2018 Hyundai iLoad: Review

When we last checked out the Hyundai iLoad, we found it be a pretty enjoyable van to drive with plenty of amenities for the driver and a well-sorted load area with double sliding side doors.

Well, not much has changed. But if sales are anything to go by, then the buyers have suggested it’s time for an update as in the first six months of this year, the iLoad sold 2385 units compared to 3359 for the same period last year. This is down 29 per cent in a buoyant market.

In comparison, the Toyota Hiace, the king of the medium van market, sold 3408 units compared to 3711 last year a drop of eight per cent.

Interestingly, all the other protagonists in that particular market sector posted gains for the first six months of the year.

And so the iLoad has come in for an upgrade for this model year. This update is touted by Hyundai as the biggest change in the model’s lifecycle with the exterior featuring a new grille… and that’s about it.

Inside, there is a bit more to crow about with the steering column now being telescopic so it’s adjustable for height as well as tilt.

There's also an updated seven-inch central screen, new design for the instrument cluster with trip computer and dusk sensing headlights.

Don’t get too excited about the trip computer because it’s about as basic as they come and had me searching for functions that weren’t there. It does give you a couple of trip odometers and tells you how far till empty but that’s about it.

However, what remains the same is a bloody good van. The Hyundai iLoad is powered by a 2.5-litre diesel that, while a bit old-school by today’s standards when compared to some of the Euro offerings, is a very effective powerplant. In the case of the test vehicle, it was mated to a five-speed auto with manual mode that really good at getting the best out of the 125kW and 441Nm of torque.

Unladen, the iLoad will happily zip around town with the speed of sedan car and nearly as comfortably. One the highway the overdrive fifth (0.840) had the diesel just ticking over at 100km/h and sipping around eight litres per 100km.

For a pretty basic commercial van, I found the Hyundai iLoad to be remarkably comfortable. The wide door and big step make it really easy to get in and out of – great if you’re doing multiple pickups and drop offs during a shift – and the seat is well padded and even laterally supportive.

The seating position is upright, as most vans are, but I found the reach to the pedals and over ergonomics quite pleasant. Our test vehicle was fitted with the optional mesh cargo barrier which may limit backrest recline for taller driver, but I didn’t have a problem.
There is plenty of storage in the cabin especially with the centre backrest folded down, and cup holders and places for your phone and other nick-knacks abound.

Vision from the driver’s perch is reasonable for a blind van and the reversing camera certainly helps but larger wing mirrors would help.

As with all vans, there is a bit of noise in the cab without a full bulkhead, but it was quite acceptable and passengers that I had in the iLoad during our week-long test didn’t complain about the comfort or noise levels.

The iLoad is rated for a payload of 1098kg with a GVM of 3160 and a GCM of 4660 for the automatic (maximum towing weight for the auto is set at 1500kg).

For our test we loaded up with 650kg in the back and me up front. Our test van had the lift-back rear door arrangement that precluded us from using a forklift but the iLoad is available with twin ‘barn-style’ rear doors that would be more suitable to forklift loading. Incidentally, the width between the wheel arches in the cargo area is 1272mm so it could fit a standard pallet in the rear.

The standard iLoad is fitted with 10 tie-down points in the rear that feel reasonably sturdy, although I didn’t want to crank down our ratchet straps too hard, just in case. You do lose two forward tie-down points with the inclusion of the cargo barrier though.

Once loaded, we took the iLoad on a loop with took in some secondary roads, a bit of a hill, then on to the freeway for a blast and finally around some typical industrial streets with speed bumps, tight turns and bad traffic.

All the while the iLoad impressed. It is highly manoeuvrable with a kerb-to-kerb turning circle of just 11.2 metres. To put that into perspective, it’s only 0.2 of a metre more than the Citroen Berlingo that we had on test at the same time and we thought that was manoeuvrable!

Loaded on the road, the iLoad performed exceptionally well. It could climb hills, keep up in the city and easily cruised at 100km/h on the freeway with the 650kg in the back and two blokes up front

There was plenty of travel left in the suspension and, in fact, I thought it rode better with the load than without.

The manufacturer’s RRP for the iLoad starts out at #38,790 for the six-speed manual van with liftback. The auto version, as we had retails for $41,790 and if you want the twin barn doors on the back it’ll cost an extra $550.

The iLoad is also available as a crew van with the manual costing $40,790 and the auto $43,790 and again the twin rear doors are available for 550 bucks.

The iLoad comes with a five-year 160,000km warranty with 12 month roadside assist. With Hyundai’s iCare you get a lifetime service plan that includes an extra 12 months roadside support every time you get the van serviced at a Hyundai dealer.

Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000 kilometres and most services are fixed at $356.

There is no doubt, the iLoad is a good van, in this market a very good van. In some areas it may be surpassed by a couple of the European offerings, but not by much, and as a whole, it is very hard to beat.

Forget the sales figures, we reckon it beats the ageing Hiace hands down.

Price: $41,790 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 125kW/441Nm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 232g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Four-star ANCAP

What we liked
>> Comfortable interior
>> Willing diesel engine with excellent auto
>> Highly manoeuvrable

Not so Much
>> A bit noisy unladen
>> El cheapo trip computer
>> Slightly small side doors

Also consider
Renault Trafic (from $37,990)
Ford Transit (from $42,040)
Mercedes-Benz Vito (from $36,990)