The Hyundai iLoad’s forerunners in the i-Series have effected a perceptible cognitive shift in the way that the popular press and, by extension, the driving public consider the formerly slovenly white van. No more is it fair to generalise and sound off about boring driving dynamics, dodgily introduced safety measures and mediocre performance – it becomes readily and swiftly apparent that this Korean middleweight labours skillfully to remove, or at least reduce, many of these lazy preconceptions. Workmanlike this white van may be, but it also transforms into a perfectly acceptable substitute for more glamorous means of transport.

The easy, receptive appearance of the iLoad Crew Van is the shell in which are couched comfortable and reassuring interior design touches that easily accommodate 5 big people – or 6 slightly squeezy smaller ones. The refreshingly up-front approach that typifies this vehicle extends to a range of mod cons that is fairly standard, but nonetheless entirely present and correct – iPod compatible CD and radio, manipulable steering column, air con and the rest, as well as a diaspora of meshes, draws and secret(ish) appartments for holding all of the modern man’s personal accoutrements.
With the engine housed in the proboscis jutting out ahead, the front passengers suffer from minimal heat conductance, eliminating one of the irritating, easily avoided niggles of older designs. The bulkhead that separates the human cargo from the inanimate luggage stowed in the back serves to effectively insulate and trap whatever heat or cool air the van is pumping out to keep things pleasant.

?Entry into the bit that sits is through symmetric sliding doors, nice for the city crush. The doors open easily and smoothly, clicking into a grip position when fully extended to prevent unexpected surprises when stopped on hills. Child locks and child seat supports are thoughtful additions that come as standard.

A big old block of a bulkhead distinguishes crew from cargo, but has been designed with sufficient foresight to ensure that the driver’s line of sight out the back is not impeded, while at the same time guaranteeing the roomy integrity of the vehicle as a load carrying workhorse. The one fairly simple addition that Hyundai either overlooked or skimped on was the clearly increased potential for the iLoad to serve multiple functions were the bulkhead readily extractable, which it is regrettably not.

The hold area in back measures a respectable 158cm by 162cm by 135cm, and features a small assortments of facilitators like six securing hooks and a solid base of urethrane for the floor of the carriage. The truck’s carrying capacity compares favourably to its competitors, packing as it does a 1130kg payload coupled with a 2 tonne towing reach. Again, though, the solid specifications are compromised by one, fairly piffling design gripe, in this case a tailgate that opens from a top-side hinge that doesn’t allow quite the extension to prevent anyone over about 5’10” from bashing their head repeatedly until the old classical conditioning kicks in. If, however, on had the inclination and the capacity to spend a little more, the more practical barn style doors rolling on side hinges are available as a replacement upgrade.

Inside the stubby hood, the iLoad Crew Van relies on Hyundai’s reliable 2.5-litre, V4 turbo diesel engine, which can work its way up to a top out 125kW of power from 3800 rpm, and an admirable 392Nm of torque from as low as 2000rpm. From this foundation, the iLoad revs up an unexpected turn-out, even if it is stuffed top to bottom with heavy duty gear, at the same time as maneouvring like a good’un around the cosmopolitan suburban streets.
The manual five-speed transmission rides tandem with a sensitive clutch, making for a terrific ratio spread that means hitting go from whoa with rear-heavy loads is easier than you would imagine any other similar van touching this side of 2020. Fuel usage is another 5-star performance for the boys and girls from Hyundai, which was me averaging out at just a smidgen over 8.5l per 100km that looks even better when you consider that half the week was spent helping my sister to move house, white good and all.
Trusty disk brakes and a hardy-seeming suspension promised me a comfortable week, and delivered on their word. Again, the iLoad is a stand-out, a white van that not only outdoes all of its rivals but would easily pass with eyes closed for a middle-rank passenger car. Just one qualifier – it is recommended that a little caution is exercised when flying round bends with heavy loads, but, with that proviso given, it still merely means the iLoad pulls back to a closer parity with any competitor in the field. It can’t entirely escape its birthright as a cumbersome side-swiper, albeit it gives it a pretty good go.

Turning to a different emphasis does not dilute the thrust of the pervading motif – the iLoad once more shows itself to be head and shoulders above the crowded field of other white vans when it comes to matters concerning safety, as well, so much so that ANCAP have awarded the entire fleet a highly lauded four-star rating. The usual troupe of regulars are on display – dual front airbags, three-point inertia reel seatbelts and a hea drestraint to counter whiplash for all five seats. There is the additional provision of ESC and traction control as priced extras, but I was not allowed the luxury of these and thus can’t report on their utility. Minor quibbles – centre seatbelts are just the standard issue lap variets and there is no head rest, whiplash-resistant or not, for a putative sixth passenger seated front and centre.

In a perfect world, one in which I had the run of the showroom and could dance around conducting a bevy of design and manufacture chaps as they put the iLoad together piece by piece, I would insist, where the real-life design guru did not, upon cruise control as standard and one of those fancy Bluetooth enabled head-units that Hyundai do so well for every roll-out unit they made. I’m a sucker for a good audio control pad on the side of the steering wheel as well, another luxury omission. However, a humble car hack can’t be a chooser, and I was in any case fairly stoked with what was thrown into my lap. Security, comfort, economy, grunt – it has all the core qualities that I look for in a wife or a car and, unlike some of the women I’ve dated, it would be wearing white to our wedding.

Specifications:

• Engine: 2,497cc DOHC four-cylinder (16 valve)
• Power: 125kW @ 3,800rpm
• Torque: 392Nm @ 2,000rpm
• Induction: Common Rail & Turbocharged
• Transmission: Five-speed manual
• Driven Wheels: Rear
• Brakes: Discs with ABS & EBD
• Top Speed: 180km/h (Claimed)
• 0-100km/h: 12.0 seconds (Approx.)
• CO2 Emissions: 225g/km
• Fuel Consumption: 8.5L/100km (ADR)
• Fuel Consumption: 8.6L/100km (As Tested)
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 75L
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• ANCAP Rating: Four-star
• Airbags: Dual Front
• Safety: (Optional ESC with Traction Control)
• Spare Wheel: Matching
• Suspension: Strut (F) / Torsion Beam (R)
• Cargo Capacity: 1,130kg (Max. legal)
• Cargo Area: 1,585mm (L) x 1,620mm (W) x 1,350mm (H)
• Tow Capacity: 2,000kg (Braked)
• Turning Circle: 11.2m
• Warranty: Five Year / 160,000 kilometre
• Weight: 2,156kg (Tare)
• Wheels: Steel 16 x 6.5-inch