SPY PICS: New Hyundai iLoad and iMax nearly ready

New Hyundai iLoad van and iMax people-mover models are finally on their way, 14 long years after the second-generation TQ was launched in 2007.

Snapped by Gyeongsoo Kim at Danyang in central South Korea, these spy shots show the big new Korean van testing on public roads with less camo than we saw last October.

The new Hyundai iLoad and iMax are both expected on sale in Australia by the end of this year, in addition to the 18 new or facelifted models or variants the Korean car-maker committed to releasing here by the end of 2021.

As we’ve reported, there will be wholesale changes for Australia’s second most popular commercial van and the fourth best-selling people-mover to compete with the new Toyota HiAce and Volkswagen Transporter, and the new Kia Carnival respectively.

Chief among them will be an all-new front-wheel drive platform that eschews the rear-drive layout of the existing iLoad/iMax, which is known as the Hyundai Starex and H-1 Cargo and Travel in other markets.

Once again, the next iMax/iLoad are expected to share the same monocoque platform but different rear suspension – leaf springs for the load-lugger and a coil-sprung independent rear suspension for the people-mover.

Wrapped in a more rounded body, the new one-tonne van and people-mover are, however, expected to offer the option of all-wheel drive, alongside new petrol and diesel engines.

Last facelifted (externally only) in 2018, the Hyundai iLoad attracted 3919 Australian sales in 2020, placing it second only to the new Toyota HiAce (8391) in the mid-size van segment, but ahead of the Ford Transit Custom (2379), Renault Trafic (1701), LDV G10 (1672) and Mercedes-Benz Vito (1195).

Meantime the iMax found just 638 buyers – down 25 per cent on 2019 and well behind the Kia Carnival (3650), Honda Odyssey (1091) and LDV G10 Wagon (725).