Fleet
Name the most popular white van on the road: Toyota HiAce.
Easy, now name the second most popular. Hmm.
It’s actually the Hyundai i-load, which sits just 26 units behind the Toyota in year-to-date figures – and that’s not a lot of difference, which makes radical change a bit risky to say the least.
The problem with radical changes is running the risk of alienating buyers who might not appreciate dramatic alterations.
Hyundai, for its part, made some radical changes to the i-Load too, back in 2019. Didn’t make a lot of fuss about it, didn’t change the van’s shape, didn’t modify the driveline or transmission, but made enough changes to be noteworthy.
Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel connected to the rear wheels, and locking differential, with engine power delivered by a six-speed manual transmission.
Yes, that’s a bit weird, but Hyundai also has a more powerful five-speed auto available, so for all those who blanch at the idea of a stick shift in the metro centres, Hyundai has you covered.
In fact, that stick shift is a good one, with a nice positive action and a relaxed clutch to get at and deliver the engine’s potential 342Nm of torque (down from the automatic’s 441Nm).
The i-Load does come as standard with a vertical tailgate and twin sliding doors for easy access for a forklift. The tailgate is also handy as a weather-shield for wet winter deliveries among other things.
In the load space, the 10 lash-down points haven’t changed, and the Hyundai incorporates a cargo mat as standard in body protection – a pity there is no cargo barrier or bulkhead fitted as standard, but these are available as aftermarket.
You can get away with a mesh barrier, as the rubber mat also serves as a sound insulator so crew don’t get deafened when the van is empty.
As to crew, the I-Load offers a threeseater bench with a striped cloth fabric. This is something new and proves that despite the panorama of grey plastic found throughout the cabin, someone at Hyundai has some design flair.
The centre seat back folds to provide two extra cupholders and a storage bin supplementing the generous side pockets in the doors, which are necessary since – despite a high roofline – the i-Load does not feature overhead shelving.
In addition to lots of overhead height, the i-Load is generous with legroom as well and, unlike some 2020 vans, provides grab handles left and right for ease of comfortable and safe access.
There are some things missing from the i-Load however, and we’d quite like to see them Hyundai. A decent trip computer that shows litres per 100km usage, so we don’t have to rely on the eight litres per 100km average stated figure or mathematical computation.
The other thing we’d like to see is electrically folding mirrors, not just electrically adjustable ones.
High marks though for the increased size in the centre monitor, which now incorporates an outstanding camera, but no rear sensors. It has also enabled Apple CarPlay/Apple Android compatibility in support of the Bluetooth telephone connectivity.
In terms of safety kit, the i-Load comes with ABS brakes, electronic stability and traction control, four airbags and the standard-for-allHyundai’s first aid kit.
Overall, we were impressed with the i-Load and its enhancements. It doesn’t have the flash and panache of the Europeans, but nor does it have their price tag.
It more than holds its own as a sought-after tool-of-trade vehicle as evidenced by its closeness in sales to its Japanese competitor and its retention of high used value.