Hyundai Iload vs Volkswagen Caddy

What's the difference?

The iLoad remains one of the most competent all-rounders in the business. This highlights the excellence of its original design, as it hasn't changed much since it launched here more than a decade ago.

However, it's starting to show its age a bit, particularly in terms of safety compared to HiAce and Transit Custom rivals which have aggressively raised the mid-size van benchmark to a five-star standard that rivals most sedans and SUVs.

We hope Hyundai will soon do the same with the iLoad, because apart from increasingly outdated safety it's pretty hard to fault. We're sure its army of loyal customers would agree.

It’s not hard to see why the Caddy Cargo maintains its enduring favouritism in the small van class. It has outstanding workhorse capabilities, unmatched five-star safety and drivetrain choice, combined with a spirited car-like driving experience, be it unladen or with a heavy payload. It’s not perfect, but it's also hard to fault in a workhorse role.

The iLoad is 5150mm long, 1920mm wide and 1935mm high with a 3200mm wheelbase. That height means it can access underground and multi-storey carparks, in which it's also easy to manoeuvre with a relatively compact 11.22-metre turning circle.

No doubt a big factor in the rear-wheel drive iLoad's enduring appeal is its simplicity and ruggedness, combining MacPherson strut front suspension with rack and pinion steering, leaf-spring live rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes. A sliding door on each side of the cargo hold come standard. The large tailgate window, equipped with a wiper/washer and demister, provides the rear-view mirror with a relatively clear picture of what's behind even with the cargo barrier and clear plastic covering on it.

The cabin environment is bright and airy with a tasteful mix of light and dark grey surfaces. The light grey cloth seats with their colourful striped inserts look sharp but we reckon they would also show some grime pretty quickly in a working role.

Our only criticisms are that, like the new HiAce, there's no fold-down inboard armrest for the driver. We don't know why Australia's top two mid-size vans do not have this simple feature, because it's standard issue in numerous rivals and creates a more relaxed driving position.

Our other gripe is the centre passenger seat, which shares the outer passenger's base cushion but has a separate backrest which can be rotated forward through 90 degrees to reveal a handy storage tray and dual drink holder on the back of it.

However, passenger comfort and safety are compromised as the seat is too narrow for an adult, the backrest has no head restraint, there's very limited leg room and only a lap seat-belt. And to make matters worse, the belt's buckle digs firmly into your right butt cheek when it's clicked in. This ‘seat' should be for emergency use only and, if you must, only for short distances.

Our test vehicle rides on a 2755mm wheelbase with 4500mm overall length, yet its 11.4-metre turning circle is slightly larger than a Toyota HiAce mid-sized van, which highlights the restrictions in steering lock shared by front-wheel-drive vehicles like the Caddy and its French rivals.

Underneath you’ll find robust MacPherson strut front suspension, a coil-spring beam rear axle with Panhard rod, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering.

It comes well armoured for work duties with unpainted dark grey plastic used in areas where bumps, scrapes and wear usually occur like the front/rear bumpers (including the rear pillars from top to bottom), door-handles and door mirror-shells. The bright silver alloy-look plastic wheel-covers can also be easily replaced if damaged by kerbs to keep this van looking sharp on the job.

Its purposeful external appearance is matched by a neat and practical cabin design with wipe-clean rubber flooring and fabric-trimmed bucket seats for driver and passenger. Hard surfaces abound in contrasting shades of grey with splashes of satin chrome.

The minimalist dash design is achieved by corralling most functions into the comparatively small (by today's standards) central touchscreen including often-used climate control, engine auto start-stop etc., which can be fiddly and distracting when driving. Thankfully, at least physical dials for audio volume and tuning remain.

The iLoad's 2062kg kerb weight and 3160kg GVM results in a genuine one tonne-plus payload rating of 1098kg and up to 125kg of that can be carried on roof racks. It's also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with a GCM rating of 4660kg (or how much you can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means you can do it at maximum GVM.

In other words, it can legally carry more than a tonne while towing 1.5 tonnes. Those numbers make the iLoad a very practical and versatile workhorse, well suited to a variety of trades and other working roles beyond the usual delivery chores.

The cargo hold, with its 2375mm length, 1620mm width and 1340mm height, offers a total load volume exceeding 4.4 cubic metres and is accessed through sliding doors on each side or via the single-lift tailgate. The load floor with its protective vinyl mat has a total of 10 load anchorage points.

There's no full-length roof lining like the new HiAce but the cargo hold walls and doors are lined to hip height and there's one internal light at the rear. The load floor length and 1272mm between the rear wheel housings means the iLoad can theoretically take two 1165mm-square Aussie pallets (without the cargo barrier installed).

However, loading these could be an issue if fitted with the single-lift tailgate, as it blocks forklift access when opened. And the 870mm side door opening (even less with the cargo barrier fitted) is not wide enough to allow a pallet to pass through it, so do your homework on the iLoad's suitability for your loading requirements.

The cabin has storage bins and bottle holders in each door, plus a shallow tray in the centre dash-pad, two different-sized gloveboxes, a cubby near the gearshift for small items like chewy etc and a pop-out dual cup/bottle holder in the centre console. The centre seat backrest also folds forward to reveal a large open storage tray and two small bottle/cup holders.

The Caddy’s 1508kg tare weight and 2250kg GVM results in a 742kg payload rating, of which up to 100kg can be legally carried on the roof where external anchorage points are provided for roof racks or rails.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer, although its relatively low 75kg tow-ball download (TBD) limit could present a challenge, given that TBD is typically about 10 per cent of trailer weight. So, a 150kg TBD rating would be better.

Volkswagen also does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) rating, so we don’t know how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time.

The cargo bay, which offers up to 3.1 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed through a kerbside sliding door or asymmetric rear barn-doors.

Its 1797mm length and 1614mm width with 1230mm between the rear wheel-housings provides good versatility, given it can carry an 1165mm-square Aussie pallet or 1000 x 1200mm Euro 3 pallet, two 800mm x 1200mm Euro pallets, or two 720 x 830mm bread-roll containers.

However, with the sliding side-door’s 695mm opening, all of these would need to be loaded through the rear barn-doors which offer 180-degree opening for easy forklift or loading dock access. The load floor is protected by a thick moulded-rubber liner and there are six load-anchorage points.

The cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height and there are two bright LED roof lights and a handy 12-volt socket.

Driver and passenger have ample cabin storage with large-bottle holders and bins in each front door, a handy pull-out compartment to the right of the steering column, numerous bins embedded in the dash-pad, full-width overhead shelf, a large glovebox and a centre console with dual small-bottle/cup holders and numerous storage nooks.

Our test vehicle in standard Candy White is the Cargo SWB, which at entry-level is available with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with six-speed manual or seven-speed auto. Or you can step-up to a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with either a six-speed manual or (like our example) a seven-speed auto for a price of $45,990 plus on-road costs.

That’s higher than its two small van competitors, given the Renault Kangoo SWB petrol auto lists at $42,990 and Peugeot’s Partner Pro Short petrol auto is $39,990, but the Cargo is unique in offering five-star safety and its drivetrain choices.

The work-focused standard equipment list includes 16-inch steel wheels with plastic covers, 205/60R16 tyres and a full-size spare. There’s also an electronic handbrake, separate cargo bay locking system, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, heated door mirrors, daytime running lights, two USB-C ports and two 12-volt sockets.

A moulded composite bulkhead with window separates the cabin from the cargo bay. The driver also gets a leather-trimmed flat-bottom steering wheel with multi-function controls, plus adjustable lumbar support for both driver and passenger seats.

The four-speaker multimedia system is controlled by an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink connectivity and FM radio, but no DAB or (sorry, talkback fans) AM band.

Volkswagen also offers numerous paint colour options and four option packs, plus there’s a genuine accessories range containing useful workhorse items like all-weather floor mats, roof racks, cargo barriers, dashcams and more.

The iLoad's 2.5 litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbo-diesel is a refined and proven performer with Euro 5-emissions compliance (so no AdBlue needed), common rail direct injection (CRDi) and variable vane turbocharging with impressive flexibility. It produces a class competitive 125kW at 3600rpm and peak torque of 441Nm between 2000-2250rpm, but there's ample throttle response and pulling power on tap either side of those figures.

The five-speed torque converter automatic is an equally robust and proven transmission, although most rivals have updated to closer ratio six-speed units. Even so, the iLoad delivers crisp and smooth shifts in auto mode, with the option of sequential manual shifting if required. The transmission's gearing and 2.92:1 final drive ratio provide a good compromise between stop-start city delivery work and economical highway driving.

Our test vehicle’s premium 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, dubbed TDI320, meets Euro6 emission standards using AdBlue, and produces 90kW at 4250rpm and 320Nm between 1500-2500rpm.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic offers three drive modes comprising (default) Drive, Sport or sequential manual-shifting using steering wheel-mounted paddles. There’s also an electronically-controlled automatic locking diff.

Hyundai's official combined figure of 8.8L/100km seemed realistic at the beginning of our road test which included a variety of roads and payloads, from near empty to three-quarters of a tonne. So we were impressed to see near-identical numbers after crunching trip meter and fuel bowser readings. Needless to say, that's great economy for a one-tonne van and no doubt another reason for its enduring popularity. Based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 870km from its 75-litre tank.

The official combined average fuel consumption is a hybrid-like 4.9L/100km and the dash display was showing 5.6L after our 355km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a near-maximum payload.

That wasn’t far south of our own fuel-sipping figure of 6.5L/100km, based on actual tripmeter and fuel bowser readings. Therefore, you could expect an excellent real-world driving range of up to 770km from its 50-litre tank.

The iLoad has big grab handles on the windscreen pillars to assist entry and once aboard it's not hard for drivers of most shapes and sizes to find a comfortable position, thanks to the height-adjustable seat, height-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and decent-sized left footrest.

The instrumentation is easy to read and dashboard controls are clearly marked and intuitive to use. There's a clear eye-line to the left door mirror but given that there's no blind-spot monitoring, this mirror would benefit from the addition of at least a dedicated wide-angle lens.

In city and suburban driving the iLoad is surprisingly quiet for a van without a sealed bulkhead between cabin and cargo hold. However, tyre roar emanating from the rear wheel housings does become quite intrusive at highway speeds, particularly on coarse bitumen surfaces.

The over-driven fifth gear ensures the engine isn't working hard though, with only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2200rpm at 110km/h, which contributes to good fuel economy on long hauls. The cruise control also works well and is a big improvement on the last iLoad we tested in 2017.

The 2.5 litre turbo-diesel and five-speed auto are well-honed for this working role. They provide ample performance in city and suburban driving, even though the gaps between five gears are more noticeable now given the increasing use of six gears in rival automatic vans.

Its compact external dimensions are deceptive, as the cabin has ample headroom and it’s not hard for even tallish drivers (I’m 186cm) to find a comfortable position, even though the close-fitting bulkhead restricts backrest recline adjustment and the base cushion rake is fixed.

Small vans are the closest you’ll get to a car-like driving experience in light commercials and, given the Cargo’s unique turbo-diesel powertrain, it has unmatched torque output that provides energetic performance.

The shift calibrations of its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic ensure vigorous response in city and suburban driving, given that for most of the time they keep the engine operating between 1500-2500rpm, where its 320Nm of torque is served at full strength.

Combined with nicely weighted steering and four-coil suspension that provides an ideal balance of responsive handling and supple bump absorption, it’s an enjoyable and engaging vehicle to drive. The Sport drive mode and sequential manual-shifting options raise the fun level.

The gearing also ensures low-stressed highway driving with only 1600rpm required to maintain 110km/h, at which speeds the solid bulkhead minimises cargo bay noise that mostly emanates from the rear tyres. However, tyre noise can still be intrusive on certain grades of coarse bitumen.

To test its payload rating, we forklifted 650kg into the cargo bay through the rear barn-doors, which with driver equalled a total payload just shy of its 742kg payload limit. The rear suspension compressed almost 60mm under this weight, with long jounce rubbers positioned inside the rear coil springs providing additional load support and, in effect, a second stage of springing.

The Caddy took this heavy load haul in its stride on city and suburban roads, gliding over bumps without a hint of bottoming-out. The payload’s effect on engine, steering and braking performance was minimal and its handling composure was maintained regardless of speed or road conditions.

It also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, and although engine braking on the way down required some assistance from the quartet of disc brakes to keep speeds in check, they handled this task with ease.

Our only criticism of the driving experience is that, given the substantial blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder caused by the cargo bay’s solid walls, a Cargo buyer must pay extra to get blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as part of an options pack. We reckon these active features are crucial to safe van operation (any solid-walled van that is) and should be standard.

Unmatched by its small van rivals is a five-star ANCAP rating (tested 2021, expires 2027) which applies to all Cargo variants built from July 2022.

It’s equipped with seven airbags, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, daytime running lights, non-adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue alert system and more, but you must pay extra for extra safety.

Five years/160,000km warranty. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Lifetime Service Plan includes capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services ranging from $356 to $506.

The Caddy comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and 12 months roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first.

An optional five-year pre-paid service package is available for the price of a three-year package ($2000), so that’s two free services and savings of up to $1439 compared to pay-as-you-go capped-price servicing. In other words, an average annual servicing cost of $400.