ESC for Hyundai people-mover

THE Hyundai iMax people-mover now has electronic stability control (ESC) as standard across the range, with the 2.4-litre petrol variant joining its 2.5CDRi diesel sibling in featuring the active safety measure.

The iMax and its iLoad commercial sibling have also both gained Bluetooth and iPod connectivity as standard.

The price of the ESC-equipped, automatic-only petrol iMax is now $37,290, up from $36,990, while prices across the rest of the iMax and iLoad range are unchanged.

Victoria made the potentially life-saving ESC technology mandatory on all new vehicles first registered after January 1, 2011, unless the vehicle in question was granted an exemption by VicRoads.

Hyundai Australia’s senior manager of public relations Ben Hershman told GoAuto that iMax petrol models without ESC were available in Victoria in the interim because all models on sale had 2010 compliance-plates, thereby avoiding the January 1 cut-off.



Left: iLoad van.

Sales of the iMax have taken a hit this year, with VFACTS reporting a sales drop of 36.1 per cent to 403 units in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, well ahead of an overall fall of 17.8 per cent for the people-mover segment.

The iLoad van, meanwhile, has surpassed the Toyota HiAce this year to be the biggest-selling van in Australia.

Year-to-date sales for the popular LCV are 1578, down 16 per cent from last year’s 1878 units, but its Toyota foe is down 23.9 per cent while the light commercial van segment as a whole decreased by 18.2 per cent in the first quarter.

2011 Hyundai iMax/iLoad pricing:
iMax
2.4 petrol (a)	$37,290 (+$300)
2.5 CRDi&nbsp	$39,990
2.5 CRDi (a)	$42,490
iLoad
2.4 petrol	$29,990
2.5 CRDi&nbsp	$34,490
2.5 CRDi (a)	$36,990
iLoad Crew
2.4 petrol	$31,990
2.5 CRDi	$36,490
2.5 CRDi (a)	$38,990