- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 8 seats
- Engine
2.2DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
130kW, 430Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 8.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2021)
2021 Hyundai Staria Highlander long-term review: Update 4, farewell old friend
Our time with the Hyundai Staria Highlander people mover has drawn to a close. And we're going to miss the big bus.
- Cavernous and expandable cargo space
- Fuel economy average in the mid-8s
- Sides are easy to clean because they're flat
- Impossible to clean the roof unless you have go-go-Gadget arms
- So much carpet to clean too
- Ground clearance and AWD system not really for off-roading
If you missed our first three instalments of the 2021 Hyundai Staria Highlander long-term test, check them out here: Welcome to the Family, Moving Mountains and Off-roading.
The Hyundai Staria Highlander lived with us for six months, and during that time we totally took it for granted. By that I mean the Staria people mover quickly became an integral member of the team, an intrinsic part of our family.
If we needed to shuffle people between test car drop-offs and pick-ups, the Staria’s keys were the first to be grabbed. If a few of us were heading out for lunch, the Staria was the transport of choice. If a team member had family coming to visit over a weekend, the Staria’s company was requested.
In short, if anybody needed to move people or cargo, the Hyundai Staria was called into action.
This may not sound surprising, but we’ve had people movers and vans before that our staff have quietly avoided simply because they’re rudimentary and rough around the edges. The Hyundai Staria is anything but, especially in Highlander trim.
This Hyundai Staria Highlander with a diesel engine and all-wheel drive carries a $66,500 price tag (plus on-road costs). It wants for little in terms of creature comforts.
It has eight leather seats, with electric adjustment, heating and ventilation for the front two. It has side doors and a rear door that open and close at the push of a button. And it has all the equipment one could reasonably expect for the price.
The systems we used most often were the digital radio, smartphone mirroring, multi-zone climate control, active cruise control and passenger camera – that last one was mostly me keeping an eye on my kids in the second row.
Every minute of every day, everything the Hyundai Staria had worked without fault or complaint. And we can’t say that for every car that comes through the office. For example, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon that has replaced it in on our long-term test roster has a faulty volume-up button on the steering wheel. Minor, but because it’s used so often it is annoying.
The only item on the Staria’s feature list that did have the odd hiccup is the Android Auto smartphone mirroring, which kicked me out every week or so. I’ve experienced this with a number of other vehicles, too, so I strongly suspect the Staria is not at fault.
Beyond that, we had nothing to complain about. The Staria covered more than 3000km during our six-month partnership – that’s a fair bit considering all the other cars we needed to test-drive during that time. Its robust and peppy 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine averaged 8.4L/100km during that time, which is respectable for a vehicle carrying a big body and pushing so much air out of the way.
We covered hundreds of kilometres in urban driving, and hundreds more on freeways around Melbourne. We navigated through the heart of the city and through busy shopping centre carparks. We even took the all-wheel-drive wagon off-road to see if it could. And it did.
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Through all this, the Staria powered faithfully onward, never causing issues or failing to deliver.
Key details | 2021 Hyundai Staria Highlander 2.2D AWD |
Engine configuration | Four-cylinder turbo diesel |
Displacement | 2.2-litre (2199cc) |
Power | 130kW at 3800rpm |
Torque | 430Nm at 1500–3800rpm |
Transmission | Eight-speed torque converter automatic |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Weight (kerb) | 2325kg |
Power to weight ratio | 55.9kW/t |
Estimated range | 915km |
Sales category | People Mover |
Key competitors | Kia Carnival | Honda Odyssey | Volkswagen Caravelle |
Most surprising of all was how agile the Staria is. Despite being more than 5m long, the Staria handles tight spaces well because its steering is light and quick and there are cameras front and back.
It’s a big hit in terms of practicality, too, with plenty of cubbies for storing things, and three decent cupholders up front: two in the centre armrest and a third that pops out of the dash – perfect for mobile phones.
About the only things the Staria couldn’t do (easily) was let us remove the third row of seats altogether to carry even bigger loads than we did.
Fuel Consumption - brought to you by bp
Fuel Usage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.2L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 8.4L/100km |
Fuel type | Diesel |
Fuel tank size | 75L |
The lack of ISOFIX mounts in the third row limits placement of child seats to the second row, which in turn makes it hard to get people into the third row.
However, these are extremely minor inconveniences in what is ultimately a very convenient vehicle to live with. So much so that you will quickly take it for granted, and only when it’s gone will you realise what you’ve lost.
MORE: Long-term report one: Welcome to the family
MORE: Long-term report two: Moving mountains
MORE: Long-term report three: Off-road
MORE: Staria news and reviews