Hyundai Trajet
In the early 2000’s, MPVs were all the rage, almost every manufacturer had at least one in their lineup and Hyundai was no exception. Their offering, the Trajet was introduced in 2000 and came with a huge interior and impressive standard features, including dual airbags, anti lock brakes and CD player. There was a choice of engines including an optional V6 and a few diesels, and its looks still hold up quite well, almost 20 years on.
Hyundai Amica
The Hyundai Amica was another of Hyundai’s MPVs, this time a lot smaller, more akin to a modern day i20. Although its tall dimensions, small wheels and short wheelbase might look quite unusual, there were actually a number of vehicles with the sort of micro MPV bodystyle at the end of the 90’s and start of the 00’s. This body style came with a number of the benefits of a standard MPV, higher driving position, increased head room and larger boot, without needing to buy a bigger vehicle. Unfortunately, this body style didn’t remain popular in the UK, however this style is still incredibly popular in Japan thanks to special emissions regulations that make them incredibly cheap to own and run.
Hyundai Matrix
Hyundai’s Amica was also not Hyundai’s only MPV, this was after all the era of the MPV. Hyundai’s third member in their MPV lineup sat between the Amica and the Trajet, and was designed by iconic Italian design house Pininfarina. It’s appearance was quite marmite, as it was very unusually styled, however this did give it a lot of charm that wasn’t necessarily true of its competitors at the time. Inside, it was roomy and as you would expect, it had impressive levels of kit and huge windows to make the interior feely airy.
Hyundai Coupe
Hyundai have experimented with a variety of body styles, and a coupe format is no exception. The Hyundai Coupe for a while was a worthy competitor to more premium rivals, thanks to its excellent handling and modern styling. This is one of the first models that really helped to cement Hyundai in the hearts of British Consumers, thanks to its more European approach to sportiness and it was actually quite successful. It even had a stint in the WRC F2 regulation, eventually helping them to win in 1998!
Hyundai Accent
The Accent was the predecessor to the i30 Hatch , however it is very different in a number of ways. For a start the design of the standard model was available exclusively as more of a fastback, with a sloping rear windscreen giving it an almost coupe like look, especially in three door guise. Sizewise, the Accent sort of straddled the Supermini and Family Hatch size category, despite the Hyundai Getz already filling the Supermini spot in Hyundai’s lineup. The Accent fit the form of other Hyundai models in terms of quality, equipment and pricing, which helped it gain popularity in the UK, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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