The eight-seat Hyundai Staria people mover has received a light refresh in 2025, with some technical upgrades applied across the range. The Staria is never going to win any beauty contests, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for with loads of practicality.
There are two engine options available, a V6 petrol-powered model that’s front-wheel drive and this all-wheel drive 2.2 litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with 130kW of power and 430Nm of torque. There are four drive modes to select from, Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart and I defaulted to Normal mode for my time with the Staria. The official combined fuel use is 8.2 L/100km and doing quite a bit of highway driving I used 7.5L/100km of diesel. Both engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission with a Shift by Wire system with push button controls. Staria models have a 2,500kg towing capacity (braked) and 750kg (unbraked) with a maximum tow ball download of 100kg.
I experienced the top spec Staria Highlander powered by the turbo-diesel engine and as the driver you do feel a bit like you are steering a starship. The Highlander adds extra features like dual powered sunroofs (only front sunroof opens), 10.25” digital driver’s cluster, heated leather-appointed steering wheel, and heated and ventilated front seats with the cooling being relatively quiet when operating.
The Staria has one touch keyless entry on all four doors and keyless start with the driver’s seat having powered adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat cushion tilt front and rear, 4-way lumbar support and no memory positions. The front passenger seat has manual adjustment for recline and forward/back only. You only get single zone climate control for front passengers and I’m not a fan of the gloss black plastic used on the dash attracts dust and gets bad finger marks.
To keep an eye on your rear seat passengers you have a rear passenger view camera that displays on the 10.25” touchscreen. The Staria also now comes with 5-year complimentary Hyundai Bluelink subscription, Hyundai’s connected car services program. Voice control can be used to operate some infotainment functions and is engaged by pressing the button on the steering wheel with the masculine-looking silhouette on it and worked for me when I asked it to change a radio station or set a destination on the sat nav, but did not work for making phones calls, kept selecting the wrong contact.
Wired Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto are connected via a USB-A cord and there’s a wireless phone charger and additional storage cubbies below the main dash with one USB-A port, one USB-C port and one 12V socket. There are two more storage cubbies in the top of the dash one in the centre and one in front of the driver and cup holders almost everywhere you look, with two in the centre console, one pop out holder in the centre of the dash and another cup holder on the driver’s side of the dash. In the door’s there are another four separate cubbies, for all sorts of bits and bobs.
Access to the second and third row is via powered sliding rear doors that can be operated from the door, key fob, and a button in the cabin and you can also turn them off so they can’t be accidently opened. The ride for the rear passengers is a bit wallowy, which may be an issue for those who suffer from travel sickness. But thankfully the Staria also has roof mounted air vents above the second and third row seats and all of the rear windows can be opened and have manual blinds on them. There are digital controls for temperature, mode and air speed for rear passengers located on the roof on the driver’s side or that can be controlled from the front of the cabin as well.
There’s plenty of head, leg room and under thigh support when sitting in the second row seats and these have a 60:40 split fold with manual recline and forward/back adjustment. For young passengers there are two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points in the second row, but no child seat points on the third-row seats.
To keep the youngsters hydrated there are two large drink bottle storage cubbies in each of the sliding doors and two more pop out drink holders at the rear of the centre console. To keep them entertained there are two USB-C ports for device charging and a help them keep the area neat and tidy there’s storage bin at the base of the console. The carpet mats on the floors between the rear seats also make it easier for vacuuming as well.
To get into the the third-row seats, you manually slide the second-row seats forward and as there is no folding involved you don’t need to be worried about car seats getting in the way of third row access. The gap that opens is amply big enough for adults to easily get in and out of the third row.
Even with the second-row seats fully back there is still enough leg room for me to fit in the third row comfortably and your head could well be in the clouds as there is that much head room in the Staria. There’s also a nice amount of under thigh support and my knees did not feel like they were sitting up high. These seats would be good for moody teenagers to sit back there with their headphones on ignoring the rest of the family. They’ll have ample air conditioning from the vents on each side of the roof, and get small rigid drink holders in each wheel arch with another cubby for their phone and one USB-C port on either side of the vehicle for charging.
Understandably the tailgate of the Staria is quite large and thankfully it has powered operation and can be open/closed from the tailgate, key fob and a button located in the centre of the roof at the front of the vehicle. The tailgate also auto opens when you stand next to the vehicle with the key fob on you and I found this to be somewhat problematic because when I was in a tight space and the tailgate started to open, I had to quickly crab it and close it down. The large flat boot space is good for a pram and the weekly and it is low down, making it easier to lift these items in and out. There are hooks at the boot opening that appear to be there for some sort of cargo net? And your full-size spare tyre is located under the rear of the vehicle.
All Hyundai Staria models have a 5-star ANCAP (2021) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 85% and a Child Occupant Protection score of 86%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard on all variants.
The Staria now comes with auto rain sensing wipers, along with the previously available auto lights and high beam assist. The feature I like about the operation of these is when you change a selection of them it display on the driver’s dash so you know when you are in auto mode. The reversing camera combined a standard view and a surround view monitor with front and rear parking sensors make parking this bus easier.
Hyundai SmartSense is fitted as standard and on the 2025 Staria Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist has been replaced with Blind-Spot Collision Warning across the range as part of an extensive suite of advanced active safety and driver assistance technologies. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car to Car and Vulnerable Road User), a lane support system with lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and blind spot monitoring (BSM) are standard on all variants. The Highlander also has adaptive cruise control and blind spot view, which displays a camera view on the driver’s dash when you indicate.
ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios. The AEB system does not react to vehicles in turning scenarios (AEB Junction Assist), and hence these tests were not conducted. Overall, effectiveness of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system performance was rated as ADEQUATE. ANCAP tests of LSS functionality showed GOOD performance in lane keep assist scenarios, and ADEQUATE performance in the more critical ELK scenarios with overall performance classified as GOOD and the overall the Safety Assist score is 74%.
All new Starias come with Hyundai iCare, with owner benefits including 5 Year Unlimited km Warranty, Complimentary Roadside Assist for 12 months on new vehicles, 1,500km complimentary first service, a dedicated Customer Care centre and myHyundai – an exclusive owner website. The Staria service interval is 12 months or 15,000km and the first five services will cost $2,375 according to the Hyundai Australia website. When servicing with Hyundai, customers will also receive a Sat Nav Update Plan and a Roadside Support Plan for up to 10 years.
Prices for the 2.2 CRDi AWD Hyundai Staria Highlander start at $67,500 on-road costs and as tested with premium paint ($695) the Staria I drove was $68,195 excluding on-road costs. You can build and price your Hyundai Staria online or visit your preferred Hyundai dealer for more information including some great end of financial year offers.
| Pros | Cons |
| Loads of space and comfort for all eight passengers | Only has single zone climate control for front passengers |
| Even more features fitted as standard | No child seat restraint points on third row |
| All windows can be opened | The large tailgate |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.