My warmest welcome to the Hyundai Staria, a new van (actually an MPV) that Hyundai teased Wednesday from Seoul. The Staria freakin’ rocks.
There are no details yet about powertrain or features or what markets the Staria will be sold in, but that is of little importance for now. Hyundai has already created something beautiful. Mostly, Hyundai seems to have designed the Staria with a guiding ethos of: What if we built a really comfortable spaceship with great interior visibility?
STARIA offers a strikingly futuristic and mysterious exterior, resembling a spaceship. The front is highlighted by a long, horizontal daytime running light and headlamps positioned underneath. The spaceship vibe is echoed by its expansive panoramic windows and lower belt lines, underscoring the openness of the interior. The height of the cabin is also optimized for premium comfort and convenience, making it ideal for both business and family use.
I am into basically every part of this. If you’re curious about the name Hyundai says it is a portmanteau of “star” and “ria,” which is, “a long narrow area of water formed when a river valley floods,” as defined by The Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Which, sure, fine, who gives a shit, but I appreciate the name Staria mainly for how much it reminds of the name of another legendary van: I speak of the Previa of course.
Let’s have a look at the interior:
The teaser photos are understandably a little dark and I would appreciate a bit more creativity here, but all in all pretty good, slick even. It’s also early.
Hyundai said it would release more info about the Staria “in the coming weeks,” probably drips and drabs meant to stoke interest, every one of which I will eat up. What you’re seeing in these images is actually a variant of the Staria, the Staria Premium. That’s right, Staria + Premium, give me all of it.
