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As a car enthusiast, you might be surprised to hear me say I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the new 2021 Hyundai Staria. But I am, and not just because my girlfriend left some furniture at my house that I need to move. I’m genuinely keen to see what’s gone into the design of what appears to be a very attractive new people-mover. But I wonder—what do you want to know about the Hyundai Staria?
It may not be coming to the United States, but Hyundai isalready selling the Staria on the warm shores of Australia. Specifically, I’ll be driving the Staria Highlander, the top-spec model with the 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine paired with the eight-speed automatic. The diesel gets all-wheel drive and is good for 174 horsepower and healthy 317 pound-feet of torque. The AUDM models come with eight seats as standard, with the usual folding arrangements allowing one to make the best use of the available space inside. Oh, and those are power sliding doors. Mental.
You might ask why we’d review a van that won’t hit the United States for at least another 25 years. There is a multitude of reasons. Mostly, it serves as a great comparison to the minivans that are actually available in the U.S. market. Whether it’s about the space inside, the available options, or just nifty design decisions, there’s always something to learn.
On top of that, when young upstart auto writers are penning their “retro van” pieces in 25 years’ time, they’ll dig up my review and talk about the “totally sick early ’20s aesthetic,” because that phrase comes back on a quarter-century cycle. Then they’ll go ahead and take their own photos, wearing clothes that lovingly mock the way we all dress today. You’ve got to admit, that’s pretty cool to think about.
I’ll be using the car for all my daily driving while it’s here. The Staria will be handling everything from trips to the shops to drives on winding country roads in peak hour. I’ve also got a few fun ideas to explore the use cases for a modern people-mover. If you’ve got a burning curiosity about something specific and hilarious, I might just be digging into that, too.
As per usual at The Drive, we’ll take the best five or 10 questions to specifically tackle in our final review. Be sure to check it out to find the answers to your tantalizing queries. I had a great time answering your questions on the Toyota GR Yaris, and I’m sure we’ll have just as much fun this time around.
In the meantime, I’ll be around the comments here for the next half hour, so hit me up with your opinions and queries about the Staria. Do you think it looks like a spaceship or just another van? Do you want to know what the dashboard smells like? All this knowledge and more could be yours. Let’s go!
Got a tip? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com
