16 hours ago
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Hyundai's eight-seat people mover has been treated to a mid-life update, doubling down on its futuristic look, and bringing back physical buttons.
Family Cars
Hyundai's futuristic rival to the Kia Carnival – the 2026 Staria – has been given a styling and technology update, due in Australian showrooms sometime next year.
It remains to be seen if the petrol-electric hybrid version will be introduced to Australia for the first time, as an alternative to the Staria's current choice of a 3.5-litre V6 petrol and front-wheel drive, or a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and all-wheel drive.
Prices may rise slightly from the $49,750 plus on-road costs of today’s model to account for the longer list of convenience features.
Details of updates to the related Staria Load delivery van are yet to be revealed, but they are expected to mirror those made to the people mover.
Styling changes are modest, limited to a new body-coloured lower front bumper insert to break up the controversial honeycomb pattern, while the front daytime-running light bar is now a single piece across the front end, rather than three sections, with engraved ‘Staria’ logos.
Top-of-the-range Lounge models in South Korea continue to offer distinct styling, with additional chrome on the bumpers, and different wheels. Black badges are now fitted to certain variants.
Inside, the infotainment touchscreen has been enlarged from 10.25 inches to 12.3 inches, and gains Hyundai’s current ‘ccNC’ software, expected to offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto alongside satellite navigation.
Fans of physical buttons will appreciate the deletion of the current Staria’s fiddly touch-sensitive infotainment and air-conditioning controls – housed on a gloss black panel prone to fingerprints – replaced by hard keys and old-school dials.
The centre stack housing the screen is new, fitting an extra horizontal air vent for improved airflow and a slightly-repositioned wireless phone charger, while the instrument display in high-grade variants has also grown from 10.25 to 12.3 inches across.
Lounge variants in South Korea replace gear shift buttons for the same steering column-mounted ‘wand’ seen on other Hyundai models – something likely to be standard on most Australian examples – while entry-level versions fit a traditional shift lever.
The steering wheel is also new. Available features now include Digital Key 2 access via a smartphone, an updated built-in dashcam, and revised multi-zone voice recognition.
Changes under the skin include retuned suspension for improved comfort and stability, additional sound-absorbing materials, and in the Lounge model, hydro bushings in the chassis to reduce vibrations.
In Hyundai’s home market, the Staria is offered with a 3.5-litre V6 engine built to run on liquid petroleum gas (LPG), with the option of a hybrid combining a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and an electric motor for 180kW combined.
Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres in Korean testing. An electric Staria is in development for select markets.
The Staria Hybrid is currently not built in right-hand drive, but that could change for the updated model, to complement or replace Australia's current 200kW/331Nm 3.5-litre petrol V6 with front-wheel drive, and 130kW/430Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with all-wheel drive.
Family Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
