A staple of the South African landscape for close to half century it might be, the T6 has faced an uphill battle in recent years, given its ever increasing, and in some cases, wildly lofty price tag, as well fierce opposition from the Mercedes-Benz Vito and upmarket Viano, now known as the V-class.

The large interloper in the room

While not as luxurious as the latter models, the Hyundai H-1 has steadily proved itself to be a firm local favourite since debuting nearly a decade ago, with a total of 16 696 units of what is known internationally as the Starex, i800 and iMax findings new owners in South Africa.

The recipient of a mid-life revision last year, Hyundai has now afforded the H-1 with its biggest round of updates so far, which led to this writer making a dash for the keys when the newly named, turbodiesel Elite model arrived for the customary seven-day stay recently.

A van with looks

As with the Volkswagen Crafter panel van I drove a number of weeks ago, styling is hardly the first thing that comes to mind with a large, slab-sided shipping container on wheels, although in the case of the H-1, the very noticeable frontal changes has worked a treat in providing a rather aggressive appearance from what was previously a rather ungainly looking thing when lined up next to the Vito and Kombi.

Replacing the concave grille and sweptback headlights, the H-1 now comes with a pair of angular looking projector-type lights with integrated daytime running LEDs, a bluff chrome grille and a new front bumper with rectangular fog lights on the flanks. Unsurprisingly, Hyundai has seen it fit to make no changes at the rear.

As minor as these updates sound on paper, the result has arguably given the H-1 more presence and an even an imposing look, which, in this writer’s opinion at least, makes it standout more when compared to its German opposition.

The interior of plenty

The business-end of the H-1 is however inside once you have mounted the door step and climb aboard. Put simply, the cabin is vast with the feeling of “master of all you survey” behind the wheel being, uhm,.. lifted by the high-riding driving position and unexpectedly short bonnet line.

Of course, the big change sits on the redesigned centre console where the old audio system has been replaced by the same seven-inch touchscreen infotainment used on the pre-facelift Tucson, which comes with Bluetooth, USB and Aux input, as well as an SD Card with embedded satellite navigation for an additional R2 522.

While an easy system to use, it does appear somewhat dated in look and feel, with the most bizarre being the reverse camera, which again is displayed on the rear-view mirror instead of on the expansive screen. Adding to the cabin’s foibles, the materials used are hard but with a robust touch, although the silver finishes do look a trifle cheap despite lifting the overall ambience.

With seating for nine, a humungous boot and dual sliding doors, space and comfort is hardly lacking with the split second row being easy to slide forward in aiding entry into the third, while head and room rates as anything but complaint worthy.

Power-stroke

Up front, Hyundai has not dared making any changes with the 2.5 CRDI turbodiesel retaining its respective outputs of 125kW/441Nm, and five-speed automatic gearbox. Although seemingly underpowered on paper, the old-school diesel hauls the H-1 along with relative ease despite being hindered by a touch of lag, while the ‘box itself is relatively smooth in everyday situations, but tends to become flustered by sudden throttle inputs. It is however a setup that suits the H-1’s big, relaxed nature, and one which will come into its own on the own road.

Luxury-sedan smooth ride

Adding to this, the ride is rather excellent for a vehicle that has its origins in the commercial sector, with a soft almost luxury sedan-like quality that remains unfazed by the usual assortment of imperfections such as sudden surface changes. More annoying however was the lack of steering feel and rather worryingly, on our tester, a somewhat laggy middle pedal.

Conclusion

It might not have re-written the large people carrier guidebook by any stretch, yet the Hyundai H-1 has now more than ever re-affirmed its ranking at the sharp end of this segment. With a sticker price of R639 900 sans options, it comfortably also undercuts both the equivalent Kombi and Vito with ample luxurious, a good powertrain and first-class levels of comfort and space.