Futuristic-Looking 10-Seater Hyundai Staria Launched in Malaysia
Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors launched the 7-seater premium unit in Malaysia almost a year ago and its design was something out of a sci-fi movie. Now, they have unveiled the 10-seater variant. Prices are cheaper compared to the premium unit simply because of a loophole in Malaysia’s vehicle tax structure which categorises four-row MPVs as commercial vehicles.
The Premium 7-seater is priced at RM366,768.00 with SST. The prices for the 10-seater’s three variants are vastly different:
- Hyundai Staria Lite – RM179,888
- Hyundai Staria Plus – RM196,888
- Hyundai Staria Max – RM209,888
If you think the good-looking Hyundai Starex or the handsome Kia Carnival are big, wait till you go through the dimensions of this one. We’ve included the Maxus G10 for good measure:
| Make/Model Height (mm) | Height (mm) | Width (mm) | Length (mm) | Wheelbase (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Staria | 1990 | 1997 | 5253 | 3273 |
| Hyundai Starex | 1925 | 1920 | 5150 | 3200 |
| Kia Carnival | 1775 | 1995 | 5155 | 3090 |
| Maxus G10 | 1928 | 1980 | 5168 | 3198 |
This MPV by Hyundai is gargantuan. In all dimensions, it overwhelms other people-carriers. It has massive windows because of a low beltline and will take sightseeing journeys to another level. However, our weather here requires you have them tinted.
Pulling this vehicle is a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine that is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. All 177hp power and 431Nm of torque between 1500rpm to 2500rpm are sent to the front wheels.
Because seating comes in a 2-3-2-3 configuration, you don’t get the plush second row seats that you’ll find in the Premium variant. If you’re the driver or if you have a chauffeur, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster (analogue dials for “Lite”) is in front of you.
Head unit touchscreen is 8 inches with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and steering buttons. A 360-degree parking camera, two additional tweeters (six in total), dual-zone air con and a wireless charger can be had in the Max variant. You also get eight USB ports, seven of which are for charging.
The gear lever is a basic one compared to the Premium’s shift-by-wire buttons but all variants get electronic parking brake with auto hold function. The “Lite” variant gets 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, bulb taillights, rear bulb fog lights, LED daytime running light and manual sliding doors. The “Plus” variant adds LED taillights, rear LED fog lights, power sliding doors and parametric Pixel LED taillights.
8-inch display audio with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay.
If you’re going for the top spec (Max), added on are 18-inch alloy wheels, smart sliding doors with one-touch button and an electric tailgate with smart system. The Max variant also gets Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA) with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Following Assist (LFA) and Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go.
Safety-wise, six airbags are standard across the board. A whole suite of safety functions like ABS/EBD/ESC/VSM/TCS and hill start assist are offered as well. Isofix child seat anchors are available on the second row (three seats).
2-3-2-3 seating easily accommodates 10 people.
For big families and business travels, this MPV is a worthy contender. What do you think?
