Hyundai iLoad 2014 Long-term Review - 2

Our iLoad test vehicle first came motoring.com.au's way when we conducted our medium-size van review in July 2014. While the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel auto excelled in terms of performance – in our acceleration tests it was fastest from a standing start – it fell short for its basic cab, where it lacked the finish and features of many of its rivals.

However, after having now covered over 3500km since our iLoad reappeared as a long-term test vehicle we've had plenty of opportunity to fully assess both its comfort and how it fares as a daily drive.

Granted, it's not copping the hiding it might at the hands of a working courier, but it is largely being driven by a former courier and for about 500km each week, the daily commute taking in free-flowing highway, congested motorway, and peak-hour city traffic.

The iLoad's comfort level is actually quite decent. The cloth upholstery is basic but the seating is supportive, the driver's seat offering fore/aft adjustment, height adjustment, an adjustable headrest and an adjustable angle of recline. The fabric doesn't appear to be especially durable but Hyundai offers accessory canvas seat covers ($184.77 for the driver's seat, $299.95 for both driver's and passengers' seats) that should stand up to some serious abuse.

There's no bulkhead in our test vehicle so you can recline the seat to any angle you want – you can even lie it flat for a quick nap, if desired. A wire cargo barrier is available ($707.99 fitted) for anyone seeking added protection – emergency braking invariably turns anything in the load bay into a nasty projectile.

Cab entry is dead easy. The door aperture is fairly generous and there's a solid A-pillar grab handle either side. The seating isn't particularly high and for this 188cm driver it's no issue to slide right in. Once aboard the wheel is adjustable for angle (but not reach) and everything is an easy stretch away, with a dead pedal in our two-pedal auto and generous head room providing extra comfort.

The Feltex-style footwell lining will wear soon enough – Hyundai's accessory front rubber mats ($103.61) or similar would be a good investment.

The side mirrors are sizeable and feature electric adjustment but there's no electric fold-in feature, which on occasions we've lamented.

On the go the iLoad is far more palatable than you might expect of a light commercial. Even without a bulkhead it's fairly quiet in the cab – in our recent shootout we recorded 73dB(a) at 80km/h, a figure bettered only by Ford's new and ultra-quiet Transit Custom.

There's very little vibration and the 'booming' normally associated with an empty load space is subdued – certainly there's little difficulty in hearing the two-speaker stereo or using the handsfree Bluetooth system to make a call, even if the latter is basic and a bit fiddly to use.

The lack of a bulkhead of course impacts on the efficiency of the heating and cooling system but not as much as you might expect. On frosty Melbourne winter mornings it takes a few minutes for the heater to start to kick in and within five minutes it's warm and toasty. We're still awaiting some hot weather to check on the air-conditioning – hurry up summer.

Winter has also shown the headlights and front/rear wipers to be thoroughly adequate, the former providing a good spread of light and the latter providing decent coverage of their respective windows. The front and rear washers are effective, too.

The iLoad has been called upon several times to assist with moving a variety of larger items from A to B. It's shifted a motorcycle from home to workshop, carried out some runs to the local tip and it's moved a six-seater dining room setting, among other things. We haven't pushed it anywhere near its 1098kg payload limit but the van acquitted itself well in our comparison test with a 600kg test weight in the back. Then it barely noticed the extra load, although the weight certainly smoothed out the ride – the rear suspension is quite harsh when the van is empty.

The standard dual sliding doors afford easy access to the load bay as does the top-hinge rear door, although the latter comes to rest 185mm above the iLoad's 1935mm roof height (something to bear in mind if tight multi-storey car parks are on the agenda). While it serves as a handy 'awning' in wet weather, it also requires just over a metre's clearance to the rear to open it – 50/50 barn-style doors are also available.

The tie-down anchor points are strong and there are 10 of them scattered throughout the load bay – no complaints there – while the load floor height isn't excessive at 590mm.

As the kilometres mount the 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel appears to be loosening up a little, its average fuel economy dropping from a measured 9.0L/100km to 8.5L/100km. That's largely with the van empty over a mix of road conditions, and it's a reasonable figure given the available performance.

Adding further weight to the iLoad's value proposition is Hyundai's recent announcement regarding capped-price servicing. Unveiled at the end of August, the manufacturer has capped the price of all scheduled services for the life of every Hyundai model, including the iLoad.

It's the first brand to offer such a scheme and it also applies to all Hyundai models already sold in Australia since the marque's arrival in 1986 – that accounts for 1.1 million vehicles.

At the same time, Hyundai's new-vehicle roadside assistance has been extended from seven to 10 years, while the market-leading five-year/160,000km new (commercial) vehicle warranty remains.

All that adds up to significant peace of mind for prospective iLoad buyers, while the $38,990 (plus on-roads) price tag for our automatic diesel puts it mid-pack in the medium LCV market.

Check in at motoring.com.au soon for the next update on our Hyundai iLoad's progress.

Related reading:
Hyundai iLoad Long-Term Test Introduction