Hyundai Staria Lounge review: business class, with a bus pass

When Hyundai launched the Staria, it looked as though someone had accidentally let a concept car escape from the motor show and put it into production.

While the rest of the van industry was still arguing about how best to make a box on wheels look vaguely appealing, Hyundai went and created something that looked like it belonged in a science-fiction film.

And, rather wonderfully, it worked. The Staria's enormous glasshouse, full-width front lighting and gloriously uncomplicated bodywork made it one of the most distinctive vehicles on New Zealand roads, while its fundamentally sensible approach to carrying people and their stuff gave all that futuristic styling a practical purpose.

Previously sold here as either a standard van, or a minibus with 8 seats, powered by diesel engine, we now get the Staria Lounge that takes the concept a step further, adding a petrol-hybrid powertrain and a more luxurious approach to passenger transport with its seven-seat layout and second-row captain's chair

On the outside: what are the Hyundai Staria Lounge's main design features?

The Staria still looks like it has arrived from the future, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Its defining feature is the full-width strip of lighting across the nose, which gives the front end an almost pod-like appearance. The main headlights sit lower in the fascia, leaving the upper section remarkably clean and uncluttered. It's a striking design, and one that makes the Staria instantly recognisable without requiring an enormous grille or an assortment of aggressive-looking creases.

The sides are relatively smooth and unadorned, with the enormous windows doing much of the visual work, while around the back, the tall, pixel-inspired vertical tail-lights provide a distinctive finishing touch.

Of course, there is no escaping the fact that this is a large van. But the Lounge doesn't need a dramatic styling overhaul to make its point; its appeal comes from the original design, which remains one of the freshest and most distinctive approaches to passenger transport on the market.

OVERVIEW

On the inside: what's the Hyundai Staria Lounge's cabin like?

If the exterior makes the Staria look as though it belongs in a science-fiction film, the interior is where the Lounge starts to make good on the promise of its name.

The individual captain's chairs are properly plush, with generous adjustment, substantial recline and pop-out leg rests.

The cabin is enormous, as you would expect, and the materials are generally durable rather than overtly luxurious, with hard plastics in places where they make sense, but the textures and finishes are well chosen and the less appealing surfaces are largely kept away from the areas you touch most frequently.

Ambient lighting runs across the dashboard and into the centre console, including an illuminated Staria script that provides a pleasant glow after dark, while twin sunroofs add to the sense of space, although the Staria hardly needs much help in that department. The enormous windows and high roof give the cabin an airy, almost conservatory-like quality.

Up front, the seats are comfortable enough for everyday use, although they could do with a little more lateral support for longer stints behind the wheel, but it's the second row where the Lounge really earns its name.

The individual captain's chairs are properly plush, with generous adjustment, substantial recline and pop-out leg rests. Individual seat controls allow passengers to find their preferred position, while rear climate controls help keep everyone comfortable.

In many seven-seat SUVs, the third row of seats are best reserved for children or adults who have somehow offended the people sitting in the first two rows. The Staria's van-based architecture, however, gives it enough room to make the third row genuinely usable by adults, rather than simply providing a theoretical seven-seat capacity for the brochure.

The ride is compliant and settled, soaking up road imperfections without transmitting every bump and ripple into the cabin, while body control is also better than you might expect from something with such a tall profile.

And then there's the boot. With all three rows in place and set at their maximum rearward travel, the boot seems inadequate at just 117 litres, but fear not - that’s just because the 7-seater version of the lounge has frankly ridiculous leg room.

Move the second and third rows forward to where the legroom is merely generous and you get a sizable 430 litres. Fold the third row away and move it right forward and things start getting silly again with an enormous 1303 litres, with four people still in spacious, luxurious comfort.

INTERIOR

On the road: what's the Hyundai Staria Lounge like to drive?

One of the biggest surprises about the Staria Lounge is just how refined it feels - you might expect something this large and van-shaped to drive like a commercial vehicle with a few extra creature comforts, but the reality is considerably more sophisticated.

Around town, the combination of low-speed electric assistance and restrained engine noise gives the Staria a distinctly more premium character than its van-derived underpinnings might suggest.

The ride is compliant and settled, soaking up road imperfections without transmitting every bump and ripple into the cabin, while body control is also better than you might expect from something with such a tall profile - there's inevitably some movement through corners, but the Staria remains predictable and composed, without the excessive roll that can make large people movers feel cumbersome.

The hybrid powertrain is the real headline, though. It uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with an electric motor, drawing on the same broad hybrid technology used in other Hyundai models, including the Santa Fe.

Electric assistance helps the Staria pull away smoothly, while the petrol engine generally operates without making itself unnecessarily conspicuous. Around town, the combination of low-speed electric assistance and restrained engine noise gives the Staria a distinctly more premium character than its van-derived underpinnings might suggest.

When the petrol engine does make itself heard, it remains relatively subdued - there's no intrusive drone, just a muted engine note that blends into the background during normal driving.

There's also enough performance to move the Staria confidently and the electric assistance helps it feel responsive when pulling away or accelerating through town. It's not particularly quick in a sporting sense, but outright speed isn't the point.

The Hyundai Staria Lounge takes an already distinctive van and makes it considerably more appealing as a people mover.

Fuel economy is another highlight. During predominantly urban driving with some open-road running mixed in, we recorded around 6.5L/100km. In heavier mixed driving, Hyundai’s claim of 7.2L/100km looks like a reasonable expectation.

SPECIFICATIONS

On ownership: what's the Hyundai Staria Lounge's warranty and servicing situation?

Hyundai New Zealand offers a 3-year/150,000 kilometre new-vehicle warranty on the Staria Lounge, along with roadside assistance for the warranty term. The high-voltage battery in Hyundai's hybrid and electric vehicles is also covered by an 8-year/160,000 kilometre warranty. Service intervals for the Staria Lounge hybrid are set at 12 months or 10,000km.

On the whole: what do we think of the Hyundai Staria Lounge?

The Hyundai Staria Lounge takes an already distinctive van and makes it considerably more appealing as a people mover by adding a refined hybrid powertrain and a second row that feels genuinely luxurious.

There are a few compromises - the Staria's sheer size makes tight car parks and narrow urban streets something of an exercise in spatial awareness, while the front seats could offer more lateral support and some of the cabin plastics remind you that this is still a van-based vehicle rather than a luxury limousine - but those are relatively minor issues in the context of what the Staria Lounge does well.

If your priority is moving seven people in comfort, with enough space for everyone's luggage and a powertrain that won't empty the fuel tank every time you venture into town, the Staria Lounge makes a compelling alternative to a large SUV.

Hyundai Staria Lounge FAQs

What kind of car is the Hyundai Staria Lounge?

A large seven (or eight) seat people mover.

Does the Hyundai Staria Lounge have hybrid or EV technology?

Yes, the Staria Lounge uses Hyundai's 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a transmission-integrated 54kW electric motor.

What’s the fuel economy of the Hyundai Staria Lounge?

Hyundai claims an average combined fuel consumption figure of 7.2L/100km for the Staria Lounge.

Is the Hyundai Staria Lounge safe?

The Staria Lounge has a 5 Star safety rating from ANCAP rating and a total of seven airbags, including dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as a front centre airbag.

What safety and assistance features does the Hyundai Staria Lounge have?

What are the Hyundai Staria Lounge main rivals?

• Kia Carnival Water Hybrid ($81,990): Not as space-age, but the Staria's Kia cousin packs the same powertrain for less money.
• Volkswagen Multivan  ($102,500): Incredibly flexible seating, but PHEV has been ditched for diesel now.
• GAC M8 Lux ($89,990): Tech-packed Chinese version of luxury, might be a bit over the top for some.
• Xpeng X9 FWD ($104,990): fully electric for not much more money, not as cavernous.
• Denza D9 FWD ($104,990): Likewise a full EV, but goes even harder on the luxury.