Hyundai to debut eight-seater MPV

Korean company sets out to win the space race with new eight-seater.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By James Foxall

15th May 2008

Korean giant Hyundai has been ‘i’ing up the people carrier competition and produced its own eight-seat version.

The i800 goes on sale on 20 June for £19,495, and as with conventional seven-seat MPVs, features three rows of chairs. But unlike most of its rivals, which have a bench for three people across the middle and space for only two in the third row, the i800 has a pair of benches – each with enough room to take a trio of passengers. Sliding rear doors will also ensure easy access to all the back seats.

Owners won’t have to compromise on luggage, either. The newcomer is promised to have an 851-litre boot, even with a full complement of occupants. And the i800 will be crammed with kit, too, with reversing sensors, traction control and ESP as standard, along with alloy wheels. There’s also two-tone cabin trim, privacy glass, a six-speaker audio system and six individually controllable vents to distribute fresh air evenly throughout.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels from a new 2.5-litre turbo-diesel. This is claimed to return 33mpg, while a 75-litre tank gives the MPV a healthy 560-mile range.

The line-up will be boosted later in the year by a lower-spec model with reduced power, which will be even cheaper. From late 2010, the i800 will also feature Hyundai’s new voice-activated Bluetooth communications system. Similar to set-ups used by Ford and Fiat, it will use Microsoft software.