2026 Hyundai Staria Review

With a bold styling package, there's certainly no accusing the Hyundai Staria of being a boring people-mover, but is there enough substance underneath that styling to stand out in a famly segment dominated by the Kia Carnival.

For 2025, the Hyundai Staria range remains unchanged and retains the same price tags as last year's model, so let's take a closer look at the range and see how it stacks up as a family-friendly people mover.

Hyundai Staria Competition

How Much Does It Cost?

Prices for the MY26 Hyundai Staria range kick off from $49,500 for the entry-level Staria 2WD and top out at $67,500 for the flagship Staria Highlander AWD.

• MY26 Staria 2WD - $49,500

• MY26 Staria AWD - $52,500

• MY26 Staria Elite 2WD - $57,500

• MY26 Staria Elite AWD - $60,500

• MY26 Staria Highlander 2WD - $64,500

• MY26 Staria Highlander AWD - $67,500

Keep in mind that these prices are subject to change and do not include on-road costs.

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Hyundai Staria 2WD Specifications

What Features Does the Hyundai Staria Have?

The Staria in base form comes riding on a set of 18-inch alloys and receives LED head & tail lights, fog lights and LED daytime running lamps, cloth upholstery with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a wireless charging pad, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view monitor with front & rear parking sensors and a full-sized spare tyre.

Stepping up to the Staria Elite range adds black leather upholstery, power-sliding doors, a powered boot lift, remote start, a 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat, keyless entry & start and an enhanced infotainment suite.

Hyundai's flagship Staria Highlander picks up a massive dual-pane sunroof, upgraded dashboard and door panel surrounds, a heated steering wheel, heated & ventilated front seats, LED interior lighting, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a rear passenger view monitor and an upgraded cloth headliner.

Hyundai Staria Connectivity & Infotainment Features

Hyundai offers the Staria with two infotainment systems, with the most affordable members of the range picking up a modest 8.0-inch display.

While not a massive display, the entry-level Staria's 8.0-inch infotainment system offers decent brightness levels and clear resolution while remaining particularly user-friendly to operate thanks to its physical shortcuts surrounding the display.

A major reason to upgrade to the Staria Elite, though, is the larger 10.25-inch display.

Hyundai's bigger 10.25-inch display makes a much better first impression and comes alongside a satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio upgrade.

Buyers of the Staria Elite & Highlander also pick up a three-year subscription to Hyundai's Bluelink connected services suite, which offers remote vehicle controls, location tracking and live traffic updates.

Does the Hyundai Staria Have Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto?

Interestingly, the answer is both yes and no.

Hyundai's entry-level Staria with the 8.0-inch infotainment system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, but this isn't afforded to more premium versions.

Those upgrading to the Staria Elite & Highlander with the 10.25-inch display are forced to stick it out with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity via one of the USB-C ports up front.

Is the Hyundai Staria Comfortable to Drive?

The Hyundai Staria has a great set of table manners on the road, though at times, you can't escape its high-riding mass.

Importantly for a vehicle of this size, Hyundai has made it a user-friendly package to tackle the urban jungle with.

The steering is lightweight without being devoid of feedback, while all-around visibility is outstanding thanks to the Staria's tall roofline offering massive windows around the cabin, and the added bonus of a surround-view monitor to help you squeeze through tight situations.

Under the bonnet, Hyundai gives buyers the option of a 3.5-litre V6 petrol pushing out 200kW of power and 331Nm of torque, which is offered solely as a front-wheel drive platform.

All-wheel drive versions come powered by a lovely 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that produces 130kW of power and 430Nm of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission used in both versions.

Hyundai's petrol V6 is meaty, though the turbo-diesel remains the pick of the bunch thanks to the added torque and the massively improved fuel efficiency on the road.

The ride quality is definitely on the firmer side on small and moderate bumps around town, though this suspension package still doesn't eliminate some noticeable body roll as you push through the corners.

That said, the Staria is composed and user-friendly around town while eliminating much of the road and wind noise when you're barreling down the highway, making for a well-accomplished and versatile people-mover.

It's not the most refined in the segment, however, with that award going to the Carnival with its car-like manners.

Is it Fuel Efficient?

Fuel efficiency depends on whether you're ticking the box on the Staria petrol or turbo-diesel, with the V6 petrol proving quite thirsty, particularly when loaded up with the whole family.

• Staria V6 Petrol Combined Cycle: 10.5L/100km

• Staria V6 Petrol City Cycle: 8.2L/100km

• Staria V6 Petrol Highway Cycle: 14.5L/100km

• Staria Turbo-Diesel Combined Cycle: 8.2L/100km

• Staria Turbo-Diesel City Cycle: 10.4L/100km

• Staria Turbo-Diesel Highway Cycle: 7.0L/100km

Both come equipped with a 75L fuel tank, with the V6 petrol able to sip 91 RON petrol.

Is it Practical and Spacious?

As you might imagine, with the help of its massive footprint, the Hyundai Staria is a remarkably spacious package for large Aussie families looking for a practical people mover.

The front of the cabin offers excellent headroom, making it a spacious cockpit that offers a heap of visibility out over your surroundings while driving.

Compared to your typical large SUV package, there's considerably more space and visibility on offer in the Staria.

Ergonomics are also quite solid, with a reach- and rake-adjustable steering wheel on hand to help you find your preferred driving position.

This extends to practical touches in the front of the cabin, with the Staria picking up many clever storage options that utilise the sheer amount of space on offer.

Instead of a console that stretches between front occupants to the dash, there's an open space that makes things feel particularly roomy in the cockpit.

There are storage options aplenty in the front of the Staria, with two storage pockets on the dash, a massive centre console bin, cup and bottle holders on offer to swallow up loose items.

Overall, the interior design is incredibly clean, impressively simple and intuitive to use while you're juggling a family in the rear.

Move to the second row, and things are equally as spacious, with acres of head and legroom for those seated in the rear.

For those wondering if the Staria has ISOFIX anchors or top tether mounts in both rows of the cabin, unfortunately, you'll only find them in the second row, rather than both.

Having said that, access into the second row is incredibly easy thanks to the large sliding doors, which also come in handy when it comes to unloading in a cramped car park, though the huge boot door can be problematic in tight quarters.

Things get a bit more cramped in the third row of the cabin, though it's a perfectly fine spot for young kids to strap in for a long journey, making for a very impressive eight-seater people mover experience.

How Big is the Hyundai Staria's Boot?

With all three rows of seats standing, the Hyundai Staria has a boot measuring in at a massive 831L, meaning you can squeeze eight people in with a large SUV's worth of cargo in the rear without the Staria breaking a sweat.

Hyundai says that there's an additional 1303L of cargo space on offer between the third row and the front if you ever need to transport some seriously large cargo.

• Staria Boot Space Minimum: 831L

• Staria Boot Space Maximum: 1,303L

Is it Safe?

The Hyundai Staria comes equipped with a lengthy list of safety equipment as standard, though a few features are reserved for the Elite and Highlander.

As standard, the Staria picks up autonomous emergency braking with multi-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-keep assist with lane-centring, safe exit warnings and a surround-view monitor with front & rear parking sensors.

A three-dimensional view for the 360-degree camera is reserved for the Staria Elite, while the Highlander range picks up a blind-spot view monitor.

Does the Hyundai Staria Have an ANCAP Safety Rating?

The Hyundai Staria wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating after its 2021 testing saw it score the following marks.

• Adult Occupant Protection: 85%

• Child Occupant Protection: 86%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 65%

• Safety Assist: 74%

What Warranty Does the Hyundai Staria Come With?

Hyundai offers the MY26 Staria range with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Buyers also pick up the option of three, four and five-year prepaid servicing packages.

These are priced at $1,300, $1,760 and $2,180 for the Staria V6 petrol range, while servicing packages for the Staria AWD lineup are priced at $1,347, $1,946 and $2,375, respectively.

• Staria V6 Petrol Five-Year Servicing Total: $2,180

• Staria AWD Diesel Five-Year Servicing Total: $2,375

Service intervals for both the Staria petrol and diesel range sit at 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever elapses first.

Our Verdict: Is the Hyundai Staria Worth it?

The Hyundai Staria holds up incredibly well when put to the family test, making it well worth a spot on any large people-mover shortlist.

The sleek looks are matched with a palatial interior filled with practical touches that mean the Staria doesn't break a sweat when tasked with a family of eight.

We would, however, recommend taking a closer look at turbo-diesel versions of the Staria, not because of the all-wheel drive system, but mostly because of the significantly better fuel efficiency.

Don't forget that our team of car-buying experts is waiting to help you find the best possible price on your next car, so reach out today.

Five Hyundai Staria Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty

2. Three, four & five-year prepaid servicing packages available

3. V6 petrol FWD only, turbo-diesel AWD

4. 8.2 - 10.5L per 100km fuel economy figures (diesel vs petrol)

5. 2,500kg braked towing capacity