Posted on 05/12/2008 12:32:12 PM PDT by Red Badger
While Hyundai offers a front wheel drive minivan in the U.S. market called the Entourage, it's only available with the Korean manufacturer's 3.8L gas V-6. It gets an EPA overall rating of 18mpg, which is competitive in its segment here in North America but no great shakes overall. Overseas, Hyundai has just released a new eight-seat rear wheel drive full-sized van called the i800. The i800 gets motivation from a 2.5L four cylinder diesel engine with common rail injection. The diesel generates 170hp and 289lb-ft of torque which won't get any enthusiasts excited in this application (what enthusiast would get excited about a van like this, anyway?) but should be more than adequate for the purpose. This could make a great car pool vehicle especially if you translate the 28mpg it achieves into a per person basis with eight passengers aboard. Hyundai is known to be developing a diesel V-6 for the US market but so far there is no indication that the four cylinder will come here. Details after the jump.
PRESS RELEASE
Hyundai goes one better - a people carrier with room for eight
* All new eight-seater with space for luggage too * New 170PS, 2.5-litre turbodiesel and rear-wheel-drive * On sale 20th June priced at £19,495
Big families, small businesses and anyone with lots of friends can rejoice – at last there is a classy way to carry eight people and luggage in a car that costs less than £20,000.
Unlike most MPVs, which only have room for seven people, the i800 can comfortably accommodate eight. In addition the big Hyundai will still have room for all their luggage. In fact the i800 has 851 litres of space in the boot even when loaded with passengers; that's twice as much as some estate cars!
The Hyundai i800 features a pair seats in front and two benches behind, each accommodating three adults in comfort with uncompromised head and legroom.
Both rear benches feature a 60:40 split-fold and recline while the centre row also slides forwards or backwards to tailor space as required. All of the rear seats are accessed by pair of sliding doors, making access easy wherever the i800 is parked.
Once inside, the ambience is far more car-like than other 'minibus' style rivals, with two-tone interior trim, privacy glass, a six-speaker audio system and ducted air conditioning throughout. Individually-controllable overhead vents in the rear make sure all of the occupants can keep their cool.
It's not just the luxury inside that makes the i800 comfortable. Rather than using the same chassis as a commercial vehicle, the stylish new people carrier has a purpose-made coil sprung rear suspension system with five locating links to ensure optimum ride quality and manoeuvrability. Alloy wheels are also standard.
Bringing power to the people carrier is a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder CRDi diesel engine, which is intercooled and features a variable-geometry turbo. Peak power output is 170PS with a massive 392Nm of torque; enough to ensure that the i800 never feels sluggish even with a full load. Balancer shafts also mean that the engine remains smooth and refined at all times.
Despite the impressive performance, this engine is also capable of remarkable economy with a combined figure of 33.2 mpg. Thanks to a 75 litre tank, it means the i800 driver could go more than 560 miles between fill ups.
When carrying passengers, safety will always be a prime concern. With this in mind the i800's sure-footed rear-wheel-drive handling is backed up by ESP and traction control systems plus dual airbags. In addition, all occupants have three-point seatbelts on offer.
While some drivers might initially feel intimidated by the i800's size – it measures 5,125 mm long, 1,920 wide and 1,925 tall – it is actually surprisingly easy to thread into tight spots thanks to a turning circle of just 5.61m. In addition, electronic reversing sensors are standard.
The i800 will go on sale on 20th June costing £19,495. It will be joined later in the year by a lower power, lower specification version at an even more competitive price.
As with all Hyundai cars, the i800 will be covered by a five year, manufacturer backed, unlimited mileage warranty.
Tony Whitehorn, managing director of Hyundai UK said: "anyone wanting to carry eight people in car-like comfort currently has to take two cars – or spend a lot more than £20,000. We think the i800 will prove massively popular with families and businesses who need to move people in style."
[Source: Hyundai]
Yes.
U.S. Motor Gasoline Blending Components Imports by Country of Origin
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epobg_im0_mbblpd_m.htm
U.S. Finished Motor Gasoline Imports by Country of Origin
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epm0f_im0_mbblpd_m.htm
But not a huge amount in my opinion.
You can carry 8 adults legally AND still have 30 cubic feet of cargo space?
Man, that’s SOME Sienna!
You might be right. Diesel fuel in the US costs more in urban and suburban areas. This might not be refinery related but due to EPA dictate. California and Northeast states severely limit diesels due to higher percentage of particulates emitted. Based on the upcharge for a diesel vehicle and the higher cost for fuel, the improved MPG might be moot.
Try this:
Go back and read my post again.
Finished Gasoline Plus the Gasoline Blending Components from Europe average about 472 MBPD for the last six months.
Compare that to the 9,108 MBPD we used.
“Full size? It appears to have less interior space than our family Toyota Sienna minivan, which gets 27mpg highway with a peppy V-6.”
You’re right. It is definitely not a full-size van. Full-size for the rest of the world, but not nearly as big as a 15-passenger van.
28 mpg is nice and all, but not that big a deal in a smaller vehicle.
In 2001, I drove a 15 passenger Ford V-10 from Austin, Texas to San Diego and back, and got about 17 mpg. Last I checked, a 15-passenger van carries darn near twice as many people as an 8-passenger van.
Motor Gasoline Blending Components
Feb '08 we imported a total of 19,059 Kbbls, and only 3,288 Kbbls came from OPEC.
Belgium - 403
France - 1,900
Germany - 414
Italy - 171
Latvia - 693
Netherlands - 951
Norway - 175
Portugal - 382
Romania - 21
Spain - 264
Sweden - 311
U.K. - 622
Which slide do you claim from that 2 year old presentation shows Europe Gasoline Imports equaling 12.5% of US gasoline consumption?
The guy is right; I also drive a Sienna. Great car.
Europeans are smaller in width not height. I think vehicle size follows the rental car agency definitions. On a trip from Lucca in Tuscany to Venice, I quickly developed muscle cramps in the back seat of a “standard-sized” Ford Contour. When one of the other guys switched seats with me, he didn’t find it as spacious as he first thought (he’s close to 6 ft.). His car is a Citroen so I could see how a Ford Contour might look big compared to that tiny hatchback.
Using your link, I count 218 Kbbls per day in Feb '08.
Belgium - 14
France - 66
Germany - 14
Italy - 6
Latvia - 24
Netherlands - 33
Norway - 6
Portugal - 13
Romania - 1
Spain - 9
Sweden - 11
U.K. - 21
Total - 218 Kbbs per day
Yes. With the bench seats its 9 adults, and you have more leg room than in any European van I've ridden in.
Man, that’s SOME Sienna!
Fairly standard for a mini-van.
From the countries you listed, that is a total of 6,307 kBbls. For Feb ‘08, the US used 256,422 kBbls or 1 in 40.
U.S. Finished Motor Gasoline Product Supplied
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mgfupus1m.htm
Looking at the picture, the third row must use the hatch as a seat back.
It states ~30 cu ft space “with passengers”, but that can’t mean the third row.
Yup, you’re right, I’m wrong.
The 28 mpg score in the headline is on a different test, and cannot be directly compared to the US EPA test.
Comparing models that are sold in the same configuration here and in the UK, and have gone through both government games:
Santa Fe 2.7 V6 AWD, 26.6 mpg (imperial) on the UK test. 22.2 mpg using US gallons. US EPA says 19mpg. UK rating is 17% higher.
Tuscan 2.7 V6 AWD, 28.8 mpg (imperial) on the UK test. 24.0 mpg using US gallons. EPA test says 19mpg. UK rating is 26% higher.
So do the math and it’s likely this “33.2 mpg” vehicle would be rated 22-23 mpg under the US test.
I'll have to give up the FULL SIZE Sprinter I drive, giving me 25 mpg of diesel ( consistently!) ?
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