Hyundai Staria Launched And It Is Not Cheap
The Hyundai Staria is for those who wants more than a Toyota Alphard and Vellfire.
The Hyundai Staria launched today and it is not a direct replacement for Hyundai Starex. The premium model with a 2.2-litre turbodiesel is priced at RM358.888 on-the-road without insurance, with SST exemption. Hyundai Malaysia is also offering a two-year or 50,000 km warranty. If you want the five-year/300,000 km warranty plus three-year/50,000 km free service package, it’s an extra RM10,000.
Why is it almost RM200,000 differences from the previous generation Hyundai Grand Starex? It is much bigger than the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire. The Staria spaceship-esque design also stand out among all competitor MPV now. The minimalist head of the car features a slim full-width LED light strip , under which sits a wide grille incorporating low-mounted vertical LED headlights. The rear end is also very clean, and the devil is in the details of the the vertical tail lamps. The Parametric Pixel design of the lights are super cool if you see it up close. The 18-inch wheel design matches this pixel theme perfectly.
One of the biggest design points that make the Staria stand out is the super low beltline, which gives the MPV some of the biggest window panels inspired by traditional Korean ‘hanok’ architecture to create a feeling of openess.
The inside, the center row seats have heating ventilation and direct access to digital A/C control panel and a sunroof with manual blinds not forgetting USB charging points on all seats. In front, the Staria’s dashboard has a horizontal full width and a 10.25-inch design digital screen placed above the steering wheel – away but comfortable range from driver’s position.
With such an expansive dashboard and much width, there are plenty of storage options – the less obvious ones are in front of the meter panel and behind the touchscreen. The console between the two front seats are huge and has Staria branding and ambient lighting.
On the safety front, the latest Hyundai SmartSense ADAS suite includes Blind-spot Collision Assist, Blind-spot View Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Collision Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Rear Occupant Alert, High Beam Assist, Parking Distance Warning, Surround View Monitor, Driver Attention Warning and Leading Vehicle Departure Alert. Elsewhere, it’s six airbags and Isofix child seat mounts for the two middle row individual seats.
One of the biggest differences between the Staria and Starex is now the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine with 177 PS and 431 N/M torque will delivered all the power on the front-wheel instead of the rear. However, with rear multi-link suspension instead of the Starex’s live axle, Hyundai promises a more comfortable ride.
Lastly, there’s an option pack that includes a roof mounted screen for the rear passengers, retractable side steps and 3M window tint (there’s a lot to cover here!) for RM20k. Going for this will take the Staria’s price to RM378,888 for the base warranty and RM388,888 for the full warranty.
“The Staria is revolutionary. Hyundai has once again demonstrated its outstanding design and architecture capabilities with the introduction of the MPV extraordinaire. In terms of where the Staria Premium sits in the segment, it’s a notch higher from the Grand Starex. It’s Hyundai’s first luxurious MPV that is at par with premium Japanese MPV models,” said HSDM’s MD Low Yuan Lung.
