New look for Hyundai Grand Starex Royale

New look for Hyundai Grand Starex Royale

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Hyundai’s mega-MPV facelifted for 2009

Space, the final frontier… and there’s plenty of it in the Hyundai Grand Starex Royale. It may not be the prettiest looking vehicle, but hey, eleven-seaters don’t come any better in terms of either pricing or equipment. Being priced in the region of RM150k, you’re paying RM13.5k per passenger space. For the money, few models offer the same carrying capacity, and fewer offer as much goodies. Even though this new facelifted version carries a price tag jacked up by a little more than RM10k, its value preposition remains hard to beat.

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Central to the facelifting efforts put into the Royale version is a full bodykit for what Hyundai claims to be a ‘rebirth of the model in majestic proportions’. While we don’t fully buy into the marketing talk on the Grand Starex’s styling, there is no doubt that, size-wise, the Grand Starex is indeed of majestic proportions, measuring a massive 5.1 metres in length. Reversing a car of this size is not going to be funny, and recognizing that fact, Hyundai has equipped the Grand Starex Royale with a reverse camera in addition to four bumper mounted reverse sensors to help the driver out. Other useful features available on the Grand Starex Royale include side-mirror mounted LED signal lights, auto headlamps, and a rear windshield wiper added to the Starex’s equipment list for the first time.

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Inside, Hyundai has also upgraded the ICE system with brand new Pioneer LCD touch screen DVD player HU linked to a 7″ LCD screen for movie viewing pleasure of all but the front row passengers. In addition, each row of seats gets not one, not two, but six fully adjustable ceiling-mounted air-con vents. Each passenger also gets his/her own air conditioning controls as well. It also goes without saying that the three rows of seats behind can be reconfigured in a multitude of ways, as SBY found in his test drive of the pre-facelift Starex last year.

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Interior seats 11

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Touchscreen HU connects to 7″ LCD screen.

No changes are made to the Grand Starex’s 168hp 2.5-litre CRDi powerplant. Armed with common-rail direct injection and a Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT), the Grand Starex produces its peak power at 3,800rpm, and its peak torque of 392Nm at between 2,000 and 2,500rpm. Paired with the engine is a 5-speed Shiftronic auto gearbox with sports mode. Suspension layout is independent all-round, with MacPherson struts in front and multi-links behind. According to Hyundai, all these combine to endow the Grand Starex Royale with ‘exhilarating dynamic driving’. We won’t exactly count on that, but we can be certain that a cruise in the Grand Starex along the north-south highway would be a comfortable one. Standard safety features packed into the Grand Starex Royale include crumple zones, ABS, disc brakes all-round, dual airbags, and seat belts for all 11 passengers.

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Available in 4 different colours, Crystal White, Stone Black, Sleek Silver and Carbon Grey, the Grand Starex Royale is priced (OTR) at RM148,888.00 in the Peninsula and RM153,997.50 in East Malaysia. Like all Hyundai cars in Malaysia, the Grand Starex Royale comes with an industry-leading 5-year/300,000km warranty.

Malaysians can place bookings of the Grand Starex Royale at the nearest sales outlet or call Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors’ Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000 for more information.

KON

See also:

Hyundai Starex – The new luxurious MPV in town

Gentle Korean Giant

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22 COMMENTS

  5. Hi i was very interested in the Starex since it was first introduced last year. The thing that turned me off it was the cost of service and maintainence. For up to 60,000km, the owner would have to part with myr 6kplus and this was just for a MPV made in china under license from Korea. This means with my previous track record, i would have spent this amount on service charges in just 2 years of usage. 5 year / 300,000km warranty has a hefty price which is transfered to the owner. No free service at all. Is it still the same? For close to myr 150k otr, there isi’nt much that can beat it for it’s size but i cannot understand why it must cost so much to upkeep? Grey imports like Estima and Alphard can be serviced anywhere at far less the cost. They are also much more prestigious than the Starex. Yes you only get 3 months warranty but how many people you know have complaints about these MPVs? The owners of starexs should be allowed to service the vehicle anywhere they choose to without terms and conditions voiding the warranty. Can someone from Hyundai explain why it must cost so much? i posted this before and got no response.

  6. sean…. that expensive ka for service and maintenance? i just bought 2 weeks ago. about alphard… my friend bought one last year. price higher for 2006 recond car. after 4 months… already got to replace gearbox. myr thousands flying. pity him

  8. Hi, Just bought Grand Starex Royale last week, I paid RM138K on the road with 2010 manufactured model (thanks to En Ramly of Bandar Tun Razak KL Branch for giving me very good offer). It is soo smooth and the pick-up is unbelieveable. Drove to office today and bring 8 friends (big size woo) for lunch at Taman Tun. It it so comfort and specious, all my friends (they own branded car like new harrier, honda accord, toyota wish, honda City, camry 2009, Altis etc…) very amaze with the performance and the finishing. They are agreed that if this is TOYOTA STAREX it may costs us RM300K….

  9. Hi Haji Wasiman,

    Can u give me E. Ramly’s mobile number? I am interested to buy one from him as well.

  10. I am also interested in getting a starex. White look so good on the road compare to black but the silver and grey i tak pernah jumpa on the road :) white is so difficult to care…..the black windows also look so cool but takut kena saman ni….

  11. i love this car, i saw it through mail, then i saw lots of articles about this car,,, and last i bought it,,, its a wonderful car and worth buying for its warranty

  13. The words are ” value for money”. If one to compare with Alphard in terms of comfort and brand, then one must also compare with the price and package. The starex royale 2010 with 5 yrs manufacturing warranty priced about RM140k but a secondhand 5 yr old 2.4 Alphard with only 3 mths warranty cost about RM200k (the cheapest in the market btw).
    Btw, anybody looking for the best deal in town for starex..do give me a ring at 019-3125065 or emel zurenhamid@gmail.com

  14. Thanks to Haji Wasiman,

    BTW, I just bought last weeks. Since I am in Japan now, so decide to take the car 2 weeks after. I bought in Jalan Ampang Hyundai.

    I just wonder about the maintainance fee. Can’t find any review about details of the maintance issue.

    Hope Haji can review the maintaince fee so far…..

    Of course my decision to buy the car after severals checking. In fact I rent the car for 2 days (1 day = RM560) and drove to JB for test drive. And Result= Excellent for the performance. Fuel consumption very good ( sorry for no exact numbers)

  15. Hi.. Haji Wasiman, Can I get the E. Ramly’s mobile number too…
    I also interested to buy from him…

  20. Hi all,
    I’ve booked one from his (Ramli – Bandar Tun Razak) salesman En iskandar
    his contact number 0185702345
    Getting mine next week
    cheers

  21. hi.. wondering anybody can enlight me, any changes (face lift) to the car now(2012) n is there any problem with the engine. i thought
    of getting one myself. pls reply asap. highly appreciate. thanks

  22. Hi can anyone owner of starex give some comment about the maintenance after you already have your own starex…

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