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Hyundai H350 Images: Attempt to Make Cargo Van Cool Fails

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Hyundai H350 Image Van Sketch

The Hyundai H350 van leers at us from the shadows and makes us shudder a bit.

Over the past couple months, Hyundai has made us drool so many times that we practically have tsunamis coming out of our mouths. Its vehicle designs just keep getting better and better. Well, if you haven’t picked your jaw up off the floor after dropping it over the stunning Hyundai i20 sketches released earlier this week, prepare to leave your jaw dropped for a completely different reaction to another new sketch:

The Hyundai H350 cargo van.

Teaser Hyundai H350 Images Fail to Impress

Remember when your creepy uncle decided to spice up his wardrobe with a leather jacket and sunglasses, using hip phrases like, “yo dawg” and “radical!” (if that wasn’t a memory from your childhood, be glad)? Sure, he dressed himself up to try to look more appealing, but he was still an old man, and in some ways his “cool” getup made him seem even less cool.

That’s the way Hyundai is selling the H350 cargo van.

“The design of H350 is  intended to be efficient and practical, while also appealing visually to customers,” asserts the official release by Hyundai on its H350. Let’s get one thing straight: cargo vans are supposed to focus on functionality, drivability, safety, anything but being visually appealing.

Apparently, Hyundai decided that the H350 cargo van needed some media attention before its official debut at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2014 in Hannover later this month and the Paris Motor Show in October (probably because the completely underwhelming entrant will be overshadowed among a parade of much more impressive cars).

The Hyundai H350 Is Targeting You

Hyundai H350 Van Sketch Interior
Let’s also identify what the H350 is: a complete imitation of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and the  Volkswagen Crafter. From a visual standpoint, the vans are all practically identical, down to even the opaque stripe along the lower side of the vehicle.

Thus, as Hyundai fully admits, the brand is directly attempting to undermine Mercedes and BMW’s light commercial vehicle segment in Europe. But you have to admit, “targeting customers in Europe” sounds a bit creepier when that sentiment is paired with a picture of a white van half-hiding in the shadows.

The H350, which will be built in Turkey, will have the design flexibility to offer three options: panel van, passenger bus, or flatbed truck. But forget the modern LED headlamps or the signature hexagonal grille–look how nicely tinted the drivers-side windshield is! The van’s main selling point (apart from that wonderfully convenient sliding side door) is the “superior cabin and cargo storage capacities,” promising up to 1.4 tons payload and 2.5 tons towing capacity.

Get ready for your creepy uncle to show  off his “cool” new wheels at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Expo on September 24.

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