More photos of the 2021 Hyundai Staria emerged – Starry-eyed Starex replacement?

Hyundai has unveiled even more photos of the possible Starex replacement just a week after its teaser and it appears that the space-age look isn’t the only stand-out design for the Hyundai Staria.

Also read: Hyundai Staria teased, is this the Starex replacement that's coming to Malaysia?

The Korean carmaker says that the Staria provides a preview of space innovation and the overall look is based on an inside-out approach. This means that the design process begins with the interior and expands to the exterior.

That is why the Staria looks so generous in interior space but before we step inside, let’s talk a bit more details on the exterior.

The Robocop-inspired looks of the Staria definitely stand out – so much so that Hyundai admits that its design resembles a spaceship. This space-age design philosophy is probably what also gave the Staria its distinct streamlined silhouette.

Hyundai says that the silhouette that is defined by a fluid curve running from front to back, is inspired by the halo that illuminates Earth’s horizon during sunrise when viewed from space.

The Staria’s front is adorned with horizontal DRLs and a positioning lamp that stretches across the width of the MPV. Low-set headlamps are placed on each side of the front grille which maintains Hyundai’s current familial look.

The inside-out design approach is clearly shown on the side view with the Staria having expansive panoramic windows and lowered beltlines. This is inspired by a traditional Korean design element called hanok which gives passengers a sense of connected spaciousness between the outside world and the inside.

Meanwhile, the rear of the Staria has a simple and pure look. Its wide rear window and lower rear bumper promise to offer great visibility and ease of loading respectively.

Stepping inside, the Staria makes you feel like you’re entering a lounge of a cruise ship with its luxurious feeling and relaxed space.

The driver’s cockpit consists of a 10.25-inch front display screen, touch-based centre fascia, and a button-type electronic shift lever further enhancing the futuristic angle.

However, Hyundai hasn’t forgotten about the practicalities of an MPV and the Staria has plenty of storage space. They are located on top of the overhead console, the bottom of the cluster, and around the centre fascia. In other words, there are cubby holes everywhere.

But if the regular Staria isn’t good enough, there is the Staria Premium which adds a more luxurious feel on the outside and inside. For starters, the Premium gets tinted brass chrome trims on the Hyundai emblem, side mirrors and door handles.

It also gets 18-inch wheels with diamond patterns and graphics while the rear taillights feature Hyundai’s unique Parametric Pixel design.

The Staria and Staria Premium will offer a number of seating arrangements from 2-seaters all the way up to 11-seaters. However, the 11-seater Staria Premium will only remain available for Hyundai’s home market in South Korea.

In the 7-seater Staria Premium, the second-row seats feature a one-touch relaxation mode that automatically reclines the seat to a comfortable position that claims to improve overall body balance. Worth experiencing after a hard day’s work and also what Alphard?

The 9-seater Staria Premium, meanwhile, offers swivelling captain chairs for the second-row to face passengers in the third-row. It’s definitely an interesting venue to organise meetings.

Hyundai has yet to announce the powertrains on the Staria but its official world debut will happen in the first half of 2021 online.

The Staria’s looks are a grand departure from what we initially thought to be a Perodua Alza/Toyota Avanza rival that’s developed for developing markets, including Indonesia and Malaysia. But what do you think of the potential Starex replacement’s looks?

Also read: Hyundai trademarks Staria in Malaysia, could this be the name of the Alza rival?