Large families are common, that’s why the seven-seater SUV is so popular, and it’s not just families that have seven people of their own, there’s also the issue of taking your kids friends to school or sport that means you need more than five seats. We’ve taken the eight-seater Hyundai iMax for a ride to find out who it’s for.
Before on-roads, you’re looking at $47,000 for this van – but on a per seat basis that’s very affordable given most of the upper range SUVs are “only” seven seats.
The iMax won’t go off road, heck no. But let’s be honest, most SUVs aren’t going near a dirt track either.
From the outside, it’s difficult, if not impossible to differentiate the iMax from the Hyundai’s commercial van the iLoad, but that’s no big deal – it’s what’s inside that counts.
Up front the driver and front passenger have loads of space, arm rests and room to walk through to the back if you need.
The second and third row seats fold down in almost every configuration so when you don’t need the eight seats there’s plenty of room for whatever you’re carrying.
You won’t be writing home to anyone about the ride and handling. The iMax is smooth, but nothing special – the cabin noise is noticeably louder than your average car or SUV but I’m guessing people with 4+ kids won’t be able to hear the radio over the kids let alone some road noise.
Saftey wise you’ve now got side airbags for the front row, while on the tech side there’s actually a lot to rave about.
Cruise control is standard, the rear-view camera is great quality, but perhaps most impressively – despite not having Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, there is access to Siri Eye’s Free for iPhone users and Google Now for Android phone users which gives voice activated access to loads of features right on your smartphone.
In the centre is a new 7-inch infotainment system with loads of connectivity and an easy-to-use interface.
And for families on a budget (and let’s face it if you’ve got 4 or more kids – you’re on a budget!) Hyundai offers lifetime service pricing so there will be no surprises.
| Recommended Service Interval | km | 15k | 30k | 45k | 60k | 75k |
| Months | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 | |
| Customer Payment by Powertrain (incl. GST) | 2.4 MPi | $289 | $289 | $289 | $399 | $289 |
| 2.5 CRDi | $349 | $349 | $349 | $499 | $349 |
Don’t even think about driving a seven-seater SUV then the iMax and try to compare them – they are not in the same league – at all.
But I think what Hyundai have done with the exterior styling of the iMax really does help make it look like it sits well in your driveway.
No arguments from the kids either when it comes to getting out – both sides have a sliding door and it’s a huge space to get everyone out.
I quite enjoyed driving the iMax, it was simple to drive, didn’t give me any issues in boring traffic or on the open Freeway – it’s a solid stable platform supported by a car company that is now selling more cars than almost all the others. Well worth your consideration.
[schema type=”review” rev_name=”Hyundai iMax eight-seater Van” rev_body=”A great new look on the outside, with loads of room on the inside – a genuine option for those with the biggest of families!” author=”Trevor Long” pubdate=”2016-06-12″ user_review=”4″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”5″ ]
