Hyundai Grand Starex

Hyundai Grand Starex Overview

The 2020 second generation Grand Starex facelift was officially unveiled by Hyundai Sime Darby Malaysia in early 2020 with two new variants on offer- the base Executive Plus and the higher-spec Executive Prime, with revised styling and equipment on both the exterior and the interior.

Locally assembled in Malaysia, the diesel-powered 11-seater multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) are priced from RM163,888 and RM171,888 respectively and comes included with a five-year limited mileage warranty (300,000 km). It presents a cheaper alternative to premium Japanese rivals like the Toyota Vellfire and competes directly against a similarly priced Kia Grand Carnival.

Hyundai Grand Starex Design

Like most full-sized MPVs, there is no hiding of the Hyundai Grand Starex’s sizeable and boxy exterior. Up front, the people carrier is sporting a loosely interpreted Hyundai’s signature cascading front grille, finished in chrome.

Not quite the sleek ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design seen across Hyundai’s latest models, but combined with a revised headlamp, redesigned bumper with integrated LED daytime running light as well as new body kits, the front now looks purposeful and more modern compared to its predecessor.

Also present is a newly designed 16-inch alloy wheels, side mirrors with side repeaters, vertical ‘crystal tail’ rear lamps as well as a rear spoiler with a high-mounted stop light. Dual sliding rear doors comes as standard and it comes with 4 colour options, namely Creamy White, Moonlight Cloud, Timeless Black, and Taiga Brown

Hyundai Grand Starex Dimension

The Hyundai Grand Starex is among the biggest MPVs on sale in Malaysia today, only marginally beaten by the Chinese’s Maxus G10. It is 35 mm longer and 185 mm taller than its South Korean cousin, the Kia Grand Carnival and considerably bigger than all its Japanese rivals from Toyota and Honda.

Hyundai Grand Starex Interior

On the inside, full leather upholstery is now standard, featuring swivel function on the second-row seats for that limousine ride experience. The seating arrangement are highly configurable too thanks to the stowable middle seats on the front, second and third row.

Interior storage space is generous with plenty of cubby space and clever storage solution like the dual door pocket and dual glove box design. 6 roof-mounted air vents ensure the comfort of occupants at all seating rows.

It is business as usual up front with a high seating position and a relatively low window line which aids outward visibility. Dashboard design features a large centre stack which houses a touchscreen infotainment display, climate control button and a gear lever which essentially act as a central control bridge, freeing up space in the central tunnel area for easy access to the rear.

Hyundai Grand Starex Features

Standard equipment onboard includes, cruise control, touchscreen infotainment system with 6-peaker audio system and 3 USB ports, manual dual sliding rear door, as well as a rear roof-mounted entertainment monitor.

The higher-spec Executive Prime gets upgraded powered tailgate, keyless entry with push-start button, and a single powered sliding door (with option to upgrade to dual powered door).

Safety wise, both variants come equipped with four airbags, ABS, ESC, Traction Control System, and Brake Assist. There is also safety power window, automatic light control, rear view camera, as well as front and rear parking assist system with parking distance warning. 

Hyundai Grand Starex Driving Performance

Engine

Powering the rear wheels is a 2.5 litre 4-cylinder CRDi turbodiesel engine with variable geometry turbocharger (VGT). It produces at respectable 170 PS from 3,600 RPM and 441 Nm of torque from 2,000 RPM.

Despite the higher capacity, the 2.5 litre engine is outperformed by the smaller 2.2 turbodiesel engine in the Kia Grand Carnival by 30 PS and 30 Nm.

Transmission

The engine is mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission with shifttronic.

Hyundai Grand Starex Ride Comfort

The Hyundai Grand Starex is equipped with a MacPherson Strut up front and a rigid axle 5-link at the rear. The suspension has been tuned to be softer edge to prioritise ride comfort especially over long-distance driving.

And it should not come as a surprise that the car of this size, with its tall centre of gravity and boxy shape, does not handle corners all too well with noticeable body roll. Although the 5.61 m minimum turning radius does make the sizeable car fairly maneuverable in urban areas.

Hyundai Grand Starex Fuel Consumption

Hyundai Grand Starex Conclusion

Few other MPV on the market can compete with what the Hyundai Grand Starex has got to offer in terms of sheer ferrying capacity. Despite the refreshed look, it is obvious the Hyundai Grand Starex is a car that prioritises function over form. 

Big families will certainly appreciate the highly configurable seating arrangement, spacious interior and the comfort-oriented suspension set up. But the dated iterior design as well as the lack of modern amenities and safety features may put off most buyers.