Space-age load lugging in the Hyundai Staria Multicab

Leading up to its launch last year, the general believe was that the production Hyundai Staria simply couldn’t be what the South Korean automaker had showed in a number of beforehand teaser images.

Straight from the future

While the splitting of opinion regarding styling is nothing new for Hyundai (Kona anyone?), the Staria all but trounced any thoughts of what polarising looks should be.

In fact, while the expression “futuristic” is often overused for any aspect of a new car, it most certainly applies to the Staria, hands-down.

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No sooner had it been launched, supplementary terms such as “spaceship”, “RoboCop” and “spaceshuttle” began emerging. Descriptions, which resonated appropriately as the Staria simply looks otherworldly compared to its H-1 predecessor.

Although a standout of the nine-seat bus aimed at the Volkswagen T6.2 Caravelle, Toyota Quantum VX and Mercedes-Benz Vito/V-Class, the other side of the coin was how the Hyundai Staria would make the “down-step” transition from luxury space-age people mover, to a load hauler with futuristic ambitions. The answer? Rather well.

Hauling the forthcoming

Like the H-1, the Staria now offers a combination model, or Multicab in Hyundai speak, which jettisons the third row seating for a loading area separated from the rear seats by a steel bulkhead partition with an integrated window.

Now going up against the T6.2 Transporter Crew Bus, the Vito Mixto Crew Cab and the Quantum Crew Cab, the overall impression of the Staria still being something from science-fiction, despite now being a worker instead of an executive, never abated as the invited Johannesburg media sat eyes on it at the official launch last week Friday.

As much as the “spaceship” reference has been exasperated, there is simply no way of not looking at the Staria without making the connection.

Even though the 17-inch wheels appear to be imitation alloys, despite Hyundai being adamant that they are the real deal, the Multicab differs otherwise very little from the Executive-spec bus on which it is based.

While the exterior polarises, the interior, laid-out in a 2+3 format, is less alien, and arguably just as a big a standout.

Dual meaning of space

As standard, the Multicab receives an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the freestanding digital 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster, a leather covered multi-function steering wheel, wireless smartphone charger, dual USB ports, folding electric mirrors, cruise control, electric windows, faux leather seats and auto on/off halogen headlights.

The revised safety and driver assistance sheet, from the H-1 that is, comprises six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, Blind Spot Monitoring, a reverse camera, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Electronic Stability Control.

While its dimensions are unchanged from the bus, the Hyundai Staria Multicab is longer (+30 mm), wider (+77 mm), higher (+65 mm) and longer in wheelbase (+73 mm) than the H-1 Multicab, with the claimed cargo area length increasing by 120 mm to 1 705 mm and the loading volume from 2 511-litres to 2 890-litres.

Able to transport two Euro pallets, according to Hyundai, opening the Staria’s barn-style rear doors reveals a series of tie-down hooks on the floors, as well as protective bars in front of each window.

The claimed payload is 1 074 kg with tow ratings of 2 500 kg for a braked trailer and 750 kg for an unbraked trailer respectively.

The waft

Entrusted with helping Seoul move 1 500 to 1 800 Starias a year, the Multicab launch route from Hyundai’s head office in Bedfordview to Cullinan and then back made for a surprising experience.

Despite the ride being admittedly bouncy with no load on-board, the suspension soaked up imperfections and bumps with ease, thus resulting in a compliant and comfortable ride.

Counting further in its favour are the levels of refinement and lack of road noise at the national limit, and frugal consumption, which dropped to a simply incredible, indicted, 6.3 L/100 km out on launch route.

Aside from the odd scratchy surfaces, the tactile feel is anything but van-like as the plastics used are soft and premium feeling.

Sprouting from the dashboard, the infotainment system is finished in piano-key black, which, while a welcome break from the grey plastics, looks a bit chintzy and still endowed by the same dated looking graphics as other current Kia and Hyundai models.

It is however an easy system to decipher and a huge step-up from the old display used in the H-1. Spacious is perhaps an overkill term to use, but the Multicab feels exactly that from a head and legroom perspective.

Getting comfortable behind the wheel is also easy, though if knit-picking is to be applied, a pair of armrests on the outer sides of the front seats would have been a nice addition.

There is however no way of denying Hyundai’s achievements with the interior, a trait is carries through to the powertrain.

Like the bus, the Multicab is powered by the stalwart 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, whose 130kW/430Nm goes to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Replacing the H-1’s rear-wheel-drive and five-speed automatic combo, the Multicab loses the push-button operation for the transmission as Hyundai has opted to equip it with a conventional gear lever.

As editor Jaco van der Merwe described in his launch report of the bus, the drivertrain is smooth, while the ‘box goes about its business with ease and in an unobtrusive matter. A manual override is provided, though is it unlikely to be used much.

Conclusion

Although some worries were expressed in the Staria donning a space-age work suit, the transformation has largely been a successful one that could pay dividends to Hyundai’s already substantial share as evident by the 989 H-1 Multicabs it shifted.

At R759 900, the Staria Multicab is pricier than most of its immediate rivals, but fitted with more standard equipment as well Hyundai’s seven-year/200 000 km warranty and six-year/60 000 km service plan.

Given the rate at how the bus has become a familiar site on our roads in a short space time, in spite of its premium price tag, expect this continue now that the Multicab has touched down.