Hyundai Staria MPV Will Come To Auto Expo 2025 – Kia Carnival Rival
Hyundai Staria had first made its entry into many global markets in the first half of 2021. It was pitched as a luxurious minivan and had enough to compete with its Kia cousin- the Carnival. Now, Hyundai India is gearing up to launch the Staria in the country. The vehicle was recently spotted on test in India and will make its first official domestic appearance at the Bharat Mobility Expo this week.
The Staria is a feature-packed MPV. It is quite practical and roomy on the inside. Globally, the vehicle features multiple powertrains including a hybrid, V6 petrol and diesel.
The normal petrol powertrain consists of a 3.5 L Smartstream G3.5 MPi V6 that makes 272 ps at 6,400 rpm and 332 Nm at 5,000 rpm.
The hybrid setup consists of a 1.6L four-cylinder turbo petrol engine mated to an electric motor and a 6AT transmission. The petrol engine kicks out 178 hp and 265 Nm while the motor makes an additional 72 hp and 304 Nm- taking the combined output to 242 hp and 367 Nm. This hybrid engine is more powerful than the V6. Also, it is significantly more fuel-efficient.
The diesel engine is the 2.2L R II CRDi I4. This CRDi diesel engine gets a variable geometry turbocharger and produces 175bhp and 268bhp. It comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The top-spec gets shift-by-wire technology and AWD as well. Hyundai is known to be working on an all-electric version of the Staria as well.
Let’s now talk about the design. The Staria has an instantly recognizable exterior design. It gets a massive sunroof and looks more or less futuristic. The fascia seems to have taken inspiration from ‘spaceships’ and features a horizontal LED light bar, a wide grille section, and a clean bumper. The profile is elegant and minimalistic. Instantly noticeable are the large glass panels that would, in turn, make the cabin feel more airy and roomy. The rear section gets vertical LED tail lamps with pixelated detailing.
Globally, Hyundai offers multiple seating layouts on the Staria. The Tourer variant can be had as a nine or eleven-seater. The equipment list includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an all-digital instrument console, automatic climate control, a suite of ADAS features, heated and ventilated seats, a smart key, front parking sensors, automatic sliding doors, front parking sensors and more. There is also a more luxurious version with “relaxation mode”, lounge seats for the second-row captain seats and a plethora of other features.
The Auto Expo showcasing would be for Hyundai to test waters and a proper market anytime soon seems unlikely. We are as curious as Hyundai themselves to see the audience’s responses to and interest in this product.
Staria: The Kia Carnival Rival?
If launched in India, the Staria could slot in as a rival to the Kia Carnival. Kia India had found success with the previous generation Carnival. Even the outgoing model drives not-so-bad numbers, despite having a hefty price tag. This clearly shows that there is potential in the luxury MPV space. The Expo showcasing would give Hyundai more data on whether or not the market could be receptive to Staria and its unusual aura.
Coming to the Carnival, the new generation gets an SUV-like design. The key design highlights are inverted L-shaped LED DRLs, LED headlights, a new front grille, a redesigned front bumper, an SUV-like silhouette, new 19-inch alloy wheels, inverted L-shaped LED taillights, sporty rear bumper, powered gates and roof rails.
The fifth generation Carnival comes feature-packed and gets the likes of twin 12.3-inch screens, three-zone climate control with seat ventilation, 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, 11-inch head-up display, dual electric sunroof, ADAS and more. Under the hood, it houses a 2.2-litre diesel engine that makes 197 bhp and 440 Nm, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.