Although Hyundai offers several utility vehicles and trucks in its homeland, only one has recently arrived in Europe – the medium-sized H-1 model, which is available in a passenger or utility version. However, Hyundai is also thinking about the part of the market traditionally dominated by the Ford Transit or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter – i.e. the segment of large commercial vehicles .
The automaker will enter this with the H350 model , which is also the first ever commercial vehicle specially designed for the European market only. The alpha and omega of this category is the variety of versions offered. The H350 will be available with three types of body so far – a classic box Van with two or three seats, a personally tuned Bus for 14-15 people and a flatbed with the option of retrofitting a superstructure. While a driver's license up to 3.5 tons will be sufficient for the Van, the Bus will have a total weight of 4 tons, so you will need a group D driver's license for it.
Depending on the selected version, the H350 has a length of 5515 mm , a width of 2038 mm, a height of 2685 mm and a wheelbase of 3435 mm, or a length of 6195 mm , a width of 2038 mm, a height of 2690 mm and a wheelbase of 3670 mm. The cargo area of the box model received 14 anchor points, a 12-volt socket and is 3100 mm long at 5.5 meters long, or 3780 mm long at 6.2 meters long, 1955 mm high and 1795 mm wide (there is 1380 mm between the wheel arches) . According to Hyundai, it can hold up to five euro pallets with standardized dimensions of 1200 x 800 x 900 mm or 10.5 m 3 of cargo in the case of the shorter version, or 12.9 m 3 in the case of the longer version. There is a steel bulkhead between the cargo and the cabin, which can be equipped with a cargo inspection window on request. Access to the cargo space is provided by a pair of wing doors (optionally with glass instead of sheets), which can be opened at an angle of 180 or 270 degrees, and when fully opened, a space 1538 mm wide is created. The equipment also includes side sliding doors, which open to reveal a 1279 mm wide window. In addition, a trailer weighing up to 2.5 tons can be hitched to the car.
With its body design, especially the hexagonal grille , the H350 proudly belongs to the Hyundai model family. The front bumper not only looks quite modern, but mainly got side treads, so you can reach the front window better when cleaning. For an additional fee, the interestingly shaped front lamps can be equipped with projector lamps with LED diodes for daytime lighting , LEDs can also be found in the blinkers integrated into the large rear-view mirrors. It was not possible to come up with much in the rear, so Hyundai will at least offer a bumper with a step for better access to the cargo space for an additional fee. Interesting is the drag coefficient of only 0.369, even standard 16-inch alloy wheels .
The interior of the H350 has already come very close to the brand's regular passenger models. Especially if you choose the pictured configuration with Android equipped multimedia system with eight-inch color screen, 3D navigation, audio system and video system. It also includes a rear parking camera including a camera on the roof, showing a 135-degree panorama behind the vehicle. Standard equipment includes a radio with a CD player and MP3/USB/Bluetooth/iPod connectivity, a multifunction steering wheel, electric front windows or a 4.2-inch TFT LCD display on the instrument panel, displaying current vehicle information. Air conditioning is part of the new ventilation system with a filter, with the possibility of exhausts for the rear seats. As mentioned in the introduction, the utility version is available with two or three seats up front, offering 1414mm of headroom for the driver and 1071mm of legroom, both of which are (otherwise) best in class. For a change, the bus with 14-15 seats has an interior length of 3788 mm and a trunk length of 540 mm, again the best values in the class. For an extra charge, there can be electrically sliding doors on both sides, including steps. There are also storage boxes above the heads of the passengers.
Under the hood will be exclusively a 2.5-liter CRDi turbodiesel with direct injection in two performance variants. The weaker one has 150 hp and 373 Nm, the stronger one has 170 hp and 422 Nm. Both engines are equipped with the ISG system and meet the Euro 5 emission standard . The rear wheels are driven via a six-speed manual gearbox. The chassis has an independent suspension of the front wheels on McPherson struts, at the other end we find a rigid rear axle with horizontal leaf springs that are made of composite. Up to 75% of high-strength steel was used for the construction of the self-supporting body and chassis, and in combination with a sophisticated side frame with an overhanging structure, the H350 is the safest car in its class according to crash tests. And speaking of safety, there are disc brakes on all four wheels, and the electronically controlled VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) stabilization system is also standard, which automatically predicts the possibility of a loss of grip on the rear wheels and, in cooperation with the brake assistant, can stop the car quickly and safely. The so-called Emergency Stop Signal (for an extra charge) is also linked directly to this system, which by pulsating the rear brake light warns the driver behind the vehicle of a sudden need to brake sharply. Safety is further taken care of by driver airbags and additional passenger airbags, hill start assistant, additional guard when leaving the lane in combination with front and rear parking assistant, cruise control or the Roll Over Mitigation system, which prevents the tall van from overturning when cornering.
Source: Hyundai
