Hyundai Staria review

• What is it?
• What would it go up against?
• Not a bad shout. How big is it?
• Talk to me about the design.
• Is it equally advanced to drive?
• What does it cost?
• Tell me more about the Camper.
• What's the verdict?
• What is it like to drive?
• Is it easy to drive?
• What about bodyroll?
• Is it economical? 
• What is it like on the inside?
• What about storage?
• Let’s go clutter first.
• What about passengers?
• Tell me about the boot.
• What should I be paying?

Overview

What is it?

It’s the people carrier we’d all love to be seen in. Yep, even the surliest teenagers would hoik up their baggies to go to Granny’s in this sleek and shard-sharp piece of futuristic design. It’s Hyundai’s Staria people carrier. Up to 11 people in fact. And available as a camper van as well. But not available in the UK. Yet. It’s recently arrived in Europe, the UK business case is being assessed. Hardly surprising given we’ve rejected MPVs for SUVs. Now you’re regretting giving up the Zafira for a Grandland, aren’t you?

What would it go up against?

It’s a rival to the likes of the Mercedes V-Class, Ford’s Transit Trail and the ubiquitous VW T6 and Multivan. Or whatever Japanese import is being shifted at that lot down the far end of your nearest industrial estate (it’ll be a Nissan Elgrand or Toyota Alphard). Come to think of it, you could import one of these.

Not a bad shout. How big is it?

Bigger than you think. Based on an extended version of the Hyundai/Kia’s N3 platform as used for the Tucson, Sportage and Sorento among others, at 5.2 metres it’s 250mm longer than a T7 Multivan, and taller too. This is the crux for UK van people – the regular Staria’s 1,990mm height just scrapes below most UK height restrictors, but go for the Camper (2,095mm) or high-roof Limousine (2,200mm) and you’re likely snookered.

But this external size is reflected inside. The people carrier can be had with either nine (three rows of three) or seven seats (four captain’s chairs, then a three person bench). There are twin sliding doors. The Camper is a close copy of VW’s California, so you can have a fully kitted out van that seats and sleeps four, or a stripped out version that somehow seats 11 by squeezing in a fourth row. But it still only sleeps four, which isn’t that useful. Throw in some tents. There’s plenty of room for them behind and underneath the seats.

Talk to me about the design.

It’s cracking isn’t it? Such a clean, bold face with subtly chamfered edges, a big grille, full width light strip and hidden headlights. The flanks and rear are nearly as successful too. This is a piece of design to rival the VW ID.Buzz, and it didn’t even have a retro hero to call on for inspiration. The dipping glass line along the side does make you feel a little exposed though. Maybe that explains why the windows are so heavily tinted.

Is it equally advanced to drive?

Maybe we should just leave this review here? Move on and, er, gloss things… no, of course not. One day, Hyundai promises it will electrify the Staria (or its replacement), but right now the forward-looking design is partnered by decidedly backward-looking 2.2-litre diesel engine. 175bhp and 318lb ft from 1,500-2,500rpm to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Economy varies between versions, but most return around 28mpg and 190g/km of CO2. Some, for those pining after a Mitsubishi Delica, can be had with HTRAC all-wheel drive.

Alternatively, if you’re already laughing in the teeth of the cost of living crisis, there’s a V6. A 3.5-litre V6 no less, with 237bhp and 236lb ft. It runs on LPG for even more niche appeal, and is auto-only.

To drive, it’s like a van even though it isn’t based on a van. It’s reasonably refined and engine vibrations don’t clatter too hard, but you sit very high, it’s ponderous and sluggish with slow steering. It sits straight and true on motorways (unless there are crosswinds) but it doesn’t compress journeys as ably as the VWs. Although at least you’re not constantly having to keep your eyes peeled for free charging points.

What does it cost?

Kind of a pointless exercise given you can’t buy one in the UK, but in Korea a basic one starts at around £19,000, rising to more than double that for a fully loaded camper version. If you did choose to import one it’s worth knowing Hyundai does already build them in right-hand drive for the Australian market.

Tell me more about the Camper.

Think of it like a VW California that’s been given a tech makeover. It has most of the functionality, but switches some of the VW’s practical touches (chairs in the tailgate, fold-flat table in the sliding door, cooking hob) for more Insta-friendly features (built in shower hose, flip down screen, mood lighting). The electric pop-up roof is very slow, the downstairs ‘bed’ needs a mattress topper to literally take the edge off the folded-flat seats, but it comes across as well thought out, a cool and pretty compelling Cali alternative.

Futuristic looks conceal run-of-the-mill underbits. Still, the Hyundai Staria is the acceptable face of MPVing.

The Staria is a corking looking people carrier. That alone ought to earn it a place on British price lists. Look at the number of imported second hand Japanese MPVs around for proof there’s demand in a market sector that every fashionable European marque bar VW has abandoned in favour of SUVs. The van class needs a giddy up and, frankly, the ID.Buzz could do with the support.

It’s huge inside, equipped with enormously versatile seating options and because it’s not originally based on a van, has better comfort and refinement levels than you might expect. We don’t doubt diesel is the right choice, but a hybrid alternative would be sensible and better reflect the outward appearance. As it is, it’s just not as sophisticated as the exterior design would lead you to believe. But only you would be aware of that. Fellow parents of large broods looking on would be green with envy.

Driving

What is it like to drive?

We’re not going to be talking cornering G and steering feel here. But you do need to know about the steering at least. It’s light, as it should be, and also slow. That makes sense, given a quick steering rack on a high-riding, 2,300kg van is the best recipe for a rollover so quick it’d shame a prize-winning Border Collie. But you will be twirling the wheel at Collie rates if you need to make a swift three-pointer – there’s a lot of lock to deal with.

This probably implies it’s a van, which it is, but only in scale. The platform, as we said earlier, is from Hyundai’s road car, and that means it wears proper suspension underneath, has computer controlled braking and can be had with a 4WD system with lockable 50:50 torque split. More relevantly it doesn’t rattle, buzz and clatter like a regular van. It’s actually quite refined and smooth-riding.

Is it easy to drive?

Once you’ve got used to the height, yes. It’s no wider than an SUV and the slab sides and big mirrors make it easy to place and thread about. The seats are giant, there are armrests for your elbows and the view forward is commanding. Physical buttons on the console sort the gearbox, the driving position doesn’t have you reaching for the top of the steering wheel or pressing pedals like you’re sitting at a piano, so you soon feel confident.

What about bodyroll?

This is the one thing. You sit very high, and that means – like King Kong at the top of his skyscraper – you’re exposed to some tilt and wobble. Your inner ear tells you this more than your eyes. It’s the most unsettling thing about the Staria, but all it means is that you think twice before tackling roundabouts with gusto, instead slowing right down and tip-toeing round them. The grip is there if you really want it, but the on-board experience and passenger reaction isn’t worth it.

Is it economical? 

How does a real-world 32mpg sound? Tolerable? Good, we thought so too. A VW diesel is probably a couple of MPG better, and of course the Multivan can be a hybrid. Anyway, this 2.2-litre four cylinder diesel is well insulated, and there’s enough torque (324lb ft) that you’re not holding other traffic up. The gearbox is smooth enough to be unobtrusive, too.

Interior

What is it like on the inside?

It’s rather hard to feel cosy when you’re surrounded by this much glass. Anyone who works in a modern office with floor-to-ceiling windows will get the idea. With that said, the front seats could be more enveloping, some hard plastics could do with a rethink and the whole thing feels primed for a once-over by someone Swedish. At least the leather-wrapped steering wheel gives you something warm to squidge and feel good about.

What about storage?

People storage or storage for clutter?

Let’s go clutter first.

There are so many cup holders, you could do that hipster deconstructed latte thing without pinching anyone else’s drinks pocket. Storage bins and pockets abound. There’s even a couple of lidded ones on the dashtop, plus generous doorbins and a huge sliding console between the front seats. A lot of this obviously depends on which model you’ve gone for. Some favour people over clutter. With that in mind…

There’s seating – and room – for an entire little league squad plus coach (that’s you, by the way). This doesn’t apply if you’ve gone for the four seat Camper. Although you won’t be short of space for kit bags.

What about passengers?

The seven-seater is the hauler to have, with four captain’s chairs giving room to spread, then the rear three seat bench for the overspill. Which is no way to talk about the youngest child in your brood. There aren’t any ISOFIX mounting points in the third row, and if you’re planning the ‘MPV on weekdays, van on weekends’ thing, it’s worth mentioning that the Staria doesn’t offer the option to easily remove the second or even third row seats.

Tell me about the boot.

The top-hinged tailgate is huge, and there’s over 1,300 litres of space in the back before you even start reducing the seating capacity. SUVs can’t hold a candle to this. Space has been called the final frontier and the ultimate luxury, and we’d tend to agree on both counts. But even if you don’t, you’d have to concede that space is the ultimate practicality – there’s enough room to consider a Staria for anything from family hauling to full-on #vanlife. We’d go for the commercial version with all-wheel-drive, put on some chunkier tyres and use it to take dirtbikes to trailheads.

Buying

What should I be paying?

We’ve already spoken about this. For the foreseeable future (which admittedly is only measured in weeks given Hyundai’s pace of change) there are no plans to sell this in the UK. We can’t see that changing during 2023 at least.

The fact it’s new in Europe and the pound isn’t strong against the euro (or anything else for that matter) means it doesn’t make sense to look at an import from the continent at the moment. And we dread to think how much it would be to bring one over from Australia. Your best course of action may well be to pester your local dealer. Go with a sleeping bag and tell them you’ll curl up in a corner until they sort it out.

If it does come here, don’t expect to be paying the same £19,000 entry they do in South Korea. It’s going to be upwards of £30,000 basic. If the Camper Four makes it here to rival the VW T6 Cali, that’s going to be £50k at least.

Emissions of 200g/km make for costly first year tax, but only £165 annually after that.

Keyword: Hyundai Staria review