Hyundai Staria

Step into the interior of the Hyundai Staria, and you will be pleasantly surprised by how premium and expensive the cabin of the Staria looks. Hyundai is offering different interior colour combinations for different variants of the Staria – the Cargo version gets an all-black layout, while the Commuter and GLS+ variants get a dual-tone black and beige upholstery. The range-topping Premium+ variant gets dual-tone black and brown leather upholstery.

The layout of the cabin of the Hyundai Staria looks interesting with the new-age four-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, a tucked-away 10.25-inch full-TFT instrument console on the top of the dashboard, a floating, vertically-laid 8-inch infotainment system and panel for automatic climate control and a sleek layer across the width of the dashboard which also houses AC vents. The lower centre console in the middle of the dashboard gets switch-type transmission controls.

Apart from the features mentioned above, the Hyundai Staria also gets a few more premium features like powered and ventilated front seats, wireless charger, powered rear seats with recliner, Nappa leather upholstery and premium BOSE audio system.

While the design of the Hyundai Staria is surely eye-catching, one can’t deny the fact that the overall look of the Staria is not everyone’s cup of tea. The futurism of the design language does make it head-turning, but it might appeal as an eyesore to many due to many of its quirky-looking elements.

At the front, the Hyundai Staria welcomes one with its massive-looking fascia. While the upper half of the front look of the Hyundai Staria has a large windshield and a sloping, compact bonnet, the lower half looks big and wide with a unique layout for the grille and headlamps. The lower half of the front profile is completely covered in a mesh grille design, which incorporates squared all-LED headlamps in its inner corners and turn indicators integrated on its inner sides. There is a fine, slim-looking strip of daytime running LED at the bottom of the bonnet.

Move sideways, and the boxy appeal of the Hyundai Staria is showcased in full glory. The boxy stance of the Hyundai Staria for its side profile is the only conventional bit in this MPV, with it having super-large window panels covering the entire upper half here. The Staria comes with sliding-type door panels and slightly flared wheel arches, which make the side profile look smooth and fancy despite it not having much visual drama.

At the back, the Hyundai Staria takes some inspiration from the futuristic all-electric offerings from Hyundai under the Ioniq range. The Staria comes with vertically-stacked LED tail lamps. In the middle, while the upper half is covered entirely by the massive rear windscreen, the lower half also has a simple-looking design with rectangular license plate housing.

While the Hyundai Staria might not be an agile handler and throws in a slight body roll due to its boxy size and stance, the MPV offers a comfortable and well-cushioned ride quality, with Macpherson struts at the front and a rigid-axle 5-link suspension at the rear. However, for the Cargo version, the Staria gets a leaf spring setup at the back. The Premium+ variant also gets drive modes – Eco, Comfort, Smart and Sport.

The engine powering the Hyundai Staria as standard is the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which churns out 177 PS of maximum power and 430 Nm of maximum torque. In the Cargo and Commuter variants, this engine is paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox, while the GLS+ and Premium variants get an 8-speed automatic gearbox with shift-on-fly tech. The Premium+ variant also gets an all-wheel-drive system as standard.

The Hyundai Staria gets a ton of safety features, most of which are restricted to the top-spec Premium+ variant. The list includes front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control, hill start assist, electronic parking brake, lane keep assist, forward collision avoidance assists, tyre pressure monitoring system, manual speed limit assist, front and rear parking sensors and surround view monitor.

The extrovert design language of the Hyundai Staria might take some time to get used to. However, the Staria is still an eye-catching vehicle, backed by a premium and feature-rich interior and a supremely comfortable ride quality.