2022 Hyundai Staria: iLoad people-mover to replace iMax, here mid-2021
Hyundai's next-generation people-mover will arrive in winter, with a daring design and luxury interior.
The 2022 Hyundai Staria is set to replace the iMax in Australia, with the company confirming the new model will arrive locally before the end of August 2021.
Based on the next-generation of Hyundai's popular iLoad commercial van, the iMax replacement will adopt the Staria name, bringing it into line with global markets.
While full details have yet to be released, it's believed the Australian market will have access to seven-seater and nine-seater Staria models, with a luxury Premium variant also on the cards.
The Staria's futuristic design features a daytime-running light stretched horizontally across the width of the nose, with its headlights mounted on each side of the grille, and vertical LED tail-lights found at the rear.
Images released by Hyundai show the Premium version wearing a '3.5' badge, suggesting its powertrain could be borrowed from the recently-released Santa Fe, offering 200kW and 332Nm via an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.
A turbo diesel is likely to be offered in entry-level Staria models, and could use a version of the Santa Fe's 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder, or potentially the 137kW/416Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder borrowed from the Tucson.
Local Hyundai dealers have been told all-wheel-drive versions may be available, as reported by CarAdvice earlier this month.
Hyundai says the interior has been inspired by the lounge of a cruise ship, with large windows and luxury seats. Infotainment will come from a centrally-mounted 10.25-inch screen, and the driver will be greeted with a digital instrument cluster and a button-type shift lever.
The seven-seat Staria Premium offers one-touch 'relaxation mode' in the first two rows of seating, which automatically reclines the seat into a more comfortable position.
Those who opt for the nine-seater Staria Premium will get 180-degree swivel seats in the second row, allowing for a 'poker' seating layout.
The 2022 Hyundai Staria will be globally unveiled in the coming months, with Hyundai confirming a local arrival before the end of August 2021.
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