Last year our Marketing & Communications Manager, Janina Geraghty, took the Hyundai iMax CRDi People Mover on holidays to the Gold Coast.  Here's the flashback....



The annual summer holiday road trip conjures up images reminiscent of a B-grade horror movie. Hot and sweaty family members frustrated and on the verge of killing each other. Sharing their limited space for endless hours in a crowded metal box and all to the spine-chilling looping soundtrack of “Are we there yet?”

However, this year’s trip to the Gold Coast was to be a welcome break from that nightmare.  This year my family was driving up in the new Hyundai iMax and we were actually looking forward to the trip as much as the destination.  Our travelling tribe consisted of three adults, two teenagers and two young children and we had originally planned to take two cars.  Now with the iMax we were able to travel together, share the driving and save money on fuel.

Our concern with having only one vehicle for seven people was predominantly luggage space.  Many people movers have plenty of passenger room but compromise on space in the luggage area.  Our jaws dropped at the sight of the massive 851 litre boot in the iMax which had more than enough room for all our luggage plus a stroller.
We put the booster seat in the third row, loaded up the kids with their pillows and blankets and hit the open road while it was still dark and quiet. 

The kids were quick to get comfy in the spacious seats and sleep for the first few hours of the trip.  The middle row of seats reclined for additional comfort and there was plenty of leg room.  Independent rear seat air conditioning let the kids in the back alter the temperature in their space.

The Hyundai iMax CRDi has a diesel engine which offers amazing power as well as fuel efficiency.  With a van loaded up to capacity with passengers and luggage I expected sluggish performance, particularly on inclines, however, this couldn’t have been further from the truth.  The iMax travelled effortlessly and smoothly the whole way.  Up hills, the diesel engine powered away at speed without the need to go down a gear!  I was very impressed. 

Diesel has become a popular option for many reasons, but mainly for its fuel efficiency. The distance from Sydney to the Gold Coast is approximately 1,000km. The iMax has a 75 litre fuel tank and does about 8.5 litres/100km. The price for diesel per litre at this time was $1.25 so the total price for the trip up was roughly around $110.00. 

Diesel cars chug like small trucks when you’re idle but once in motion the iMax travels smoothly and quietly. The iMax definitely doesn’t handle like a truck either.  Reverse parking large cars is a little scary, however, with Rear Park Assist, Power Steering and decent sized mirrors, parking was a breeze.

Other additional stand out features of the iMax include cup holders galore (good sized ones too), practical storage compartments such as over head for sunglasses and dual glove compartment.  Sliding doors on both sides, 6-speaker CD/MP3 audio system and interior lights everywhere (even on the driver and passenger vanity mirrors). All this luxury encased in a sleek exterior available in four stylish colours, grey titanium, sleek silver, blue diamond and ceramic white.

Overall, it was very easy to see how the iMax Turbo Diesel Manual rose above the likes of Honda Odyssey Luxury, Mitsubishi Grandis VR-X and Toyota Tarago to take out Australia’s Best People Mover in 2008 (and also won in the category 2009). http://www.australiasbestcars.com.au and at only $46,224 drive away (2009 price) it also wins my vote on true value for money.
 
‘MUST HAVE’ OF THE WEEK:  I have mentioned this in a prior review, but I can’t speak highly enough of the Schneider roof mounted DVD player.  It doesn’t come standard but is truly worth installing for peace and quiet from bored passengers in the back. It includes two infrared wireless headphones and is Playstation compatible. 

Want to transport your tribe around in the Hyundai iMax for a day?  Contact me on 46 28 1444 to arrange a 24 hour test drive.

Enjoy the rest of the summer holidays and drive safely!