Hyundai TRAJET 2.0-LITRE SE LIMITED EDITION
Hyundais Trajet SE Limited Edition Offers Appealing Additional Equipment In Very A Competitive Sector. Steve Ghosley Reports
Hyundais Trajet full-size MPV is not the first name that comes to mind when considering the purchase of a large people carrier. Yet on closer inspection, to leave it off the list would seem to be an act of gross financial mis-management by a would-be purchaser. This is a full seven-seater, recently facelifted to enhance its appeal and particularly appealing in the SE Limited Edition form were looking at here.
Even in its most basic guise, the Trajet should be impossible to overlook considering its size, equipment levels and cost. The SE Limited Edition model for example, offers £2,400 worth of extras for little more than the cost of the 2.0-litre GSI variant upon which its based. It comes with a DVD player, tinted glass, SmartNav satellite navigation and reversing sensors.
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All for an asking price starting at £16,495 still a good £3,000 less than the base model
Ford Galaxy. Its available in petrol or diesel form with manual and automatic gearbox options. The Trajet SE Limited Edition model features the lustier CVVT engine previously seen in the sleek
Hyundai Coupe. This means that power takes a hike from 133 to 139bhp while CO2 emissions drop from 223 to a far saintlier 208g/km.
Looking for the catch? There isnt one. Fuel economy has been improved as well, the Trajet 2.0 SE now making a combined figure of 32.5mpg as opposed to the previous Trajet models 30.
4 mpg showing.
"In practical terms the Trajet SE Limited Edition is a good match for any of its seven-
seat rivals"
A very mild facelift to the car keeps it looking fresh and includes a revised grille and headlamp set, plus a smarter set of wheel trims for base models while the interior also gets a freshening with better looking and harder wearing seat trim. The Trajet now gets a third three point seat belt in the rearmost seats, meaning all seven berths get a proper belt. Perhaps by campaigning on an unarguable standard equipment count, Hyundai can counter the success of the two pairs of near identical triplets that are exerting such a stranglehold on this market. The
Citroen C8/
Fiat Ulysse/
Peugeot 807 trio have put one over on the
Volkswagen Sharan/Ford Galaxy/SEAT Alhambra in defining the nations favourite big people carriers.
The Trajet SE Limited Edition also gives Hyundai an opportunity to wean customers away from the pricier
mini-MPVs. The difference between the space and kit you get in this Trajet and a car like a Xsara Picasso or a Focus C-MAX is just night and day. Compared to some of Hyundais recent gaudy efforts, the Trajets styling is contemporary and restrained with a minimum of Korean chrome. So it comes as no surprise to learn it was actually styled in Frankfurt, not Seoul, and made its public debut at the 1999 London Motor Show.
In size terms, the Trajet (pronounced Tra-jay, French for journey) is almost an exact match for the Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra triumvirate. Yet the £16,495 2.0-litre SE Limited Edition with a manual gearbox compares favourably against the three Europeans and, as already said, its extremely well equipped. Apart from the features already mentioned, you can expect to find dual airbags, anti-lock brakes (with electronic distribution of the braking forces), remote control central locking with alarm, immobiliser, air conditioning, all-round power windows, power adjusted mirrors and a CD player all standard.
If you want diesel power, the identically equipped £17,495 Trajet CRTD SE Limited Edition manages a rest to sixty time of 14.2s on the way to a maximum speed of some 106mph. Unfortunately, it isnt much more economical than the 2.0-litre petrol version, with an extra urban figure of 43.
5mpg that is very little different. Overall, you should save about 7mpg by opting for the diesel variant: in other words, dont expect to make up the price premium too quickly. In practical terms the Trajet SE Limited Edition is a good match for any of its seven-seat rivals though, like most of them, luggage space is somewhat limited with all the seats in use. The front seats swivel to face the back and the five rear chairs can be easily removed (youll need somewhere to store them). Plus theres a full complement of the seatback trays, cup holders, fold-up trays, map, bottle and pen holders, gloveboxes, reading lights and luggage nets that todays MPV buyers expect.
Coupled to the standard five-speed manual gearbox, the four-cylinder model makes 60 seconds in just under 13 seconds and reaches 111 mph. Everyday use should return around 30 mpg with a few mpg more if youre in the TD. Handling and ride are adequate, if not as rewarding as a Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra. Still, while fine road manners are important to MPV buyers, a pliant ride usually takes priority and the Trajet is unlikely to disappoint.
You could say the same about refinement and performance: good enough to satisfy the needs of most but not really class leading in any respect. Having said that, the Hyundai is a step up from Kias Sedona, its closest rival, in all these areas. You can buy and own one without being constantly reminded of how much money youve saved. The Trajet SE Limited Edition offers buyers a fully-loaded true seven-seater which is capable of increasing the pressure on the established brand leaders, especially as all Hyundai models come with a full five-year unlimited mileage warranty.
The brands only problem seems to be whether enough potential customers know about the Trajet and its considerable virtues.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Hyundai Trajet SE Limited Edition range
PRICES: £16,495-£18,345 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 10D-12D
CO2 EMISSIONS: 192-208g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0CRTD] Max Speed 106mph / 0-60mph 14.2s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0CRTD] (urban) 29.7mpg / (extra urban) 43.5mpg/ (combined) 37.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4695/1900/1790mm
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