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Our long-lasting Hyundai Saria test car has all-wheel drive, so let’s get off the road to see how this movement of people handles difficult things.
- Cavernous and expandable cargo space
- Average fuel economy in the mid-eighties
- The sides are easy to clean because they are flat
- Impossible to clean the ceiling unless you have go-go-gadget arms
- There is also plenty of carpet to clean
- The free height to the ground and the AWD system are not really all-terrain
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Now, let’s stick to chapter three. As promised, we grabbed the eight-seat off-road Hyundai Staria to explore its lifestyle capabilities and off-road skills. Then I had to wash the Hyundai Staria, and I can tell you I have never washed such a big car.
I can also tell you that if the ceiling was dirty before washing, it is still dirty now. I just can’t get there. Hopefully Melbourne’s semi-regular rainy days take care of the roof, but if not, it’s not like many other road users can see my dirty secret. Truckers, perhaps, and pedestrians on the upper steps.
So how did the Staria all-wheel drive come out, I don’t feel like anyone is asking? Absolutely good, but it wasn’t like we were on the Canning Route. We headed out to Lerderderg State Park about 35 minutes west of Melbourne, near Bacchus Marsh. There is a great hiking trail that starts at Mackenzies Flat and goes all the way to Grahams Dam, which takes about an hour.
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But if you take two guys like us, it will take a lot longer … Possibly. I don’t know because one unusually sunny winter day became rainy and humid shortly after we arrived. So all we did was teach my two year old boy how to jump rocks on the Lerderderg River.
We then returned to Camerons Road and followed it north, further into the park. The tarmac road quickly becomes dirt, but is sloping and well maintained, so it wouldn’t challenge a Corolla.
We detoured down a cut side track to see how the Staria’s on-demand all-wheel drive system is managed on more rugged terrain and we found it strange. Really weird. Not because the car did anything wrong. The Staria went well, traversing the wheels with the little articulation of the wheels and the short distance to the ground with which it has been equipped, and the all-wheel drive system did the job, stirring the driving to the rear wheels when the front they began to slip.
What seemed strange to me was seeing such a big, carcass, tall van in the bush on an all-terrain track. It’s like seeing Kim Kardashian in a wrestling match or John Howard playing a cricket ball. It just doesn’t look right.
The truth is that the limited wheelbase and long wheelbase of the Staria, and its lightweight all-wheel drive system, are not really designed for all-terrain vehicles. This van is absolutely capable of driving forest trails to your favorite hiking trail or mountain bike, as long as the grader keeps things flat and firm. If your idea of a dirty weekend involves something more strenuous, then a suitable SUV or 4×4 is what you need.
But for a family of four looking forward to going out after three weeks of positive confinement by Covid – it happened to us all, but at least now we’re on the other side – a quick breath of rural air was exactly what we needed .
On the way back, I began to notice how thoughtful Staria is. This is a very attentive van.
For example, heading into the CityLink tunnel, the Staria informed me that it had shut off the outside air outlets and had put the air conditioning in the recirculation to prevent our lungs from those nasty fumes.
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When we got home, he reminded me that I had to check the back seats because you could tell there was some weight behind it. We knew this, though, because boys have discovered the joy of torturing our parents by incessantly stammering meaningless words.
It also reminded me that I had to grab the phone from the charging mat, which I am grateful for because I left it there before.
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When the day turns to dusk, the Staria automatically changes the color schemes of the screens from bright white to softer black. It’s not the only car that does this, but it’s still a nice touch.
I’ve also found that the Staria will automatically turn on the seat heater and steering wheel heater when I start the car on cold mornings. Another comfort feature you don’t know you need until you have it.
Key Details Hyundai Staria Highlander 2.2D AWD 2021 Engine configuration Four-cylinder turbodiesel Engine capacity 2.2 liters (2199 cc) Power 130 kW at 3800 rpm Torque 430 Nm at 1500–3800 rpm Transmission Eight-speed automatic traction (automatic torque converter) ) 2325kg Power / weight ratio 55.9kW / t Estimated range 915km Sales category People Movement Key competitors Kia Carnival | Honda Odyssey | Volkswagen Caravelle
The latter is a mixed blessing because the Staria wheel has a non-heated alloy trim, and the contrast between the toasted leather and the frozen alloy is marked when the hand accidentally moves away from the latter. .
A more comfortable feature is the tailgate which closes automatically. It has sensors behind it to indicate when you have finished charging and moving away, then it rings three times and closes.
All of this will make the next update bittersweet. Our six months with Staria are coming to an end. But first, I have to move Geelong’s family to Melbourne. Last month we put our house on the market and camped in the empty house of a family friend so the real estate team could have unrestricted access during the campaign.
It was also because we didn’t have to attempt the Herculean task of cleaning the house twice a week after the boys spent their intermediate days making the world’s biggest disaster.
Now the campaign is over and it’s time to go home. The house was not sold because we had the misfortune to time our campaign with the Reserve Bank’s decision to raise interest rates to the Moon (relatively speaking), which effectively dumped icy water on a market real estate before hot.
Fuel Usage Fuel Statistics Cons. (claimed) 8.2 L / 100 km Fuel consumption. (in test) 8.3 L / 100 km Fuel type Diesel Fuel tank size 75 L
Driving from Geelong to the office three times a week has accumulated miles and slightly reduced average fuel consumption. We are now showing an overall average of 8.3 L / 100 km. Not bad for a two-ton capable of carrying eight.
So one more mega-load of life clutter and Staria will be fired. Will I miss it? Find out next month.
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Glenn Butler is one of Australia’s best-known motorsport journalists who has spent the past 25 years reporting on cars on radio, television, the web and in the press. He is a former editor of Wheels, Australia’s most respected car magazine, and before that was an associate editor at Drive.com.au. Glenn has also worked at the executive level for two of Australia’s leading car companies, so he understands how much care and consideration is given to designing and developing new cars. As a journalist, he has driven from Ferrari to Fiats on every continent except Antarctica (which he one day hopes to achieve) and loves to discover the unique personality and strengths of each car. Glenn knows that the price of a car is not indicative of its competition, and even the cheapest car can improve your life and broaden your horizons.
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