Hyundai delivers H350 cargo van
BY TIM NICHOLSON | 25th Sep 2014
The latest addition to Korean manufacturer’s light commercial fleet will be built in left-hand drive only at this stage, meaning an Australian berth is not guaranteed despite the interest of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA).
HMCA general manager of public relations Bill Thomas told GoAuto that the company was keen to boost its LCV line-up with the H350, but would have to wait for confirmation of right-hook production.
“We would be very interested. It would be a good expansion of the iLoad,” he said.
Hyundai says the H350, which has a 3500kg gross vehicle weight, 1400kg payload and 2500kg towing capacity, has been benchmarked against major rivals from European commercial vehicle-makers, and features “driver’s car-like characteristics” and “high levels of refinement”.
In cargo van guise, the H350 features a three-person bench seat with eight-way adjustment and optional heating and suspension support, and Hyundai is claiming best-in-class headroom of 1414mm and legroom of 1071mm.
The cabin also features a variety of useful storage spaces, including a central dash pocket that houses a 12-volt power outlet, while the large-capacity glovebox is available with an optional cooling function. Audio and display controls are housed on the steering wheel for easy access.
Other convenience features include electric windows, keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, 4.2-inch colour TFT LCD display, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth phone/audio and auxiliary input, while satellite navigation and parking assistance are available as options.
The load area in the cargo van measures 1955mm high, 1795 wide and 3780mm long, and has 12.9 square metres of available space. The cargo floor features 14 anchor hooks and another 12-volt power outlet is fitted towards the rear. A steel bulkhead separating the cabin and cargo area is standard fare.
At the rear, the H350 has twin rear-swing doors that open to 180- and 270-degree angles, offering an entry width of 1538mm when they are both open, while a rear step is available as an option for ease of loading.
The passenger bus variant also offers class-leading space, according to Hyundai, with 3738mm interior length, 540mm of cargo space and a 798mm-long seat pitch.
It is equipped to carry up to 15 passengers, depending on the location of the access door which can be fitted at the front or side of the bus. Hyundai also offers an optional electric mid-door step.
Powering the H350 is a Euro 5-compliant 2.5-litre common-rail turbocharged diesel engine in two states of tune – 110kW/373Nm and 125kW/422Nm, both matched with a six-speed manual gearbox.
It rides on 16-inch alloy wheels, has hydraulic steering and features independent MacPherson strut front and horizontal leaf-spring rear suspension which has been tuned for European conditions.
The van’s frontal styling has cues that reflect Hyundai’s current “fluidic sculpture” design language found on some of its passenger models, such as the Santa Fe SUV, i30 hatch and upcoming Sonata sedan.
On the safety front, Hyundai has included dynamic stability control, an emergency braking system to avoid collisions, hill-start assist and a rollover mitigation system. Other protective features include a driver’s side airbag and optional passenger airbag, while an emergency stop signal, lane-departure warning and front and rear parking sensors are optional.
Engineers focused on suppressing noise, vibration and harshness, with the inclusion of high-density floor mat material and extra-thick exterior and interior insulation between the dash and cabin.
Hyundai’s light commercial range is limited to the iLoad cargo van in Australia, which is available with three variants starting from $30,990 and topping out at $38,490 plus on-road costs.
The company has also made no secret of its desire to add a ute to its commercial vehicle line-up as a direct rival to the dominant Toyota HiLux and various other one-tonners, however there are still no firm plans to produce one.
