Earlier today, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) launched the 10-seater variant of their very modern looking Hyundai Staria MPV at the One Utama shopping mall in Petaling Jaya. There are three variants available, the Staria Lite, Plus, and Max, starting from RM179,888.00 onwards.
The Hyundai Staria is one modern looking large MPV that has been designed for big families and businesses, this 10-seater version features 2-3-2-3 seat layout and also has sliding passenger side doors and a decently high roof making it easy for passengers to get in and out. It has more convenient storage spaces and sliding seats with increased versatility to create your own space for different needs, such as for transport of cargo and sporting equipment, going on a camping trip or even ferry a team of rugby sevens with the coach in one go.
Mr. Low Yuan Lung, Managing Director of HSDM, the 10-seater Staria is the most versatile large MPV launched by Hyundai that offers maximum flexibility with its seat configuration and full-flat seats. It boasts a loading capacity of up to 1,024 litres with full-flat seats. Apart from using it as a people mover and for transporting cargo, the fully flat seats can also be turned into a bed for two for camping trips.
The practical interior space utilisation is good due to its long 3,273-mm wheelbase with an overall length of 5,253 mm and width of 1,997 mm. Its overall height of 1,990 mm is optimised for passengers to conveniently enter and exit the vehicle.
Mr. Low had stated that the Staria’s generous legroom as well as the large side windows are among the best features in its segment. Its interior applies a simple and modest layout for the driver’s convenience and passengers’ comfort while staying faithful to the original design of an MPV.
The exterior is very modern, but slightly different up front compared to the more luxuriously specced 7 seater Staria launched earlier. The front end features a different bumper and grille setup where the 7 seater looks squarer and a little more futuristic compared to this 10 seater variant. Overall, it still looks like no other MPV on sale here and this could be a good selling point. - The photo below shows the difference between the two front ends with the 7 seater on the left
The fully digital cockpit features a 10.25-inch instrument cluster display and an 8- inch large touchscreen for the navigation system in the center console. The Max variant also comes equipped with a360-surround view camera for the convenience of parking (and a normal rear camaera for the Plus and the Lite). For the comfort of all passengers, the ceiling/roof air-conditioning vents comes as standard in all variants.
\ Other convenient features also include the power sliding door for the Plus and Max variants. The Max variant additionally has a powered tailgate. The Lite variant comes with blackfabric seats, while the Plus variant carbon semi-leather seats, and Black Nappa leather seats for the Max variant
“The Staria has won several accolades for its design excellence and product innovation. It was honoured with the 2021 GOOD DESIGN Award in the transportation category and recognized in the ‘Best Cars 2022’ readers’ poll organized by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine,” said Jeffrey Gan, Managing Director of Sime Darby Motors Retail and Distribution.
The Staria 10-seater features a diesel-powered 2.2 CRDi engine that is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It delivers an estimated power output of 177PS and 431Nm of torque. Its high-efficiency, air-cooled turbocharger has an improved compressor and turbine wheel performance for better low-speed torque performance.
The Staria has the highest level of vehicle safety. All seats come with three-point seat belts and headrests as well as ISOFIX ready seats on the second row. It is equipped with Hyundai Smartsense, active safety and driving assistance technologies. Among the features included in the Hyundai Smartsense suite (applicable to selected variants) are the Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) and Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go that keeps the SCC running even when the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
The prices for the 10-seater Staria variants are:
Staria Lite – RM 179,888.00 OTR price without insurance for a standard 2-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) warranty or Optional upgrade of RM 10,000.00 to 5-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) warranty + 3-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) Free Service.
Staria Plus – RM 196,888.00 OTR price without insurance for a standard 2-year or 50,000km (whichevercomes first) warranty or Optional upgrade of RM 10,000.00 to 5-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) warranty + 3-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) Free Service.
Staria Max – RM 209,888.00 OTR price without insurance for a standard 2-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) warranty or Optional upgrade of RM 10,000.00 to 5-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) warranty + 3-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) Free Service.
On-the-road price above is applicable only for Peninsula Malaysia, excluding insurance.
Optional upgrade packages are available for installation of side steps (standard or electronic), rear roof infotainment, and Alcantara interior trim.
Personal Thoughts on the Hyundai Staria
I personally think that the Staria is good replacement for the Grand Starex and those that are familiar with the Starex know that it offers a lot of space and a lot of value. Some will note that there is only a 2 year warranty for the basic packages that could be extended to a 5 year plan for the an additional sum. I believe the reason is simply for HSDM to ensure that the entry price for all variants are competitive enough for everyone. Some customers may be so price sensitive and want to opt for a basic package and there could also be an argument that the extra RM10,000 could be a deal breaker for some.
However, the could be many fleet operators who would just want basic warranties and these 10 seaters are usually sold to many fleet operators that may put them through high mileage in a short period of time. All I can add is that this was done to cap the price to a certain level.
On which variant I think offers best value, I think the entry level one offers everything a large family needs while keeping the price down. You will not get the active safety suite of the Plus and the Max but if you are familiar with driving the previous large Hyundai MPV, the Starex, it would basically be essentially the same in terms of performance and size. Except that it is now front wheel drive rather than rear wheel driven. In terms of performance, that 2.2liter turbodiesel is actually power packed and will actually allow the Staria high cruising speeds. With that Hyundai build quality it should be a good people carrier over long distances
So I'd buy the entry level variant as it lacks active safety features but still has a reverse camera for parking and all the required airbags and other ABS systems too. Aside from that, less electronics may be actually better in the long run for ease of maintenance and long term reliability. But of course, this train of thought goes against the Malaysian customer norm of buying the highest specification model around. But it is something to think about, folks.
Interested parties can now walk into any authorised Hyundai showrooms to place a booking. Booking can also beplaced online via Hyundai’s online shopping platform, Cl!ck to Buy (www.hyundai.com.my/clicktobuy/) More information can be obtained from Hyundai’s Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000, its official website: www.hyundai.com.my
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