West Europe Key Market for Hyundai’s New 3.5-Ton CV

HANNOVER, Germany – Hyundai launches its new H350 range at the Commercial Vehicle Show here, just days after displaying the 3.5-ton vans at the Paris auto show.

Targeted at the West European market, the CV will be available as a panel van, chassis cab or 4-ton minibus with 14 or 15 seats. It will be assembled in Turkey by Karsan, a local industrial group with a strong presence in the automotive industry that currently assembles the Hyundai i20 and Accent Era models sold in Europe.

The cooperation agreement between Hyundai and Karsan was signed in 2011, and the companies announced the following year they would invest €191 million ($242 million) in a joint project to assemble a new LCV range to be marketed under the Hyundai brand. The Korean automaker would provide €148 million ($187 million) and the rest by Karsan.

The H350 range initially will be rolled out in nine left-hand-drive European markets in 2015. A second stage may include a right-hand-drive version in the U.K.

WardsAuto has learned the new vans also will be launched in the Caucasus region, the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

Two 2.5L 4-cyl. turbocharged diesels making 150 hp and 275 lb.-ft. (373 Nm) of torque and 170 hp and 326 lb.-ft. (442 Nm) of torque, respectively, are available. Hyundai says both engines meet Euro 5+ emissions standards but does not include details in the technical specifications. A start-stop function reduces fuel consumption.

The powerplants feature a new-generation common-rail direct-injection system and the turbochargers are electronically controlled. Power is transferred to the rear axle via a 6-speed manual transmission.

A 2.2L engine will be introduced later.

Two wheelbases will be available, 135 ins. and 145 ins. (3,435 mm and 3,670 mm) with total body lengths of 218 ins. and 244 ins. (5,500 mm and 6,200 mm), respectively. Payload capacity ranges between 2,712 lbs. and 3,003 lbs. (1,233 kg and 1,365 kg) and towing capacity is 2.5 tons.

Rear loading height is 27.6 ins. (700 mm) and the load bay can be accessed through sliding side doors or split rear doors that open up to 270 degrees.

An otherwise basic interior features a multi-function steering wheel, power windows and a CD/MP3 audio system with USB/Bluetooth/iPod connectivity. The dashboard includes a 4.2-in. (10.7-cm) digital LCD display. An optional Android-based infotainment system with GPS navigation and 3-D maps is available.

A hexagonal grille integrated into the front bumper is similar in design to that of Hyundai’s most recent additions to its car ranges.