There are game-changers out there – and, for my money, the Hyundai Staria is one of them. It matches function with form, work capacity with style and comfort. In the same way that the Ford Transit and then the Mercedes-Benz Vito stamped themselves on “vanworld”, Staria is a front-runner.
And suddenly, this week, it requires even less money to buy this van that drives like a car.
For Hyundai Australia has just announced a national $49,490 driveaway price for the Staria Load. A Hyundai insider confirms to me that’s a $2068 discount in WA.
They have also revealed stock levels – with 944 in dealer stock, 210 units in compound (ready to go to dealerships) and 689 units “on the water”, sailing to Australia as I write this.
A Hyundai Australia spokesperson says: “Hyundai Australia has been working hard to secure incremental supply of Staria Load, and we now have a good volume of stock in market across the nation as well as a healthy production pipeline. Contrast this with the segment leader Toyota HiAce which continues to face ‘extended wait times’.”
Hyundai Australia has also distributed a “head to head” comparison between the Staria Load and Toyota HiAceLWB Auto, which highlights some differences between the two. Hyundai claims that the Staria will use and average of 7L of fuel to cover 100km, while the HiAce will use 8L.
The Staria also comes with recommended 12 months or 15,000km service intervals, compared with six months or 10,000km for the Toyota.
But, for commercial users, there is another critical statistic. The Staria Load has a cargo length of 2607mm (compared with 2530mm) and height of 1436mm (compared with 1340mm), giving a volume of 6140 litres (compared with 5967 litres) – even though it is 120mm narrower, at 1640mm.
