Hyundai H-1 is roomy, reasonable and practical

ROAD TEST: Hyundai H-1 2.5 VGTi

By: Denis Droppa

Johannesburg - Things move quickly in the modern motoring world. Today’s state-of-the-art car soon becomes state-of-the-ark when competitors launch newer and more feature-filled rivals.

So when Volkswagen unveiled its modern new-generation T6 Kombi in South Africa last year, Hyundai wasted no time in introducing some updates to its H-1 bus which it launched here back in 2009.

The H-1 has become the country’s best-selling family minibus but in six years it had fallen behind a bit in the technology and safety stakes, which Hyundai has addressed by adding a few new items to the specification sheet.

The most popular derivative, the H-1 2.5 diesel nine-seater bus, makes its occupants happier campers by acquiring a cooled glovebox that keeps drinks chilled, automatic climate control in place of the old manual aircon, and an updated sound system with an enlarged display screen and Bluetooth integration for cellphones.

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The driver’s job is lightened by the addition of cruise control, and a new electric folding rear-view mirror that allows the vehicle to more easily queeze through narrow garage entrances. Safety improvements include the addition of electronic stability control, a pair of side airbags, and an anti-pinch function for the auto-up driver window which will no longer crush a hand. As before, the H-1 comes with front airbags and ABS.

The wrapping of Hyundai’s large people-mover stays essentially the same except for new-design alloy wheels and a slightly restyled grille. Nothing has changed in the interior layout with its three rows of seats that can take eight passengers comfortably and nine at a push, via an extra fold-down seat in the middle of the front row. The middle bench can slide back and forwards to regulate legroom.

I was less enamoured with the lack of loading versatility. There’s a very large 842-litre cargo area behind the third row of seats that happily swallows piles of suitcases. No problem there, but you can’t turn the H-1 into a panelvan as with rivals such as the VW Kombi and Ford Tourneo Connect. The Hyundai’s rearmost bench is fixed in place and can neither be pushed forward nor removed. The only thing you can do with it is fold the backrest forward slightly, which isn’t much help.

This proved to be a setback when we needed to haul three people plus some small items of furniture; the H-1’s boot just wasn’t big enough for the cargo and we had to use two vehicles for the trip. The standard boot is roomy, it’s just the lack of expandability that’s the issue. A plus point is that you can fit a bicycle standing up between the front and middle rows of seats, if that happens to be your hobby.

BELLS AND WHISTLES

Space for clutter is plentiful and a clever bit of design is that the middle seat in the front row doubles as a cup holder and oddments tray when folded flat. When punctures strike there’s a full-sized spare wheel mounted under the boot.

The H-1 nine-seater’s R579 900 price tag comes standard with a decent stack of toys.

The audio system has auxiliary controls on the steering wheel, and there are separate ventilation controls for the driver and front passenger, while rear passengers get to regulate their climate with adjustable air vents in the ceiling.

The seats are covered in leather but they don’t look as classy as the ones you’ll find in German rivals, as the leather’s a little puckered and not fitted very neatly. Other than that the H-1’s a car-like rather than commercial experience. The soft-touch dash and plentiful gadgets and comforts avoid giving it a blue-collar feel, and it’s a cabin that’s pleasant to spend a lot of time in.

EASY CRUISING NATURE

Drivetrains remain as before with rear-wheel drive and two powerplants on offer: a 126kW/224Nm 2.4-litre petrol manual and 125kW/441Nm 2.5 turbodiesel auto.

The diesel version on test here is one of the most powerful engines in the class; I liked its easy cruising nature and ability to overtake long trucks quite swiftly. We never had more than four people in the vehicle but the oil burner had a torquey, low-revving power delivery that suggests it wouldn’t battle too much with heavier loads.

The five-speed auto gearbox does a good job of managing the engine power, changing gears with decent swiftness. The driver can make manual sequential changes by means of a parallel gate, but I never bothered with it.

It’s a relatively smooth engine too, without any intrusively agricultural sound.

The Korean bus doesn’t quaff huge amounts of fuel either, and averaged 9.5 litres per 100km on a long trip on mostly freeways, which will probably increase to more than 10 when combined with some town driving. The factory claims 9.8 litres in mixed town/freeway use.

The ride’s good and the vehicle wears high-profile tyres which, together with a very useful 190mm ground clearance, makes for comfortable progress on bumpy roads and gravel.

It’s a large vehicle and parallel parking is never pleasant (at least there’s a rear-parking sensor to assist with this troublesome task), but vsibility’s good and the power steering makes light work of hustling the hefty H-1 through traffic.

VERDICT

Roomy, reasonably priced and practical, this Korean bus has an advantage over most rivals in that it has that extra ninth seat for emergencies, although three people in the front row is a tight squeeze and you wouldn’t want to drive like this for any distance.

The Hyundai H-1 would be even better if you could expand that boot space and turn it into a panelvan. The price is R579 900 and includes a five-year or 150 000km warranty and five-year or 90 000km service plan. - Star Motoring

Follow me on Twitter @DenisDroppa

FACTS

Hyundai H-1 2.5 VGTi

Engine: 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel

Gearbox: 5-speed mautomatic

Power: 125kW @ 3600rpm

Torque: 441Nm @ 2000-2250rpm

0-100km/h (claimed): 14.4 seconds

Top speed (claimed): 180m/h

Price: R579 900

Warranty: 5-year/150 000km

Service plan: 5-year/90 000km