SLIDESHOW: Hyundai i800 gallery of pictures, plus Alan Candy's road test report
More bang for your bucks with giant eight-seater people carrier
If there was a prize for size in the MPV market, there would only be one winner – the Hyundai i800.
This gigantic people carrier comfortably seats eight, is well over five metres long and has more than three times the normal luggage space of a Ford Galaxy – and it costs thousands of pounds less than any other comparative rival.
But the giant Hyundai probably won't win top marks for style. Dubbed "the black Maria" by our family, the i800 is obviously van-like, with only smiling "friendly face" front grille and giant headlamps to relieve rather severe looks.
With its rear privacy glass adding to the sombre image, the i800 is an incredibly practical but understated vehicle – a clear case of substance over style.
But for those families seeking space and squeezing more bang for your bucks, the Hyundai is peerless.
Passengers are seated in a 2-3-3- formation and there's width, headroom and legroom to spare all round. The seats don't do anything clever, part from slide backwards and forwards on rails, which is useful if you want to vary the luggage space or legroom for any particular row.
Amazingly, there's still a vast amount of luggage space out back, even with the full octet of passengers on board. With a bumper-level floor, huge floor-to-ceiling space and full width, it's possible to cram in an astonishing amount of luggage.
There's more good news about comfort, too. The 800 2.5 CRDi Style I tested (19,580) was fitted with fabulously comfortable and supportive all-leather seats, which really proved their worth on one journey I undertook.
Travelling 120 miles in one traffic-laden journey that took more than four hours, I was relieved to find that despite the travelling time, I still felt relatively fresh, without any of the usual stiffness and aches normally associated with such trips.
The i800 is also simple and rewarding to drive, despite its bulk. The raised seating position gives the driver a commanding view and an excellent driving position is complemented by a simplistic, user-friendly dashboard layout.
Give me rotary controls, straightforward stickmen graphics and obvious hot and cold settings and I'm happy. Main dials give a sharp and clear readout and the CD-tuner was also a doddle to work, taking only seconds to suss out.
Never trust computers, though. On the return trip, the digital information gave me a comforting countdown to my range of miles left before refuelling. Just one mile from home and with an indicated 32 miles still in the tank, suddenly the display flashed 0-0-0. It was bit like being told you're going to die five years earlier than you thought: "Hey, wait a minute, this isn't fair!" Anyway, I made it home.
The i800 also ought to be extremely foolproof in safety. Sure-footed rear-wheel-drive handling is backed by ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), enhanced by an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with a traction control system.
Sliding side doors are another safety feature and there's even a flat step to help people climb on and off the vehicle. That still didn't stop my 82-year-old mum from taking a tumble as she climbed out from the middle row of seats, even though I had said: "Please be careful when you all climb out." You can't help some people.
From a driving point of view, the i800 is surprisingly nimble. It isn't quick, 0-62mph taking a pedestrian 14.5 seconds, but the steering's sharp, the gearbox shift is light and easy and the mighty MPV sits solidly on the road without deviation at motorway speeds.
The big diesel engine can be boomy at high revs but still carries plenty of useful clout right through the range and is generally smooth and quiet. Suspension is hard and bumpy over some rough roads but super-smooth on motorways.
Another bonus is that the i800 has a surprisingly tight turning circle and is quite manoeuvrable, but reversing into a parking space can be a major undertaking.
Overall, the i800 takes some beating for value. Smartly finished and upholstered and with vast capabilities, it could have come riding to the rescue at a time when families are looking to transport vast numbers of people around and save vast sums of money at the same time. Looks aren't everything.
Fast facts:
Hyundai i800, 19,495.
Eight-seater MPV with five-year unlimited mileage warranty.
Air-con (separate controls for rear passengers), heated driver's seat, ESP, electric windows, reversing sensors and 16-in alloys as standard.
Classy cabin offers mood lighting in the middle and rear rows with a choice of colours to scroll through.
Dark tinted glass gives rear passengers extra touch of privacy.
Rear sliding doors fitted with child locks and middle row has ISOFIX child seat mountings.
Three-point belts for all eight seats as standard.
Powered by 2.5-litre, 170PS diesel with five-speed manual transmission.
0-62mph in 14.5 seconds, top speed of 113mph.
Combined fuel consumption 33.2mpg.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Luton
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
