Newcomer Hyundai takes MPV award

For the first time in the history of The Chauffeur Car of the Year Awards, Korean manufacturer Hyundai has received its first award for the i800 people mover.

Being a relatively newcomer to the industry, the i800 impressed judges with space to fit eight large suitcases in the boot, along with passengers, and un-van like driving qualities which is difficult to achieve in this market.

Rear air conditioning, ambient lighting and easy access to all three rows of seats also gave the 2.5 diesel engined i800 excellent marks.

Pricing options were the biggest surprise as the i800 is available exclusively to the chauffeur industry for less than £17,000, with the leather upgrade being a low cost option. Hyundai’s five year, unlimited mileage warranty made the i800 stand out from the rest as a real profit maker, and earned it first place in the MPV category.

In the future, judges would like to see a sliding third row of seats which would allow more legroom when the boot is unused, and an auto gearbox option which is sure to earn it even more points.

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