05/11/08

• Price19,995
• We like...Space, price, long warranty
• We don't...Too few airbags

This MPV is among only a very few to offer eight seats, while keen price and long warranty boost its appealIf you’ve got six kids, and enough spare cash to splurge on a new(ish) car, the choice until now has been a narrow one. But now the Hyundai i800 is here - one of few eight-seaters purpose-designed as a family car.

We particularly like the way that it dsn’t try to be anything more than it is. The front is neatly styled but otherwise it is a big, slab-sided bus. It isn’t flashy or noticeably ‘designed’ but it looks smart and right for the job. You sit high above other traffic and it’s quite a step up to the driver’s seat – Hyundai helpfully provides a handle just inside the door frame that you can haul on. The seats are arranged 2:3:3, with plenty of space behind for luggage or the family dog. Leg-, shoulder- and headroom is terrific throughout.

Two big sliding doors make entry and exit simple, while the mid-row seats tip and slide fore-aft to allow access to the back row and also to adjust legroom to suit. There’s also enough room between the front seats to allow a parent to move back easily to, say, comfort a bawling child.

Out back, the huge, flat rear door lifts easily to reveal a flat load floor big enough for kid’s bikes or a pile of suitcases. The mid and rear seats are heavy and a fiddle to remove but, once done, there’s enough space to transport a sofa or a bed.
The inside is nicely trimmed, the seats in ours covered in tough-looking wipe-clean fabric. It’s well kitted out, too, with roof mounted heating vents, air conditioning throughout and separate controls for front and rear heating. The driver also gets a built-in seat warmer. One curio is ‘mood’ lighting for the mid and rear seats – you can change the colour of the cabin lights at the press of a button to a restful glow in your choice of colour. The darkened ‘privacy’ glass of our test car is standard.

At 5.1 metres long and 1.9m wide, it’s a big thing. But it’s manageable to drive thanks to a wide front screen and huge door mirrors, while its flat sides and rear make it easy enough to place on the road and while reversing. Rear parking sensors are fitted as standard.

It rides smoothly and the steering, though low-geared, is accurate. Team this with a stubby, dash mounted gear shift and it’s pleasant to punt along in a relaxed fashion. The 2.5 diesel has enough low-revs shove for it to move briskly when lightly laden and hums quietly along the motorway.

Wind and road roar is well suppressed and only squeaking door rubbers on our i800 disturbed the hush.

Should you buy one? If you regularly need to travel eight-up and want to buy new it makes for exceptional value. There’s little else to pick from unless you buy something that’s van-based, like a Volkswagen or a Citrn, and nothing is as cheap. Factor in Hyundai’s five-year warranty and it is, indeed, a bargain.

• Engines2.5 diesel
• Power168bhp
• 0-60 mph14.5sec
• Economy33.2mpg
• CO2g/km225
• Insurance groups14D
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags2
• Seats8

Motors.co.uk value verdict: