By ALISTAIR KENNEDY, Marque Motoring
Hyundai has added a new Premium variant to its Staria Load range with additional safety, technology and convenience features.
Just to set the scene, Staria Load is the van version of the Staria people mover which arrived here in mid-2021, to replace the previous iLoad and iMax.
There was more than a name change when the two vehicles arrived her because they brought a futuristic new style unlike anything else on the relatively bland van/people mover fields.
Staria Load models come with either two or five seats and with the choice of Liftback or Twin Swing rear doors.
Premium is only available as a two-seat Liftback.
All variants are powered by a 2.2-litre CRDi turbo-diesel engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive
All Staria van and people mover variants have a 5-star ANCAP safety rating with the Premium adding a blind spot view monitor and high beam assist.
In addition to the highest ANCAP rating Staria is the first vehicle in its segment to be awarded Platinum status in ANCAP’s Commercial Van Safety Comparison analysis for occupant and pedestrian protection with a score of 90 percent.
Other new features in the Premium include a 10.25-inch supervision instrument cluster and 10.25-inch navigation multimedia unit, LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, smart key with push button start, and a smart power tailgate.
Premium also gets additional exterior colour choices with Abyss Black, Graphite Gray and Moonlight Blue joining the existing Creamy White and Shimmering Silver in the standard Staria Load range.
The extra features come at a price with the Premium costing $5,500 more than the standard 2-seat Liftback.
