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By
EWAN KENNEDY
19 January 2009
Fresh from its victory in the Australian Best Cars awards for Best
People Mover, we have just spent a week road testing a Hyundai
iMax diesel people mover.
A
week that was livened up by a visit by various grandsons, all of
whom seem to be a lot larger than they were this time last year.
And
even more definite in their tastes in vehicles than they were last
Christmas. Though my grandsons would much rather be seen in a
macho 4WD than in a ‘boring’ people mover, they did give the
Hyundai iMax marks for its styling. Because this South Korean
newcomer has a bold, positive shape at the front that gives it the
sort of macho appearance young (and not so young!) blokes like.
Just
look at that standout bonnet, big front grille and large, shapely
headlights. The grille features a big ‘H’ for Hyundai badge,
has been done in race-style egg-crate material and is coated in
more than its fair share of bright chrome treatment. The effect is
excellent.
Both
the iMax people mover and the iLoad van on which it is based have
a semi-bonneted body, that shape being the best compromise between
crash safety and interior volume. Hyundai iMax is capable of
carrying eight adults in reasonable comfort, unlike, sleeker
family people movers that cater for a mix of adults and children,
typically four of the former and three of the little folk.
The
first two rows of seats can slide backwards and forwards to
provide numerous combinations of legroom. When the back seats
aren't in use the centre-row seats receive a huge amount of
limo-like space.
Access
to the rearmost seats through the sliding doors is easy. However,
as is often the way on imported vehicles the smaller of the
folding seat sections is on the wrong side for Australia, meaning
a fair bit of muscle power is needed to fold/unfold the larger
side of the seat.
Even
with a full complement of eight passengers, there a surprising
amount of space in the rear of the iMax for luggage, partly thanks
to a boot that’s deeper than average for its type.
This
big Hyundai people mover comes with two four-cylinder engine
choices: 2.4-litre petrol or 2.5-litre common-rail turbo-diesel.
Our test vehicle had the turbo-diesel. With its big-torque
characteristics the 2.5-litre four-cylinder CRDi diesel is likely
to be the engine of choice for most buyers. Transmission was by a
five-speed automatic with tiptronic-type overrides in our test
car, it works nicely in conjunction with the engine
characteristics.
Standard
features include air conditioning with dual-zones and additional
controls in the rear, and MP3-compatible CD player with auxiliary
input jack. Safety gear includes dual front airbags and ABS brakes
with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Stability and traction
control are fitted to the turbo-diesel models, though not at this
stage to the petrol models, where they are expected to be
introduced soon.
On
the road the iMax rides well and is generally stable, though it
can be affected by strong side winds and by the backwash of air
from big trucks. It’s not on its own in this as the van shape is
inevitably going to be more prone to aerodynamic disturbance than
that of a low-lung sedan.
One
jarring note was a fair bit of noise inside on bumpy roads as the
front doors moved within their frames. A disappointing feature of
an otherwise competent vehicle that’s built to a high standard.
Though
the emphasis is on comfort, handling isn’t too bad for this
class. There's good turn in and the iMax tracks nicely around
corners providing you don’t tackle them at silly speeds. And if
you do get an attack of silliness the resulting understeer will
knock the speed back to a sensible level.
The
Hyundai iMax is surprisingly easy to maneuver in tight conditions
thanks to a tight turning circle.
Priced
from a pretty reasonable $36,990, which puts it many thousands of
dollars under similar vehicles from the big-name Japanese and
German marques, the new Hyundai iMax may be just what
cash-strapped Australian families are looking for.
Hyundai’s
generous warranties apply with the iMax covered for five years or
unlimited kilometres, a real load off the mind in the
family-raising years. Owners also get free roadside assistance for
one year.
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Marque Publishing Company
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