As the successor to the popular Starex, the new Staria is Hyundai’s big bet in the commercial vehicle and people carrier sector and will be geared towards markets where those vehicles have greater presence. This includes Toyota Hiace-loving Thailand – the Starex is in fact the only model the Korean carmaker sells over there, so a replacement is a very big deal indeed.
Which is why the Land of Smiles is one of the first countries to receive the Staria, due for a launch there in exactly a week’s time on July 9. From the image above, it appears that Thailand will get the standard version of the van, as denoted by the body-coloured slotted grille and smaller reflector LED headlights as opposed to the copper mesh grille and full-height multi-projector lamps of the Premium model.
Still, the Staria will stand out next to its more utilitarian competition, with its smooth spaceship-like design, slim full-width LED daytime running lights and a shockingly modern interior equipped with Hyundai’s latest display and infotainment tech. The standard version is offered in a variety of seating configurations ranging from three to 11 pews, but it will miss out on the Premium’s swanky business class-style second-row seats.
Expect Thai models to come with un upgraded Smartstream version of the proven 2.2 litre R turbodiesel, making 177 PS and 431 Nm of torque and paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic. There’s also a 272 PS 3.5 litre V6 available in other markets, but it likely won’t be available in this region, where diesel-powered commercial vehicles reign supreme.
