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Hyundai i800October 2008

Average.

The i800 is easily the biggest and best value eight-seater MPV around. But it's so huge, it can be a bit impractical around town.

Our rating:

3
Hyundai i800
 
 

Fifth Gear Hyundai i800 review

 
 
1. Seats 8 people - comfortably
2. Interior is nicely finished
3. Engine and mechanics are smooth and refined

WE DON'T LIKE

1. It's a little too big for trips around town
2. A few creaks around the cabin
3. Too tall for most public car parks
 
 

MPV's come in all shapes and sizes - certainly the average family of 2.4 will no doubt dozens to choose from but, for a family with a larger brood, the choice of vehicles isn't quite so broad. Luckily, the new Hyundai i800 comes with eight seats and even has enough room to put some distance between the driver and even the noisiest offspring. It isn't exclusively aimed at families, as the i800 will actually seat 8 adults in comfort and has space for luggage too - so expect to see a few on the airport taxi run.

It's not a bad looking vehicle either. Admittedly style is probably last on the list of priorities when it comes to choosing a people-mover, but the i800 has an attractive face with large headlamps and prominent grille. And the interior is a pleasant place to be too. There's only the one model available which comes with a raft of standard equipment including air conditioning, heated drivers seat, ESP, electric windows, reversing sensors and 16" alloys. Mood lighting is available in the middle and rear rows with a choice of colours and the dark-tinted rear windows provide both privacy and a cooler cabin.

To drive, the i800 is mechanically surprisingly refined. Despite its size it feels more car-like than you might imagine - but with the added benefit of being quite high up - and its steering and gear change are both effortlessly smooth. The 2.5-litre 168bhp turbo diesel offers decent acceleration and pulls the vehicle along with ease - even with a full load. It will reach 62mph in a not-too-shabby 14.5 seconds.

The only real problem with the i800 is the inevitable lack of rigidity in a van-based bodyshell with no internal bulkheads. Over bumps, you hear quite a lot of creaks and squeaks from the rear - although a cabin full of children will soon drown these out. And certainly it is so large that for the less confident driver its sheer size could prove a bit daunting around town. Added to that - as we discovered - it is also too tall to fit in most standard public car parks, so finding somewhere to leave it could prove difficult.

However, even considering these points, there's no denying the i800 is unbelievable value for money. Costing around £21k there is no doubt that you're getting a vast amount of car for the money.

Fifth Gear overall car ratings

STYLING

The i800 looks very much like a run-of-the-mill van, but a decent looking one at that. With attractive headlamps and prominent grille, it is at least smart and modern.

HANDLING

Unless you want six children claiming

COMFORT

There's no denying the amount of space in this vehicle. All 8 seats are comfortable even on long journeys, and the ride is decent too. There's a little road and wind noise and the engine is typically diesel-sounding, but with six kids in the back, you're unlikely to notice anyway.

QUALITY & RELIABILITY

There are a few build quality issues throughout the cabin although the odd creak and rattle can be forgiven. It should be pretty robust against general wear and tear though as the cabin is mostly made up from hard wearing plastics. This is a Korean-built vehicle, so reliability shouldn't be a problem.

PERFORMANCE

The 2.5-litre turbo diesel offers decent performance, given the i800's size. It offers smooth acceleration - if not that quick - and feels very refined. 0-62mph takes around 14.5 seconds, whilst the top speed is 112mph.

ROOMINESS

The i800 is nothing short of huge. It will seat eight adults and their luggage - making it the ideal airport transfer vehicle - or a large family with ease. Both rear benches feature a 60:40 split-fold and recline facility, whilst if you don't need to carry eight, the centre seats can be slid back be create limo-like legroom.

STEREO / SAT NAV

The stereo comes with a radio / CD player and auxiliary input, plus six speakers. Satellite Navigation is an optional extra.

RUNNING COSTS

Any 2.5-litre vehicle of this size isn't going to be exactly frugal. However, the i800 will manage a decent 33.2mpg. Likewise, CO2 emissions of 225g/km will cost £300 a year in road tax from 2009 which isn't awful for this type of vehicle either.

VALUE FOR MONEY

You'll get a lot of car for your money and there's a decent level of equipment in the i800. Standard kit includes air conditioning, heated drivers seat, ESP, electric windows, reversing sensors and 16

ENVIRONMENT

It is one of the thirstier MPVs but, then, it is vast, being more van than car. If you use it to carry eight people, its per-seat emissions look a lot better.

This review has been tagged with: Hyundai | Hyundai i800

There are 1 variant of the i800

i800 variant Price (£) Fuel type Engine
size (cc)
CO2 emission
(g/km)
2.5 CRDi 5dr £23,545 2497 231
 

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