, the rear was nearly 1 deg lower than the front.
Mahindra Thar Roxx
Recorded the lowest rear temperature of the test
The Thar Roxx did really well for itself in this test, though the data shows AC effectiveness to be best after 5 minutes of driving. This is true for cooling at the back, too, with the Thar eventually going one-up on rivals, recording the lowest rear temperature of the test – 25.6 deg C. Worth highlighting is the uniform cooling in the cabin, with front and rear temperatures evening out over the first few minutes of driving.
Partner brand: Cosmo Consumer
