Hyundai Staria is Hyundai’s latest luxury MPV that was launch internationally back in April of this year, and now it has finally reached Malaysian shores. The new Staria will only be available in 1 variant, and will be priced at RM358,888 with a five-year or 300,000km (whichever comes first) warranty and a 3-year or 50,000km (whichever comes first) free maintenance service.
The Staria we’re getting in Malaysia is the Staria Premium, which is powered by the trustworthy 2.2L Diesel engine that has the ability to produce 177bhp and 431 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to Hyundai’s own 8-speed automatic transmission. From my brief test drive, the engine felt decently powerful to pull the large MPV along, while the gear shift felt smooth. 
When I first see the Staria in real life, the MPV looks way bigger than what the photo suggests. In reality, the Staria measured in at almost 2 meters wide while the overall length is at 5,253 mm, giving the Staria a rather large footprint. When driving the car, the driver needs to be aware of the size of the car especially driving in the city. 
The Staria looks very futuristic, and it was design to look like a spaceship for the road. Hyundai emphasises that the exterior of the MPV is design with a single stroke to give it a cleaner look. There is also the low belt line that gives the Staria an airy feeling on the interior. I like the modern yet simplistic exterior look, which makes the Staria stands out from the usual crowd of MPVs. The Staria is equipped with full LED headlights and taillights to continue with the futuristic looks.
When 1st open the car door, you’ll notice that the door panel is fully wrapped in suede that complements with the nappa leather wrapped seats. The Staria that we have in Malaysia is the 7-seater variant of the Staria, with the 2nd row seats being captain seats which can be fully recline and can be heated or cooled. 
Getting in the driver seat, you’ll notice that you’re seating quite high up, which is almost the same eye level as a small commercial truck. Even with the low belt line, I still feel like I’m sitting in the MPV rather than on the MPV. Seating position is spot on, and the large windows gives the driver plenty of viewing angle out the window. Navigating the Staria in tight spaces is made easier with the help of the large side mirror and 360 cameras.
The interior of the Staria has plenty of storage compartment, but yet it looks rather simple. There is a 10.25” screen that Hyundai uses as the instrument cluster, where the visuals on it can change around following the drive mode. At the centre, the 8” touch screen system acts as the infotainment display and the side of it do comes with buttons and knobs to help with the system navigation. For added premium, our local Staria also has been equipped with 12-speakers Bose sound system, 10-colour ambient lights, and dual sunroof to let more light into the cabin when needed. 
Convenience wise, the Staria also equipped with smart powered tailgate and sliding doors. The tailgate and sliding doors can be open by just standing by it for around 5 seconds with the key in the pocket, and the tailgate has an added function that it can automatically close down when the key holder walks away from the Staria. With all the seats up, the cargo space is measured in at 117L, but with some seat readjustment, the cargo space can further increase to 431L. If the owner needs more space, they can further fold away the seats for more space. 
For safety, the Hyundai Staria is available with the whole host of Hyundai Smart Safety Sense systems. These systems includes Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM), Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA) with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW) with Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), Parking Distance Warning (PDW), Surround View Monitor (SVM), Rear Occupant Alert (ROA), Safe Exit Warning (SEW), and High Beam Assist (HBA).
The Hyundai Staria is available in 7 different exterior colours, 2 exterior colour accent, and 4 interior colours to choose from. The Hyundai Staria is now available in Hyundai’s showroom in Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Booking of the Staria can be done online via Hyundai’s online shopping platform, Cl!ck to Buy (www.hyundai.com.my/clicktobuy/) or visit any of Hyundai’s authorised showrooms. Customers can also call Hyundai’s Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000 for more information. 
