There’s a new truck in town, with the arrival of the Hyundai Pavise, a new mature medium from Hyundai, the Korean truck maker, as it extends its range further into the Australian truck market.
PowerTorque took the latest truck from Hyundai for a test drive around Brisbane to see if this truck will be a genuine contender in our truck market and be able to compete in one of the most competitive truck segments in the Australian market.
The introduction of a new medium duty truck model is always going to be news for the trucking industry. This segment of the truck market is not the most glamorous, but it is one in which a lot of the hard yakka is done in terms of day-to-day smaller deliveries.
Trucks doing this work are normally from the Japanese truck brands with a much smaller smattering of European and a couple of US brands. However, the first truck to compete in this market from Korea is the Hyundai Pavise (pronounced like Paris, but with a V instead of an R).
The truck tested was the model, which was on the Hyundai stand at the Brisbane Truck Show. On the test the truck was still carrying the Hyundai Mighty light duty truck as a load, just as it had been displayed in Brisbane.
At first glance, this truck has got a credible appearance. This looks like a well-designed truck which will handle the task, with a modern design style and functionality. The overall impression is of a truck which has been finished properly. Climbing up into the driver’s seat reinforces that initial impression, with the feel of a solid well-finished product.
In terms of style, the design looks very similar to one which the Japanese would come up with, modern, functional, no nonsense, but well thought out. Added to this is a hint of European styling, making it look a little different in a crowd.
The Koreans have learnt something it took the Japanese quite a long time to take on board, to add just that bit of style and comfort to a truck to make it attractive to markets outside of its domestic home market. Simple ideas like the side lockers on both sides of the cabin show the truck maker is putting thought into the design.
