Unique and bold, the 2024 Hyundai Staria Load Premium Liftback is a commercial van with a difference. Looking like nothing else on the market, it’s a refreshing take in what has been an often dreary space.
Often called the space shuttle on wheels, the Load is the sibling to the innovative Staria people mover. Its sleek and modern exterior design, featuring sharp lines and a striking LED light bar that spans the width of the entire front end, creates a powerful presence.
The side profile is equally impressive, with a long wheelbase and clean lines giving a streamlined appearance. The large windows provide excellent visibility for both the driver and passenger, while sliding doors enhance accessibility to the spacious cargo area.
At the rear, design elements which you can also find on the IONIQ 5 provide distinctively styled tail lights, further elevating the futuristic look. Step inside, and that futuristic feel goes up a notch.
Sure, there are those familiar hard plastics you expect from a van, but the dash design is sleek, looking more family car than tradie workspace. The large windows provide plenty of natural light too, making the space warm and inviting.
The Hyundai Staria Load features two impressive 10.25-inch screens, one for infotainment, and the other providing digital gauges. The graphics are crisp, and the system is highly responsive.
Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, along with a surprisingly decent 4-speaker sound system. But its practicality where the Korean work van excels, and that’s without including the load space.
A 3-tier door bin setup provides multiple compartments, with additional storage in front of the driver’s cluster. There’s also cleverly placed spots above the driver and passenger seats, as well as between them. A wireless phone charging pad adds to overall usability.
There’s no centre console, which does mean you sacrifice an armrest, and physical volume and climate control knobs, but the upside is a spacious layout with loads of room. Supportive seats offer plenty of adjustments.
The single-zone climate control is appropriate for a two-seater commercial van. Now to the load space, which is accessible via sliding doors on both sides and an electronic tailgate. The latter is not especially quick, but does automate accessing the space from the rear.
Load space measures 2,607mm in length, 1,640mm in width, and 1,436mm in height, with a total capacity of 4,935-litres. It has a payload of 1,702kg, with a steel cage separating the driver from the cargo space.
There are eight tie-down points and a rubber floor, with bare walls for added convenience. Safety is a standout, and includes semi-autonomous cruise control, blind spot monitoring (with the camera view displaying in the instrument cluster), and a 360-degree camera.
You’ll also find autonomous emergency braking, rear collision avoidance, driver attention warning, lane keep and lane follow assist, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit warning, and front and rear parking sensors.
Driving the Staria Load Premium is a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine that’s good for 130kW of power and 430Nm of torque. That’s delivered to the front wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.
While it may not be the most powerful thing out there, what you do get is delivered smoothly, with enough on tap to light up the front tyres, should you accelerate hard.
Handling is impressive. It genuinely feels like you’re driving a small hatchback that’s easy to manoeuvre, and precise in its steering. Thanks to its large windows and exceptional visibility, navigating tight spaces and busy roads is a breeze.
Unladen ride is a little firm, but not awful. Given it’s a commercial vehicle though, that’s likely to improve with something in the back. Regardless, the seats do a good job in covering up that stiffness.
Fuel consumption sits between 7.0 and 8.0-litres/100km, and a full tank will get you around 800km in terms of travel. It’s priced at approximately $51,000 plus on-roads (or around $58,990 drive away).
The Staria Load Premium is backed by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, and is spacious, feature-packed, and loaded with safety tech. Performance is smooth and efficient, making it a joy to drive on a daily basis.
If you’re in the market for a commercial van, it’s definitely worth a look. You can find out more on the Hyundai Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership.
Our test vehicle was provided by Hyundai Australia for independent review purposes.
