There is a bit of a design shift when it comes to 8 seater cars. Cars with seating for seven typically look like traditional cars, albeit somewhat larger, however the designers tend to opt for a more van-like styling when it comes to adding that extra seat to bring the passenger count up to eight. This is probably a good thing, however, as it allows a greater level of seating space, and you would be comfortable sitting in any seat on long journeys. On the smaller 7 seat MPVs, the sixth and seventh seats can be quite cramped sometimes, and are only really designed for regular use by children, or very occasional use by adults. The Hyundai i800 has sliding doors which is great for practicality when you’re driving with a full complement of passengers. Here is a review of the various aspects of the Hyundai i800 and how it suits use as a large family car.
The Hyundai i800 is a large family car with eight seats and practical sliding doors.
Large Interior Space for All 8 Passengers
The i800 offers generous amounts of seating space for all passengers, and allows you to carry a large family or group with ease. Behind the rows of seats there is a large storage space in the boot for you to keep all of your luggage and equipment. Some smaller 7 seat vehicles allow you to fold various seats up, turn them around, stow them flat and many other clever seat origami tricks. As the Hyundai i800 isn’t lacking in space there probably wasn’t the need for the designers to consider multiple uses of the seating, and so they are pretty much fixed. Given the amount of space in the boot this probably isn’t going to be a problem for the majority of customers.
For a family vehicle you would expect there to be a superior level of safety equipment on-board. The i800 is a bit lacking in this department, however, as it only has two airbags and stability control, which is disappointing for a modern people carrier.
The interior of the 8 seat Hyundai is completely durable, quite pleasing on the eyes, yet lacks the luxury of other more expensive models.
How is the i800 to Drive?
The engine on the Hyundai is a 2.5 turbo-diesel, and gives a surprising amount of performance for a mid-size engine. The fuel economy isn’t bad, but definitely can’t compete with the more advanced and slightly smaller MPVs such as the SEAT Alhambra and Ford S-Max for example. The average MPG is quoted as 32.1. It would be hard for this vehicle to be fully adept at driving with just one passenger, whilst also still great when carrying its full complement of 8 passengers. Consequently the handling is somewhat bouncy when the car isn’t fully loaded, however when all seats are occupied the drive is much improved. The actual driving position is also quite high, giving you the feeling of being behind the wheel of a van, not necessarily a family car.
Brand new this car can be bought for around £24,000 and for everything that is included it is actually quite a great value car. The level of equipment however is quite standard, and you don’t get many extra gadgets and gizmos included in the price.
Overall the Hyundai i800 is a great value large family car considering it has seating for eight. When buying a new car it is easy to be concerned about the mechanicals of the vehicle, however a five year warranty (unlimited mileage) is offered to put your mind at ease. Everything about this car is built with durability in mind, and whilst not the most luxurious, will definitely be up the for rigours that regular family use has on any car.