Hyundai Imax vs Audi S1

What's the difference?

Hyundai’s contender in the under-$60,000 people mover segment boasts a heritage spanning a full decade. During that time it has built a loyal customer base that appreciates its spacious and airy eight-seater cabin, ease of driving, proven durability and five-year warranty.

Even so, the iMax and other well-established people movers are getting clobbered by Hyundai’s sister company Kia and its widely acclaimed Carnival, which with four model grades across a broad pricing spectrum currently boasts a dominant market share of more than 50 per cent.

There are numerous reasons for the Carnival’s popularity but that should not stop a potential buyer from also giving the iMax serious consideration. Its most recent upgrade to Series II specification in 2016 brought styling revisions and new features which made a good people mover even better.

Spoilt. That's what we are. If you're in the market for a hot hatch, you can have your pick of German-built and French ones from as little as $27,000. There isn't a dud among them now that the VW Polo GTI has had a bit of an update and you can pick and choose your style. Audi's S1 is aiming to be king of the kids with its stiffly-priced S1.

Set the finances aside and consider for a moment what's on offer. As it turns out, a lot.