This is good news for Hyundai, of course, being that the Sedona has enjoyed some very positive reviews since its introduction,
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| The Entourage is up against some incredibly stiff competition. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada) |
one of which from our own Rob Rothwell who joined Kia Canada at Kelowna, BC for the vehicle's Canadian launch program. Hyundai, which is positioning itself as the more luxury oriented of the two brands, with Kia targeting sportier buyers, will no doubt spiff up anything that may be lacking, in the same fashion the Chrysler's Town & Country upgrades the Dodge Caravan.
That last model, of course, has long been the segment leader, offering innovation after innovation in an attempt to stay ahead. Over the years others have tried to compete with varying levels of success, the next highest sellers being GM's various vans, plus Honda's Odyssey, Toyota's Sienna, Mazda's MPV, Nissan's Quest, and the aforementioned Kia Sedona. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot Ford's Aerostar...
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| While some automakers are talking about leaving the minivan segment, Hyundai's entry targets the segment's best. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada) |
Windstar... er... Freestar... call it whatever star you want, although supernova might be more apropos being that its imploding sales have been so devastating Ford will more than likely kill it off sooner than later, and replace it with something that has greater crossover appeal.
Last's year's stylish Portico Concept had many prognosticators predicting a more crossover-like minivan was on the way, and while such a move remains entirely possible, the new Entourage, the one we know for sure will line up alongside Hyundai's nine other models, is pure minivan through and through. Hyundai has had an interesting vantage point over the years, looking and critiquing from the outside in, and in similar fashion to how Kia was able to come to the
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| Hyundai is being so bold as to claim that the 4,870 litres (172 cubicfeet) inside its Entourage is greater than the interior volume ofHonda's Odyssey. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada) |
North American market with a very competitive Sedona when it first appeared in 2001 as a 2002 model, the Entourage, borrowing much from Kia's second-generation Sedona, enters the picture with an extremely competitive product.
First of all, it's hardly a minivan at all, but is more accurately mid- to full-size, just like its main rivals. Actually, Hyundai is being so bold as to claim that the 4,870 litres (172 cubic feet) inside its Entourage is greater than the interior volume of Honda's Odyssey. Interior spaciousness is critical, as minivan buyers tend to use their vehicles for more than just hauling around family members
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| The Entourage's second row features seatbacks that fold down and pedestals that flip forward. (Photo: Hyundai Auto Canada) |
and their half-pint friends, but often commission them for carting around building supplies and other heavy and/or large-scale loads. Due to this multi-usage a flexible seating system is mandatory, and while the Entourage doesn't feature anything quite as revolutionary as Chrysler's Stow 'n Go setup, that allows all seats to collapse flat into the floor, the new van integrates the requisite flat-folding 60/40 split rear seat, dubbed Hyundai Hideaway, plus a second row with seatbacks that fold down and pedestals that flip forward, or that can be easily removed if needed, to open up cargo space. That second row can be accessed via twin rear sliding doors.
After interior flexibility and overall size, probably the next most important consideration minivan buyers, normally parents with children, would find important are safety features. Being a father of three, the fact that the Entourage comes standard with a bevy of state-of-the-art active and passive safety items, such as four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS and EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), anti-whiplash active front head restraints, as well as a half dozen airbags that include side curtain-type bags for all three rows, gives me piece of mind. No doubt, the Entourage will garner a five star crash test rating.
