Hyundai is branching out. The company, famous for its affordable and economical cars and crossover vehicles, is expanding its reach. In recent years Hyundai launched the Genesis luxury brand. Now, Hyundai is getting into the recreational vehicle segment with the Porest RV. 

The RV market is currently on fire

The recreational vehicle market has been on fire this year. The global COVID-19 pandemic forced a lot of people to reconsider staying in hotels and traveling on airplanes or aboard busses and trains. As a result, many people took to renting or buying RVs for their travel needs. This allowed the users to control the cleanliness of their travel environment and still get to see new locations and the great outdoors.

Given the COVID climate, Hyundai has decided it is the right time for them to venture into the small RV market. They already make the Hyundai Porter cab-over truck. So, the company decided to see what they can do with that chassis as a basis for their first RV. The Porest is the result. 

The compact size of the Hyundai Porest RV

As far as appearances, the Porest is not a large RV. In fact, the Porest can disappear in a parking lot of RVs. It is 223 inches long, 115 inches tall, and 83 inches wide. To provide a better picture, think about a boxy, full-size, high-top, long-wheelbase van. The Porest’s small dimensions beg the question, Will one be able to see the Porest for the trees?

Do not let the smallish dimensions fool you, though. Hyundai made sure that the Porest could have enough for four adults. There is a convertible sleeping area in the front dining area in addition to a mom’s attic that drops down to offer even more sleeping area in front. In the rear, there is a slide-out also for sleeping. The RV also has a bathroom and a small kitchen complete with sink, microwave, and refrigerator. 

A quick search online turns up a video review of Hyundai’s Porest. The review includes driving impressions. It is posted below. 

The Interior of the Hyundai Porest

As you can see in the video, there is no large infotainment display in the center of the dash. Instead, there is a small display in the middle of the instrument cluster, which seems dated. Also, there is no back-up camera, only a beeping back alert indicator. The driver’s cabin is pretty much the basics, not the gee-whiz uber advanced technology found in higher price point, more established players in the RV segment. Although the heated and ventilated driver’s seat certainly helps. 

The powerplant of the Porest

The Porest is propelled by a 2.5-liter diesel engine. It produces 133 horsepower, which is not great. But, this RV is not meant to burn rubber. The transmission is a five-speed automatic driving the rear wheels. 

Price Point for Hyundai’s first RV

The Hyundai Porest basic-ness may be forgiven however, when the price point is considered. It is easy to see motorized motorhomes shoot for the stratosphere in pricing if they have all the high-tech gizmos. But, even the smaller, more basic RVs are north of $50,000 for a starting price. The Hyundai Porest, however, starts at about $42,000.

Overall, the Hyundai Porest RV is a compact, basic vehicle perfect for people wanting to ease into the motorized RV market. For example, for a small family moving up from a pop-up camper, the Porest could make sense. Of course, buyer beware. Due diligence should be done to ensure that this RV will serve the needs of potential buyers prior to any purchase. But, it is probably safe to say that Hyundai has made a pretty good effort with their first foray into the RV market.