The MPV segment, while not the most exciting or glamorous of automotive niches, is important, accounting for around 5 000 unit sales per year in the local market and for years Hyundai had a popular entrant in the form of the H-1. When word that the H-1 was going to be replaced by the Staria, we found ourselves intrigued by a van for the first time, and were pleased to receive on to evaluate recently.
Styling
The big talking point with the Staria is its exterior styling and to put it simply, there is just nothing else like it on the market. It looks like a people mover taken straight from the set of Blade Runner with its massive rectangular LED light bars at the rear, large windows, the low-mounted headlights integrated into the grille and of course, the large LED daytime running light bar that runs the width of the front of the vehicle. We had never envisioned lusting after the design of an MPV, but throughout our week with the vehicle, every person that we encountered loved the looks of the Staria, and that's something Hyundai can be proud of.
Interior and space
With an exterior as outlandish as it is, there needs to be an interior to match and, in many ways, Hyundai has done a good job with the Staria. The dashboard appears to have been designed to be as flat as possible, with everything pushed as far forward as possible, maximising space, which is also accomplished by the massive windows, making the Staria feel incredibly roomy inside. While we would not say that the material quality is lacking in the product, when taking into consideration its hefty price tag, the abundance of hard plastics is a bit disappointing, however, the build quality is solid.
Specification highlights include the large storage bin between the front seats which is illuminated by the ambient lighting system and a fully digitised instrument cluster that has a nifty feature where a camera pops up in place of the rev counter or speedometer, depending on which indicator has been selected. There are also storage areas all around the cabin, a wireless smartphone charging pad, a dual sunroof, curtains for rear passengers, electric sliding doors and tailgate, a Bose sound system and an 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which we feel could be larger given the capacious cabin, but the system gets the job done.
From a practical perspective, the Staria variant we had on test featured nine individual seats, making the boot space essentially useless at 117-litres, however, with the third row of seats out of the way, there is a handy 882-litres of luggage space and seating for five. The second row of seats are quite luxurious, being heated and ventilated, really driving home the idea that this flagship model is meant for the corporate sector.
Performance and driving impression
The entire Staria range is powered by the familiar 2.2-litre turbodiesel motor and 8-speed automatic gearbox. While driving through the suburbs of Johannesburg, people who encountered us were surprised that the Staria is diesel-powered and not all-electric. We feel that the 130kW and 430Nm on offer is just about enough to power the Staria along, and that diesel engines still make so much sense in this segment, particularly for families who go on extended road trips across the country and require a reasonable amount of driving range.
Safety
In 2021, the Staria was crash-tested by the ANCAP vehicle safety programme, where it achieved a 5-Star rating, receiving 85% for adult occupant safety, 65% for pedestrian safety and 74% for its safety assistance systems. Standard safety items include six airbags, traction and stability control, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, lane keep assist and surround-view cameras.
Fuel consumption
There is no getting away from the fact that the Staria weighs 2 285kg and isn't exactly the most aerodynamic product out there, which means that our fuel consumption figure of 10.5 L/100km was not a surprise, but it is higher than the 8.7 L/100km that Hyundai claim.
Pricing
We had the flagship Luxury variant of the Staria on test, which retails for R1 099 900, placing it in line with the Kia Carnival SXL and Toyota Quantum VX Premium which are both impressive products. The Staria comes with a 7-year/105 000km service plan as well as a 5-year/150 000km warranty and an additional 7-year/200 000km drivetrain warranty.
Verdict
The Staria manages the tough balancing act of being rather traditional to drive and operate, with its diesel engine and automatic gearbox, while still managing to be innovative in terms of its aesthetics, ergonomics and modern features. The Staria has shown us that vans can be cool, and that form and function can both be priorities. While the Luxury model we tested is likely better for the corporate sector, Hyundai sells a Multicab version of the Staria for a whopping R340 000 less, which gets our vote in the MPV segment.
