- Interior space and comfort
- Driving the Staria Multicab
- Fuel economy
- The pros of holidaying with the Staria Multicab
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If you need a multi-purpose van with various talents, Hyundai's Multicab van which is a half-passenger-half-commercial vehicle will blow you away with its versatility. We drove it from Hermanus to Jeffreys Bay for a week of family fun over the October school holidays.
Even though I don’t surf, I love Jeffrey’s Bay. My grandparents lived there when I was little, and school holidays were often spent there. Some of my happiest childhood memories are those spent boogie-boarding in the ocean, collecting shells, and playing on the beaches of Jeffreys Bay and nearby Aston Bay with my beloved Ouma and Oupa, who aren’t with us anymore.
Since we reside in the coastal town of Hermanus where the water is mostly freezing all year round, I decided that my kids needed to experience a proper Jeffreys Bay holiday where the waves are world-class and the water is warm(ish). I booked the Staria Multicab for the trip because our stay was fully self-catering in basic surfing digs, and I knew that travelling light wasn’t an option.
Styling
The stunning and aerodynamic Staria has become a familiar face on South African roads!
The Staria is one good-looking van and viewed from the outside, you would never guess that the Multicab is any different from the other multi-row Staria models. The only thing that alludes to this Staria’s utilitarian intentions is the security bars over the rearmost windows.
Those who like to wistfully stare out of a car window will have an excellent view from all angles.
The Multicab comes equipped with handsome 17-inch alloy wheels and daytime running lamps too, and those massive windows don’t just look nice – they are ideal for sightseeing.
The Staria 2.2D Multicab currently retails for R764 900 (correct at the time this article was published – October 2022).
Interior space and comfort
The Staria is a roomy vehicle, whether it seats 5, 8, or 11. In the Multicab’s case, you have a regular 5-seater setup up front, with a wonderfully large cargo area in the rear. At first, the two kids were disappointed that they wouldn’t each have a row of seats to themselves (sibling rivalry is very real in my family) but at least the second row is very spacious. Armed with pillows, blankets, and their devices, they settled in for a 6-7 hour trip to the Eastern Cape.
Up front, the Staria is even more comfortable and rather luxurious. Below the large central touchscreen unit is a wireless charging pad for your phone with enough room in the binnacle for another phone to lie sideways next to it. You can also connect your phone wirelessly to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
There are nifty storage trays above the driver and front passenger where you can stow anything from documents to devices or sunglasses. The centre console also features two more hidey holes for small items but some rubber surfacing in the lower binnacle would have reduced the irritating sounds of keys or coins moving around when you turn. Oh, and an armrest would have been a nice touch for the front passengers; it really is conspicuous in its absence when you’re on the road for many hours. The seats are leather, so the kids could totally tuck into their padkos without me stressing about messes and spills.
In the rear, there is that massive, separate cargo area with anchor points on the (non-rubberised) floor if you need to tie down large items. None of us knew what the weather was really going to be like, so we all packed winter and summer clothing into large suitcases. And, since I don’t like to sukkel when on holiday, I also packed my 6.5-litre air fryer and my Italian espresso machine, and we’re not talking a compact Nespresso here. Even after my diving bag, my husband’s work supplies, three body boards, beach umbrellas, a load-shedding kit and a week’s worth of groceries were packed, there was still tons of space left. I can only imagine how much cyclists, campers and dog owners would appreciate the space and versatility that the Multicab offers. If it were only me and my other half going on holiday, we’d probably throw a mattress in the back and rough it out somewhere in the middle of nowhere, but kids nowadays can’t survive without wi-fi.
These people have the right idea – but I’d sleep in the back of the Multicab instead of schlepping with a tent!
Driving the Staria Multicab
My husband drove the first stint to Swellendam because I had an irritating headache which is usually exacerbated by driving, but after a coffee and a Grandpa at one of the first of many farmstalls on the N2, I felt much better and took the wheel. I was immediately struck by how easy it is to drive the Staria. It’s surprisingly light on its feet, its steering is light, and its turning circle is so small that a U-turn can be made in one fell swoop.
The digitised instrument cluster even has a little ‘awning’ that prevents the light from shining directly on the screen, for better visibility.
The kids were so comfortable in their seats, that they didn’t even get out of the car at the above-mentioned farm stall. As we pulled away to rejoin the traffic on the N2, I put my foot down when I saw a huge truck approaching from afar, because I didn’t want to be stuck behind it for kilometres on end. The 2.2-litre turbodiesel sprang to life and hauled itself onto the highway in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. With 130 kW and 430 Nm of torque, there is enough power on hand for such manoeuvres, and yet it doesn’t guzzle diesel. Cruise control is easy to activate if you’re fearful of racking up speeding fines along the way, but when in use, the 8-speed automatic transmission had a tendency to hunt for gears at times. You can also choose between driving modes, and in the interest of saving fuel, we stuck to the Eco setting.
As soon as we crossed the ‘border’ into the Eastern Cape, the road conditions worsened, but the Staria is built with this in mind and took the patchy tar and potholes in its stride. The Multicab has the usual MacPherson suspension in front, while the leaf-spring rear suspension was applied to make the Multicab better at carrying or towing heavy loads. All of this enhances the ride quality and therefore comfort for all passengers.
Fuel economy
The Staria, with a cargo area which was about one-quarter full and 4 people on board, used only around 7.5 – 8 litres of diesel per 100 km, making about 1020 km on one tank a rather realistic figure. But Eish! Filling up that 72-litre tank came to just over R1500 which really leaves a significant hole in your pocket – but that’s not the Staria’s fault.
The pros of holidaying with the Staria Multicab
Those who are familiar with the Eastern Cape, especially the PE area and surrounds, will know that it’s the wind that determines whether you’re going to have a pleasant beach day or not. And, sometimes, it’s windy in one place and windless in another, so quite often we went in search of beaches that were less breezy than others. Some of the more remote bathing spots were quite deserted and therefore without ablution facilities, but when we needed to get dressed before or after a swim or a snorkel, we always had our very own changing room on board! You just hang a towel or a sarong over the top security rails, and there you have it – complete privacy and plenty of space.
After a week of ocean activities, the Multicab’s cargo bay was terribly sandy, but it was nothing that a good hose-down couldn’t fix – another feather in its already well-decorated cap!
Safety
The Staria Multicab is well equipped in this department, with a multitude of cameras and other driving assistants that beep incessantly to prevent you from driving into obstacles or oncoming traffic from the rear. When you want to leave your parking space and a car is driving past, it beeps. If you want to change lanes and there’s traffic in that lane, it beeps. If you’re approaching an obstacle in reverse, it beeps. The good news, however, is that all of these assistants can be switched off for a beep-free existence, but they definitely come in handy if you’re a distracted driver or you’re just preoccupied with troublesome thoughts. The Staria gets a 5-star safety rating.
Verdict
Every so often, a car comes around that fulfils all my needs and expectations. The Staria Multicab is an example of this phenomenon. It is the perfect solution for families that can afford one car that has to do it all, and you aren’t keen on a bakkie.
So, if you are in the market for something a little different and highly adept at life, the Multicab is your van.
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Ané AlbertseAné was bitten by the motoring bug at a very young age. Her mom recalls her sitting in her stroller as a 3-year old, naming every car that came past. She was working as a freelance motoring journalist for publications such as Rapport and City Press, when AutoTrader nabbed her for good. She lives in the Western Cape with her two kids and two cats.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Roadtrip Review: Hyundai Staria 2.2D Multicab (2022), the ultimate surfmobile