Cars Service

2007 Hyundai Entourage Preview

The Entourage shares just about everything underneath its skin with its well-done-but-unexciting corporate cousin, the Kia Sedona. (Actually, the two mom vans are Mary-Kate-and-Ashley similar on the outside, too.) This means one powertrain choice: a strong 242-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 teamed to a five-speed manu-matic driving the front wheels.





Standard features include flat-folding third-row seating, numerous air bags, stabillity control, a windshield-wiper de-icer, and a tire-pressure-monitoring system, not to mention Hyundais impressive 10-year powertrain warranty. The lengthy options list adds power-sliding doors and tailgate, power-adjustable pedals, a clever thirteen-speaker Infiniti sound system, and rear-seat DVD entartainment.

What’s inside

The 2007 Hyundai Entourage looks to offer most of the features a minivan family requires. For example, there’s a folding center tray table with four cupholders, folding sideview mirrors, a tilt steering wheel, optional power adjustable pedals, power dual rear sliding doors, power windows, and an adjustable conversation mirror. The interior has a two-tone color scheme with wood grain or metal grain accents. Leather seats are standard in the Limited model, as are a power tailgate, heated front seats, and an electroluminescent instrument cluster. A rear-seat entertainment system with an eight-inch LCD monitor, backup warning sensors, and a premium audio system with surround sound are also available. The Entourage also features flip-and-fold second-row seats, and a hiding third-row seat with a 60/40 split fold-into-the-floor design.

Drivers will also enjoy a tilt steering wheel plus optional power adjustable foot pedals and heated front seats, while all will find the Entourages optional power liftgate handy. As for the available rear-seat entertainment system, which features an eight-inch LCD monitor, I wouldnt consider a new van, SUV or crossover without one, and the new Hyundai also can be had with an optional Infinity AM/FM/CD-changer/MP3 audio system with Logic 7 surround sound. Heck, forget the kids... leave them in bed inside the house while you and your honey enjoy a little R&R in the back of the van.

To some who will be driving the Entourage, the fact that it can be had with backup warning sensors will be of greater significanc than how much engine output is hidden under the hood. Still, theres no reason to have to give up one to have the other either. All Hyundai minivans will boast a version of the Azeras velvety-smooth 3.8-liter V6, a highly refined DOHC, 24-valve engine that produces a maximum of 242-horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful in the minivan segment. Rather than out-power all rivals the Entourage splits the difference, featuring more horsepower than Fords Freestar, Chevrolets Uplander (and therefore Buicks Terraza, Pontiacs Montana SV-6 and Saturns Relay) and Dodge Caravan, plus greater torque than the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Dodge Grand Caravan.

What’s under the hood

All Hyundai Entourage minivans get a 3.8-liter V6 engine that produces 242 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque, and is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manual control. The Entourage rides on the same minivan platform as the Sedona, with a 118.9-inch wheelbase that is longer and wider than the competition, according to Hyundai. Hyundai engineers also claim that the Entourage has the tightest turning radius in its class, a big deal for minivan drivers. Steering is handled by a speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion system, and the Entourage rides on a four-wheel independent suspension system.

Perhaps most notable about the Entourage, however, is the long list of standard safety features. All Entourages get a bevy of passive and active safety systems, including side impact and side curtain airbags, traction control and more. Just these two safety devices – traction control and side curtain airbags – can make any car significantly safer to drive.

As for ride and handling, expect it to be very good. As mentioned previously, Kias version of the van is getting bullish reviews from those who have driven it, and with Hyundai benefiting from an extra year of development overseen by its own expert engineers, it should be refined even further. And unlike other vans that are based on midsize sedans, the two Korean models ride on a purpose-built unibody architecture featuring a 118.9-inch wheelbase and a 66.3-inch track width; both longer and wider than minivan competitors. While a four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts, coil springs plus a stabilizer bar in front and a multi-link setup with coil springs and a stabilizer bar in back, should be good for absorbing the bumps and dips of inner city streets while delivering adept road-holding, I, for one, would find its 39.6-foot turning radius equally nice to live with. The Entourage accomplishes this, as well as deft turn-in at high-speeds, via an engine-speed-sensitive power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system. Connecting to the road are a set of four 16-inch steel wheels wrapped in 225/70 R16 all-season tires. Optionally, 17-inch alloy wheels can be fitted to 235/60 R17 tires.

Why it matters

Someone once said the minivan segment was dead. Hah. It was only taking a nap, and it’s back now, with a strong import vibe that’s only getting stronger with the introduction of the 2007 Hyundai Entourage. For Ford and GM, this minivan is bad news of the worst kind: obsessed with losing market share to Japanese automakers such as Honda and Toyota, the two domestic automakers have recently all but conceded the minivan market to the likes of the Odyssey and the Sienna. Now, here comes Hyundai/Kia, with the impressive Entourage and Sedona. Should the Hyundai Entourage get a warm reception from American families, it will make regaining minivan competitiveness all but impossible for Ford and GM, and put pressure on DaimlerChrysler’s Grand Caravan.




Preliminary Specifications:

Price Range (estimated MSRP): $30,000 - $45,000
Body Type: 5-door minivan, unibody construction
Layout: front engine, FWD
Engine: 242-hp, 251 lb-ft, 3.8-L, 24-valve, DOHC V6 with CVVT
Transmission: 5-spd auto w/ manual mode
Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS, EBD
Curb Weight: 1,989 - 2,107 kg (4,378 - 4,646 lbs)
Seating Capacity: 7
Cargo Volume (seats removed): 4,007 L (141.5 cu ft)
Towing Capacity: TBD
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 14.2 / 8.6 L/100km

Warranty (mo/km): 60/100,000 comprehensive
Direct Competitors: Buick Terraza, Chevy Uplander, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan, Ford Freestar, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Mazda MPV, Nissan Quest, Pontiac Montana SV-6, Saturn Relay, Toyota Sienna.