The scale and capabilities of the car transporterThe flagship of the South Korean company's model range is the Hyundai Xcient truck tractor

Alexander Eremtsov, photo by the author

An open day took place. Such events are usually formal in nature, so the organizers strive to prepare some surprise for guests in the form of a demonstration of new or rare car models. Autocentre Infoprom also prepared such a surprise. The invitation stated that the Hyundai Xcient truck tractor would be demonstrated to the guests. The last time I saw such a car was at the Comtrans`13 exhibition, and the proposed example had already worked in Russia, and it was very interesting to look at it.

But why did this company get the honor of showing such a rare car in Russia? The fact is that Autocenter Infoprom is an official dealer of Hyundai and Fiat commercial vehicles. Considering the service orientation of its activities, the company preaches the principle of providing a comprehensive solution to any technical problems for transport companies, be it purchasing, servicing cars or some other partnership.

I must say, this is not my first time visiting here. Traditionally, the owners showed all the working areas: the service area, the body shop, and the spare parts warehouse. There is no exhibition gloss and even some oil was spilled here and there, but there was business activity, and this was impressive. Then there was a solemn part with speeches and wishes.

The car must work

The flagship of the South Korean company's model range, the Hyundai Xcient truck tractor, appeared at the auto center when it was already dark outside, i.e. at the end of the working day. And this is understandable - it is not good for such a powerful technique to stand idle for onlookers. And as it turned out, he didn’t appear here at all to be stared at by the company’s guests and clients. Just from today, the car has been received for warranty service at Autocentre Infoprom.

This Hyundai Xcient has been in Russia for over a year and has covered 100,000 km, but it looks great. The chief mechanic of the company that owns Xcient said that the cars were previously only serviced in Europe. In order to quickly solve some current problems, the driver contacted a workshop on the Moscow Ring Road, but the car required more careful treatment, and now it appeared here.

At the presentation, a representative of Hyundai Truck & Bus announced that there are about 100 Xcient vehicles operating in Russia, and servicing these vehicles is perhaps the most labor-intensive and complex. It is quite possible that this number also included Hyundai 500 truck tractors, of which there are not many in our country either, but their sales began earlier. According to my data, in the two years since the appearance of the Hyundai Xcient, about 20 units have been sold to Russia, and even this small fleet needs to be maintained. But it will increase.

Hyundai XCIENT lineup

The Xcient series is presented in the entire range on the Russian market. First of all, these are long-haul tractors with an increased level of comfort and 4x2 and 6x4 wheel arrangements, 6x4 and 8x4 construction dump trucks, as well as chassis for all kinds of superstructures with 6x4 and 8x4 wheel arrangements. There are four cabins to choose from: a sleeping cabin with a low, standard and high roof, as well as a day cabin with a medium roof.

The design is very decent, it has no obvious Asian features and looks more like a “European”. However, everything is perfectly visible in the photo. A wide radiator grille, unusually shaped side aerodynamic deflectors, headlights and fog lights are divided into two independent blocks. Aerodynamic deflectors are installed on the roof and on the sides of the rear part of the cabin. For easy maintenance of the windshield, a wide folding step is built into the front bumper, and the front trim also folds down. It provides access to the filler necks and oil dipstick.

The interior design of the Xcient cabin is made at the highest level, and the plastic is of decent quality. The cabin has noticeably increased in size both in height and width. You can safely stand in it at full height, from floor to ceiling 1895 mm. There is a motor tunnel, but it is not high - about 200 mm. The air-suspended driver's seat has all the necessary adjustments; in addition, it is equipped with ventilation with the ability to adjust the air flow to cool or warm. All controls, gearbox and parking brake levers, as well as all kinds of buttons and switches are within easy access, and the instrument readings are perfectly readable. There are no traces of traditional Asian wood-look inserts here.

In the cabin of the Hyundai Xcient, it would be a shame for a truck driver to complain about the lack of space to store things necessary for a long journey. At the top along the windshield there are three huge lockable boxes. Under the lower bunk there are two universal drawers, accessible from both inside and outside. There is a refrigerator and an additional drawer for food on board, which can be pulled out on a sled from under the sleeping bag. On the front panel there is a small retractable shelf, a pair of cup holders and many various niches and recesses for all sorts of small things, as well as two sockets for charging gadgets, both 12 and 24 V. Opposite the passenger seat on the front panel there is a convenient folding table for filling out travel documents or for eating. In addition, folding the backrest of the passenger seat creates another table with a pair of cup holders.

The width of the lower bunk is 800 mm instead of the previous 650 mm, which significantly increases comfort. The sleeping place is equipped with an individual lighting lamp and an air conditioning control unit. The high roof of the cabin made it possible to organize a second berth. The top shelf folds down and has an aluminum folding ladder for easy access.

The Hyundai Xcient tractor is equipped with a D6CC diesel engine manufactured by Hyundai. This is an in-line six with a displacement of 12,344 cm3 and a power of 410 hp. With. at 1900 min-1 and maximum torque of 1844 Nm at 1200 min-1. The motor meets Euro-4 environmental standards. The transmission used is a 16-speed manual gearbox ZF16S1830.

The suspension on the tractor is on parabolic springs at the front, pneumatic at the rear on four cylinders with height adjustment. The cabin is mounted on a four-point air suspension with an electric lifting mechanism. By the way, the tilt angle of the cabin has been significantly increased compared to the HD series, and the volume of the tilt mechanism cylinder has also been increased. As a result, access to engine components and assemblies during scheduled maintenance and repairs has become even freer.

Note the presence of two aluminum fuel tanks with a capacity of 930 and 450 liters. To access the platform behind the tractor cab, there are a pair of convenient steps. The batteries are placed in the rear overhang of the truck frame; they are covered with a special casing, and the mass disconnect button is located outside. The car is also equipped with a double fuel filter with a water separator and a Lincoln centralized lubrication system.

Factory warranty - 2 years or 100,000 km Interservice mileage, km - 60,000

Second acquaintance

Two years ago we already wrote about Xcient . But there was little information, and it turned out more like a sketch about a new car. Personal communication with the vehicle and its owner brings the most information. We didn’t manage to drive, but we managed to spy a few things.

A truck with a standard roof arrived at the auto center and for good reason, because it is a car transporter. The height of the standard Xcient roof is 3,230 mm. In this version of the cabin, it is not possible to stand up to your full height. Nevertheless, driving a truck is quite free. But the Koreans failed to completely get rid of the engine tunnel. The sleeping area is quite large - 800 mm.

If we talk about the appearance of the truck, then in modern times it can rather be called traditional. True, unlike all previous versions and other models, the Xcient received an aerodynamic design: the windshield is inclined, and dynamic lines are used on the front part, contributing to the good streamlining of the car. At the corners of the car I see the now popular corner deflectors, thanks to which the sides of the car are less dirty. The exterior mirrors are very large, but due to their streamlined shape they make little noise and collect less road dirt.

The possibilities for organizing the internal space depend on the type of cabin. This option did not have a refrigerator, heater and ceiling panel with drawers, but there was a large box under the berth (120 L). The second tier of sleeping space is only possible in the cabin version with a high roof, i.e. it was not available here.

From talking with the driver, I realized that the car is quite functional, but does not cause enthusiasm.
Perhaps this is because the previous car was a third-generation Mercedes-benz Actros, i.e. there is something to compare with. During its operation there were no serious breakdowns, although the car covered 100,000 km, which, as you understand, is a lot. Technical characteristics of the Hyundai Xcient P380 truck tractor Parameter[/td]

HYUNDAI Xcient

Let me remind you that this is not the first attempt by HYUNDAI to stake a claim on the heavy commercial equipment market, in particular in Russia. Previous steps were not crowned with success and there is nothing surprising in this. The trucks were created according to the principle of unification, in a single unit base, with modest characteristics. It would be a stretch to call the HD500 cabin long-range, but now... the situation has changed dramatically.

We see a fundamentally new truck, specially designed for long-haul transportation. According to the creators, it took three years and $200 million in investment to develop the new car. When creating, absolutely all trends in global commercial transport were taken into account. The Koreans do not hide their ambitions and intend to push the boundaries of the G7 and literally drive there in the new Xcient. The comparison with passenger cars is clearly visible, because in terms of quality and price they are on par with their European counterparts.

The Xcient series is presented in the entire range from long-haul tractors with a high roof and an increased degree of comfort to construction chassis and dump trucks. I was able to sit behind the wheel of the new tractor presented at the COMTRANS exhibition, and I can say that the interior design of the cabin was made at the highest level. The plastic is of decent quality and you can’t complain about the little things.

And if the driving qualities of a tractor can only be assessed from an advertising video, then an assessment of the cabin can already be done now. Its dimensions have increased in both length and height compared to the previous version. The width of the bed is 800 mm instead of the previous 650 mm. The driver's seat is equipped with ventilation with the ability to adjust the air flow to warm or cool. There is a new generation refrigerator on board, and a table for eating is organized on the passenger side of the front panel. The design is clearly taken from a well-known brand from Sweden.

HYUNDAI Xcient is tested at the lowest possible temperatures. The tests took place beyond the Arctic Circle, at a test site in the Finnish town of Ivalo. The car systems responsible for safety and directional stability were also honed there. The car presented at the exhibition was equipped with a D6CC diesel engine. The engine layout is six cylinders in line with a displacement of 12,344 cm3 and a power of 410 hp. (302 kW). Maximum power is achieved at 1900 rpm, maximum torque is 1844 N∙m at 1200 rpm.

The engine is paired with a ZF16S1830 16-speed manual gearbox. Thanks to improved characteristics, the fuel efficiency of new cars has increased by 7% compared to previous ones. Another advantage of the new model is the increased durability of parts and components due to improved quality of their workmanship, namely cab unloading springs, a double-disc clutch and air suspension, which was not available on previous models. The car's specifications can be found in the table published at the end of the article.

Equipping Xcient with additional systems and options will delight the most sophisticated client. These include the BlueLink telematics system, which includes Automatic Crash Notification, Roadside Assistance and SOS Emergency Assistance. With BlueLink, drivers will have access to remote control of door locks and engine start, remote control of headlights and horn, the ability to receive a monthly vehicle health report and much more.

This is only the first acquaintance of Trucker Blog readers with a new car from Korea. As soon as the trucks are available for testing, we will return to the topic of conversation. Service will be mentioned in a separate line, because the carrier is not interested in looking at the millions invested in transport if they wait for a cheap spare part.

Specifications of the HYUNDAI Xcient 4×2 tractor

(picture clickable)

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