Hyundai i800 Style
Budget people carrier has massive capacity.
In its domestic market, Hyundai’s product range is vast. Among its popular models in Korea is a cut-price people carrier which caught the eye of the company’s bosses in Britain – so they have brought the i800 over here.
While it’s available as a cramped 12-seater in its native market, only the eight-person i800 was chosen for UK showrooms. Hyundai sees it as an alternative to costly super-size people carriers such as the Volkswagen Caravelle and Mercedes Viano. As well as eight seats, it has a huge boot and a £19,495 price tag. The Hyundai is the perfect place for our test to start.
When you see it for the first time, the most striking thing about the i800 is its sheer scale. At 5,125mm, it’s longer than a Mercedes S-Class, but the 1,925mm height is even more noticeable. It’s so tall that when you jump out, you can’t see passengers getting out of the other side!
These dimensions pay dividends inside, where there is space to spare. While some seven-seaters have small extra seats for occasional use in the back, the Hyundai is more like a minibus. In the front, there are two seats with ample space around them, behind which sit two rows of three permanent chairs.
Getting in and out couldn’t be easier through the huge, sliding doors fitted on both sides. For entry into the back, the second row of seats can be moved and their backs pushed forward. All but the rearmost centre seats are perfectly comfortable for adults and, as the middle row’s position is adjustable, legroom can be varied to suit. There are even separate airflow and lighting controls for passengers in the back.
But arguably the most impressive aspect of the i800 is its boot space. Even with eight adults on board, there are still 581 litres of luggage capacity – that’s more than in the Mazda 6 hatchback.
The full-size seats cannot be folded flat or removed, which is a severe restriction on versatility; the van-like model would be extremely practical if it could provide a clear load area. And climbing into the driver’s seat is like scrambling aboard a lorry cab – although once you’re there, you sit higher than in any off-roader and are even able to look down on most vans.
There’s a great view of the road ahead, and visibility is superb through the enormous windscreen. What’s more, the large mirrors and standard-fit parking sensors help to take the stress out of tight manoeuvres.
The 168bhp 2.5-litre diesel engine feeds power to the rear wheels, and proved a strong performer in our tests. Even when carrying eight, the i800 covered 0-60mph in 12.8 seconds. The handing is less impressive, though, with vague steering that only gets worse as the weight on board increases.
The ride quality is a bit bumpy on uneven surfaces. At least the brakes prove well up to the task; they brought the i800 to a stable halt from 70mph with minimal fuss.
It’s not the best-looking model in our test, but if you have a large family to ferry around, the Hyundai is a really tempting value-for-money option.
