You asked for it, you got it! Hyundai’s new minivan was one of the most-requested new cars when we asked our readers
what they wanted us to check out at the Chicago Auto Show. So John sent us the works – the official press
release, our pics, Hyundai’s pics, you name it!
More after the jump…
Press Release: 2007 HYUNDAI ENTOURAGE MAKES WORLD DEBUT AT
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW
More Safety, More
Room, More Value Than Honda Odyssey
Entourage Packs Unsurpassed Safety, Quality and Convenience into a
Minivan
CHICAGO, February 8, 2006 – The new 2007 Hyundai Entourage minivan made its world debut
today at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. With its unprecedented combination of unsurpassed standard safety, comfort and
convenience matched with a powerful engine and outstanding quality backed by Hyundai’s 10-year, 100,000-mile
warranty, this new star in Hyundai’s lineup is sure to attract a following.
Entourage is the first vehicle with the Hyundai Hideaway™ third-row seat, a simple-to-use
60/40 split fold-into-the floor seat offering flexibility for up to seven passengers. At 202 inches long and 78.1
inches wide, the new Entourage is truly full-size. In fact, these larger dimensions and efficient packaging deliver an
interior volume of 172 cubic feet – more than Honda Odyssey.
Hyundai packed the all-new
Entourage with the industry’s most effective safety technologies, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC),
anti-whiplash active front head restraints and six airbags including side air curtains, which help protect occupants in
all three rows during side impacts. Entourage is expected to earn the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s (NHTSA) top five-star crash test rating for front and side impacts.
UNSURPASSED
SAFETY
The all-new 2007 Entourage continues Hyundai’s leadership in standardizing the
industry’s most effective safety technologies. The new Entourage features six standard airbags, including side
air curtains for all three rows of seats. The combination of side and curtain airbags, which help protect the head and
body during side impacts, can reduce fatalities by more than 45 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety (IIHS).
In addition, all Entourage trim levels come standard with Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), one of the industry’s most effective life-saving technologies. ESC compares the
driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual response. ESC then brakes individual front or rear
wheels and/or reduces engine power as needed in certain driving circumstances to help correct understeer or oversteer.
IIHS studies show vehicles equipped with ESC experience 56 percent fewer fatalities in single-vehicle crashes.
Entourage joins Santa Fe, Tucson, Sonata and Azera as vehicles in Hyundai’s growing lineup with standard
Electronic Stability Control – a commitment to this sophisticated and effective automotive safety technology that
is unmatched by any other non-luxury automotive brand.
Front (11.7-in.) and rear
(11.9-in.) disc brakes are standard and are coupled with a four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that includes
Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) to optimize brake performance even with differing vehicle loading.
All seating positions feature three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints. Front seat
active head restraints help prevent whiplash by automatically reducing the space between a front occupant’s head
and the head restraint during a rear collision, and are highly recommended by safety-focused organizations such as
IIHS.
Convenient Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) points allow child seats to be secured in the
second- and third-row seats.
Additional standard safety equipment includes a high-line tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), which alerts drivers if one or more tires are under inflated. An illuminated readout on the dash lets
drivers know the exact tire(s) needing inflation so corrective action can be taken.
EFFICIENT INTERIOR
The all-new 2007 Entourage is one of the most comfortable and convenient minivans on the market.
Hyundai accomplished this by appointing Entourage with a refined interior design and highly desired standard features.
The new 2007 Entourage offers power dual rear sliding doors with power windows, adjustable conversation mirror and a
foldaway center tray table with four cupholders standard. All Entourages have a premium HVAC system with dual front
climate controls and separate second-row controls and rear-seat vents for both the second- and third-row passengers.
For drivers, there are folding sideview mirrors, tilt wheel steering and optional power adjustable pedals. The interior
is finished with a two-tone color scheme with woodgrain or metalgrain accents. Luxurious 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 Infinity®
AM/FM/CD-changer/MP3 audio system with Logic 7® surround sound take passenger comfort to the next level.
Adding to Entourage’s space and versatility, flip and fold second-row seats provide easy access to
the Hyundai Hideaway™ third-row seat. The Hyundai Hideaway™ third-row seat is a new, simple-to-operate
60/40 split fold-into-the-floor design that is standard on all models.
V6 ENGINE
Entourage’s modern all-aluminum 3.8-liter DOHC 24-valve standard V6 engine produces 242 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft.
of torque placing it at the top of the minivan segment. Entourage has more standard horsepower than the Ford Freestar,
Chevrolet Uplander and Dodge Caravan, and more torque than the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Dodge Grand Caravan. It
also features timing chains with no scheduled maintenance (instead of the belts found on many V6s, which must be
replaced at set intervals). Even with its impressive output, the Entourage is also environmentally friendly and
achieves Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) certification levels.
Married to the technically
advanced V6 is an equally advanced five-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC® manual control. The
transmission offers smooth shifts and a wide spread of ratios that ideally suit the engine’s characteristics and
includes an overdrive lock-up torque converter for quiet, efficient highway cruising. Drivers can access the
SHIFTRONIC® feature by moving the gear selector into a separate gate. Pushing the selector forward or pulling it
rearward will shift the transmission up or down sequentially, adding to driver control. A clear LCD readout on the
instrument panel shows the gear that’s in use.
BOLD DESIGN
Entourage
continues the dramatic new styling theme introduced on the all-new 2007 Santa Fe – assertive, refined and
confident. Dropped fenders, a sophisticated hood crease and a bold chrome grille give Entourage an assertive face.
Large jeweled projector beam front headlights and optional fog lights complete the front-end styling. The dropped
fenders continue into the beltline for a uniform side profile. Standard integrated functional roof rack rails and
color-keyed bodyside moldings with chrome inserts complement the dropped fender bodylines. A rear spoiler with
integrated brake light, chrome accents and combination tail lights repeat the design theme from up front.
PURPOSE-BUILT PLATFORM
The Entourage
rides on a purpose-built unibody minivan platform with a
118.9-inch wheelbase and a 66.3-inch track width that
is longer and wider than the competition. This chassis was specifically designed to deliver a rewarding ride. Thanks to
the suspension geometry and wide track width (which enables greater turn angles), Hyundai engineers were able to give
Entourage an impressive, tight turning diameter of 39.6 feet for parking situations and U-turns.
Entourage’s four-wheel independent suspension system is comprised of MacPherson struts with
coil springs and a stabilizer bar in the front, while the rear suspension uses a multi-link design with coil springs
and a stabilizer bar. Engine-speed-sensitive power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering also contributes to the
Entourage’s solid handling dynamics.
Entourage models come with 16-inch steel wheels and
225/70 R16 tires or 17-inch alloy wheels fitted to 235/60 R17 tires.
HYUNDAI VALUE
A well-equipped 2007 Entourage, with standard Electronic Stability Control, six airbags,
anti-whiplash active front head restraints, TPMS, 3.8-liter V6 engine, roof rack rails, tilt steering wheel, cruise
control, keyless entry, AM/FM/CD player, front wiper deicer and tri-zone climate controls system will be priced at
$23,7951, more than $1,500 less than a Honda Odyssey LX. Add in the assurance provided by America’s Best
Warranty™ and it’s clear that minivan shoppers have a new gold standard minivan to consider.
MODEL LINEUP
The Hyundai Entourage comes in three distinct trim levels: The
well-equipped GLS, high-value SE and premium Limited.
ENTOURAGE GLS
Entourage GLS comes well-equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 engine, five-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic transmission, ESC with
traction control system, ABS, TPMS, 16-inch wheels, chrome-insert bodyside moldings, bodycolor power side mirrors,
power windows, power door locks and remote keyless entry. Roof rack side rails are also standard. Inside are active
front head restraints, dual front airbags, front seat side-impact airbags plus side curtain airbags. Other features
include premium cloth seats, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, dual vanity mirrors, front armrest, AM/FM/CD audio
system, tri-zone climate control system, a front wiper deicer and the Hyundai Hideaway™ third-row
seat.
ENTOURAGE SE
The SE adds 17-inch alloy wheels,
bodycolored heated sideview mirrors, chrome exterior and interior door handles, dual power sliding doors, solar control
glass, power driver seat, leather steering wheel and shift knob, fog lights, steering wheel audio controls, dual zone
front automatic temperature control, power rear windows, automatic headlights, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, front
armrest with height adjustment, compass and trip computer. A Premium Package with a heated front seats, auto-dimming
mirror with HomeLink and backup warning sensors is optional. The available Premium Entertainment Package includes the
Premium Package features, plus a rear-seat entertainment system with an eight-inch LCD monitor and Infinity®
AM/FM/CD-changer/MP3 audio system with Logic 7® surround sound.
ENTOURAGE LIMITED
Entourage Limited comes standard with all of the equipment found on the SE, plus leather seating
surfaces, heated front seats, electroluminescent gauge cluster, auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink, power tailgate,
premium scuff plates and Limited badging. A tilt/slide glass sunroof is offered as a stand-alone option. The available
Entertainment Package features a rear-seat entertainment system with an eight-inch LCD monitor and Infinity®
AM/FM/CD-changer/MP3 audio system with Logic 7® surround sound.
For maximum luxury, the available Ultimate
Package includes a sunroof, rear-seat entertainment system with an eight-inch LCD monitor, Infinity®
AM/FM/CD-changer/MP3 audio system with Logic 7® surround sound, power front passenger seat, power adjustable foot
pedals, backup warning sensors and an integrated memory system controlling the driver’s seat, outside mirrors and
foot pedals.