Hyundai i800 Style

This car won the £16,000 to £20,000 price class in 2009.

Hyundai enters the market for big people carriers with a much cheaper alternative to vehicles such as the VW Caravelle and Renault Espace. Maybe a bit of a Plain Jane in comparison with those, but it’s not half bad, with space for the bigger-than-average family and/or fair bit of caravanning kit. Power comes from a 2.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and with a caravan on the back the i800 could not be described as a ball of fire, but progress is steady and well controlled.

On the test track, the only thing judges criticised was a bit of pitching on some surfaces, but nothing to get too wound up about. Despite its large side area, the Hyundai was never put off its stroke by strong crosswinds. Stability is no doubt helped by the fact that the rear-wheel drive i800 can take 100kg noseweight. Reassuring brakes and and a handbrake that held the outfit on our tough hill are bonus points.

An impressive all-rounder in the caravanability stakes, the i800 is a cracking load carrier, shows a lovely attitude when hitched and good access to towing sockets. Relatively high running costs in comparison to other cars in this class, though.

Caravan weight	Noseweight limit	Drive	Cyls/CC	bhp@rpm	lb/ft@rpm	CO2 g/km	Ins group	Price	Tested
1,930kg	100kg	RWD	4/2497	167@ 3800	289@2000	225	14D	£19,721	2009

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