Better than a bakkie, for light loads? Hyundai has expanded its utility vehicle portfolio with two new cargo-carrying hatchbacks – the Atos Cargo and Grand i10 Cargo.

Recognising the increased demand for short-delivery services in South Africa, the Korean brand is now marketing Cargo versions of its Atos and Grand i10 city cars.

Although the NP200 bakkie has traditionally dominated the trade for compact utility vehicles in South Africa, a bakkie remains exposed to weather and cargo theft.

The hatchback configuration of Hyundai’s Atos and Grand i10, allow for secure cargo space.Both vehicles have a similar change in configuration. The rear seats are gone, replaced by a flat floor, to optimise loadability. Wire mesh is clipped into place behind the rear windows to discourage smash-and-grab incidents.

One of the issues with a cargo vehicle conversion of any open-cabin designis the risk of pieces of cargo becoming hazardous projectiles during emergency braking manoeuvres. Hyundai has compensatedfor this drawback by fitting a metal mesh cargo partitionbetween the derivatives’ rear section and front seats.

How many Takealot packages can these new Hyundais take? The Grand i10 cargo will pack 1 210 litres and carry 488 kg of weight. Atos is slightly smaller, with a corresponding reduction in loadability and weight carrying capacity: 1 170 litres and 444 kg.

The brand’s familiar 1.0- and 1.1-litre petrol engines powerthese newly released delivery cars from Hyundai.

Atos Cargo runs the more potent 1.1-litre, with 50 kW of peak power and 99 Nm of torque. The 1.0-litre engine in Grand i10 Cargo is even more modest in specification, with 49 kW and 94 Nm. Both models use a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Although the fuel consumption claims are between 5.4- and 5.7 L/100 km, you are unlikely to match those if these new Hyundai Cargo hatches are loaded to purpose.

The base-specification Atos Cargo Motion is priced at R179900, with the Atos Cargo Fluid costingR189900. If you want the additional load capacity, the Grand i10 Cargo is R211900. Prices include a 1-year/15 000 km service plan and a 5-year/150 000 km warranty, with a further 2-year/50 000 km mechanical warrantyon top of that.

New Hyundai Atos Specs & Prices in South Africa

New Hyundai Grand i10 Specs & Prices in South Africa