The is one of the more eye-catching cars that graces Malaysian streets, but at RM 366,768 we'll admit there's not many to see in the first place. However, that could soon change with the spotting of this 10-seater variant.
Seen at an undisclosed location by an anonymous reader, this set of pictures show us a little bit of what to expect from this 10-seater variant. Lots of it is simpler than the current, luxury-oriented 7-seater, from the body-coloured grille to the simpler, silver wheels.
Apart from the obvious extra row of seats, the interior leans towards the 'no-frills' side of things – some changes we can spot are in the infotainment system (no 8-inch touchscreen here) and a single-tone cabin, though it looks like leather seats and the digital instrument cluster remain.
Powertrain and spec sheets have not been shared yet, though it's likely to keep the current 7-seater's 2.2-litre diesel (177 PS and 431 Nm) plus 8-speed automatic transmission combo.
If it all looks a little cheaper, well there may be good reasons for that. Having 10 seats means the Staria likely qualifies as a commercial vehicle in Malaysia's tax regulations, which carries a lower tax rate than regular 7- or 8-seater MPVs.
2022 Kia Carnival
That is analogous to the in Malaysia, whereby the fully-imported (CBU Korea) 11-seaters are priced at RM 196,340, versus the locally-assembled (CKD Kulim) 7- and 8-seaters which range from RM 231,228 to RM 261,228.
Keyword: Possibly your cheaper Kia Carnival alternative: 10-seater Hyundai Staria spied in Malaysia