Kia K2700/K2500 Vs Hyundai H-100 Vs Volkswagen Transporter

Leading from the front

Times are tough, and businesses nationwide are straining in this difficult economic climate. The last thing business owners want to do is worry about their delivery vehicle fleet – they want something that can do some hard work, something larger and more practical than a normal bakkie.

That’s where forward control pick-ups come into the picture: with their cabins moved as far forward as possible, a much larger load volume is available at the back. This makes them ideal for duty as anything from parcel delivery vans to builder’s trucks. And boy, can these things work! The lowest payload among this trio still exceeds 1200 kg so you can put that extra load volume to proper use. Not all of them are great at towing, though: there’s only one contender to pass the 2-ton (braked) mark, which is still some way off from the 3+ ton ratings you’d get in many normal bakkies.

Let’s meet the contenders

Kia K2700 2.7D Workhorse Dropside (Aircon)

The presence of the words “Workhorse” and “Aircon” in its name should indicate the level of austerity we’re talking about here. It’s as basic as they come, with the lowest power output in its model range (there’s a visually identical K2500 variant, which also features a turbodiesel powerplant with a bit more power) but also the lowest price. However, we did opt for the Aircon option because helping drivers keep cool may make them more attentive.

And that’s it. Really. Forget about ABS or airbags, let alone stability control. The closest we come to luxury items are the standard power steering and remote central locking. But that’s totally fine — it’s not meant to coddle its occupants. It’s meant to work long hours and cart around big and/or heavy things.

Performance, Payload, Price

The Kia K2700 2.7D has a payload of 1300 kg, but it can only tow a braked trailer of up to 1180 kg. Doesn’t really matter, though – there isn’t enough power to move anything heavy in any case. 62 kW and 168 Nm in a vehicle with a kerb (unladen) weight of 1580 kg means predictably modest performance, with the 0 – 100 km/h benchmark eventually dispatched in 24.2 seconds on the way to an eventual top speed of 120 km/h. Expect this to drop when the air-con is turned on, too. At least the under-stressed engine should keep going for a long, long time. The claimed average fuel consumption is 10.7 L/100 km, but this will be considerably higher when laden or attempting to venture onto the motorway.

R 380 995 is the least expensive light truck in this comparison, and its 5-year/unlimited distance warranty and 3-year/60 000 km service plan should keep running costs low.

Related: Which Kia K2500/K2700 trim depreciates the fastest?

Hyundai H-100 Bakkie 2.6D deck (Aircon)

The Hyundai H-100 might look a lot like its Kia cousin, but their similarities are mostly visual and use completely different powerplants. It might scarcely seem possible, but the Hyundai H-100 is even more spartan than the Kia K2700 — it forgoes the remote central locking, although we again picked the least-expensive air-conditioned variant.

Performance, Payload, Price

Mounted under the front seats and driving the rear wheels (as in the Kia) is a 2.6-litre non-turbo diesel engine with 58 kW and 167 Nm. Predictably, performance is just as un-dramatic as in the Kia, but its fuel consumption is slightly lower, with a claimed 10.2 L/100 km average consumption figure. It is also even more load-worthy, with a payload of 1335 kg and a round 1200 kg braked towing capacity.

Counting against the H-100 in comparison to the Kia is its slightly higher list price although it has marginally the strongest warranty overall: 5 years or 150 000 km for the vehicle and 7 years or 200 000 km for the drivetrain. Its 3-year/60 000 km service plan is the same as the K2700’s. For reference, the model in question was priced at R394 900 at the time of writing.

Related: If you rather want a Hyundai Van, you should consider an H-1. We compare three trim levels of this bargain bus.

Volkswagen Transporter 2.0TDI

Its no-nonsense name gives an indication of this Volkswagen’s serious intent and continues a long line of utility-minded Kombi derivatives. This is, however, the odd one out in this comparison in many ways. It’s the only front-wheel drive truck here, for starters. It’s also not a true forward control truck because the passenger compartment is located behind the engine rather than on top of it.

The Transporter 2.0TDI is, however, quite a lot more expensive, far more powerful, noticeably more economical, a lot more comfortable, and much safer than the Korean workhorses. Is there a case to be made for the extra outlay in a business vehicle of this kind? Let’s have a look.

The white elephant in the room is that price tag – about 25% higher than the two Koreans. With a list price approaching R 500 000, a business must be fairly successful to justify one of these. They will get a very impressive workhorse for the extra money, though.

Performance, Payload, Price

Let’s start under the bonnet, where the Volkswagen Group’s well-known 2.0 TDI engine is tuned to produce only 81 kW and 250 Nm, making for a mildly stressed engine with a wide torque spread. It’s still not exactly fast, but a 0 – 100 km/h amble of 15.2 seconds and a top speed of 141 km/h is a big improvement on the Hyundai and Kia.

The Transporter also drinks less than either of the others, with a claimed average consumption figure of 7.6 L/100 km — remarkable, given that it’s significantly larger and heavier than both the Kia and the Hyundai. It’s slightly down on payload at 1208 kg but can tow 2 200kg.

Onto the cabin and its appointments: power steering is present, of course, and so is air-conditioning. But, as with the Hyundai, remote central locking isn’t standard. Neither are electric windows or mirrors. It’s practically as barren inside as the Korean contenders, really, because all the car-like things we enjoy in VW Caravelles are optional in the workhorse Transporter. It is much nicer to touch and look at, mind you.

Safety is much more sorted than with the H-100 and K2700, with ABS, stability control, and a driver’s airbag on the standard kit list. A front passenger airbag is optional. It’s not generously equipped overall, but the extra safety kit hands the German truck a decisive advantage over the two Koreans — as it should, given that much higher price.

If only that high price also included some advantage in aftersales service, but the Korean contenders have the Volkswagen beat fair and square in this department. The Transporter’s service plan for 3 years or 60 000 km matches those of the others, but its warranty falls short at only 2 years (albeit with no mileage limit). This restricted warranty is probably due to the increased complexity of the much more high-tech engine and safety systems but still seems rather short for a vehicle which is supposed to work hard for many years.

Related: The VW Kombi/Transporter range has a host of other variants on offer. We detail the range here (although prices have since shot up).

Facts and figures:

Kia K2700 2.7D Workhorse Dropside (Aircon)	Hyundai Bakkie H-100 2.6D Deck (Aircon)	Volkswagen Transporter 2.0TDI
Engine size (cyl/size)	4-cyl, 2.7-litre diesel	4-cyl, 1.6-litre diesel	4-cyl, 2.0-litre turbodiesel
Power/Torque	62 kW/168 Nm	58 kW/167 Nm	75 kW/250 Nm
Kerb Weight	1 580 kg	1 665 kg	1 747 kg
Length (mm)	4 840	4 795	5 500
Airbag count	0	0	1 (opt 2)
Payload *	1 300 kg	1 335 kg	1 208 kg
Top Speed (km/h) *	120	126	151
Ave Consumption *	10.7 L/100 km	10.2 L/100 km	7.6 L/100 km
Warranty	5 yr/Unlimited km	5 yr/150 000 km (vehicle); 7 yr/200 000 km (drivetrain)	2 yr/Unlimited km
Price	R 394 900	R 380 900	R 489 400

*Manufacturer's official claimed figures.

Verdict

All of which circles us right back to their price tags. Socially responsible business owners would most likely pick the Volkswagen because it will protect its occupants much better in a crash. But that’s not always possible for smaller enterprises, where every last cent must be counted and managed with great care.

For those buyers, the VW Transporter probably wouldn’t make as much sense as it should unless they feel particularly strongly about employee safety on the road, need stronger performance and higher tow ratings, or travel long enough distances for the (significant) fuel savings to reach the break-even point. The Transporter/ Kombi/ Caravelle range presents much stronger value propositions higher up in their ranges, but as a pure workhorse, this Transporter is too pricey. It doesn’t carry as much weight – literally.

The Kia K2700 and Hyundai H-100 make a lot more sense for businesses with tighter budgets. There’s very little to choose between them, but ultimately, the H-100 walks away in the first place. It’s slightly more economical than the K2700, can carry slightly more weight, and that excellent warranty will ensure more peace of mind for fleet managers. But, considering that a mere R905 separates two trucks with almost identical characteristics, buyers really cannot go wrong with either one.

* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing but may change without prior notice.