Hyundai Grand Starex Royale – Royally Updated
The Hyundai Grand Starex Royale is what many of us would agree upon as a product of great value. Winner of the Best Large MPV segment in our car awards last year, HSDM returned this year with a mildly updated version of the Starex, which, incidentally, is once again a nominee for the 2011 incarnation of our awards.
To be blunt, this is not what you would even call a facelift, but then again, adding a bit of gear never hurts and in the case of the Starex it just further builds on the value card that Hyundai plays so well with its sole offering in the MPV market. Hyundai claims to have added eleven updates to this very mildly refreshed version of the Starex.
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| Power sliding door is only for the kerb side. Driver side door is manual. |
There are now two variants on offer, the standard model at RM153,888 with insurance, and the Premium model as per our test car at RM165,888. The RM12k excess of the Premium model is justified by an automatic sliding door on the passenger side and seats trimmed in Nappa leather. A Pioneer-sourced 2-DIN touchscreen unit is standard along with a reverse camera. Safety has been boosted by the addition of ESP to complement the existing ABS and dual airbags.
Nothing’s been changed mechanically, and little has been changed cosmetically. New alloy rims adorn the four corners and the body is lined with reprofiled bumpers and skirts. A new shining chrome grille further dials up the bling along with a row of five LEDs on each side mirror playing dual roles of being indicators and daytime running lights. They are exceptionally bright when serving as the latter.
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| Side-mirror mounted daytime running light is a novelty. Doubles as indicators. |
Climbing Inside
Browsing through the Starex’s specs sheet, we see a list of equipment that can be convincingly described as generous, but in person, it feels like a cabin that was designed and built around a budget, and then specced back up to create an impression of luxury. Choice of materials are visibly one step down from the Sonata and Tucson, but it is important to note that they don’t feel flimsy either.
Having a multimedia touchscreen unit with GPS and reverse camera, one supplied by Pioneer at that, sounds fancy enough, but the reality is less pleasant. The head unit is cumbersome to use. There is no straight forward means of selecting your pre-set favourite radio channels whilst using the GPS function, which makes the absence of steering-mounted audio controls all the more glaring. Had the unit not come bundled with the all-important reverse camera, this is one accessory which we would omit, given the choice.
Though the cabin does not exactly match that of a Toyota Alphard for luxury or refinement, it is not short of the critical element of space. Clever manipulation of the three rows of rear seats will allow you to free up enough leg room for all on board; swiveling second row seats, coupled with reasonable levels of noise suppression allow the Starex to convincing play the role of a mobile conference room.
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| … with none feeling too cramped. |
Driving It
First time drivers of the Starex will be pleasantly surprised at the impressively refined and balanced driving dynamics on offer by this less than pretty looking machine. The combination of a torquey turbodiesel engine with a well-balanced rear-wheel drive chassis imbues the Starex with pretty good driving characteristics both on several fronts.
Straight line pace is not an issue, with 169hp and 392Nm available to make light work of its 2,264kg kerb weight. Hyundai claimed to have not made any changes to this motor since the Starex’s introduction in 2008, although our test car pictured here felt a bit less responsive to an earlier unit reviewed last year. Refinement levels are good, and under light to moderate throttle applications, cabin noise levels are pleasantly low.
Contrary to its enormous size and less than flattering looks, the Starex is not cumbersome on the move. Drive goes to the rear wheels by a live axle, held in place by a five-link suspension. As a result of its rear-wheel drive architecture, the Starex feels perfectly balanced and planted at the corners, almost as if as it has 50:50 weight distribution. Steering feels wonderfully crisp if a little underweight.
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| Not the prettiest kid in the block, but one of the best value buys in town to be sure. |
Conclusion
The Starex’s sheer size works for or against it depending on your requirements. If space is of paramount importance to you, it is difficult to look past this big Hyundai MPV. Where the Starex’s falls a little short is in its ambiance, which although not in anyway poor, lacking a polished upmarket feel.
A welcomed bonus is that for its height and weight, the Starex drives pretty well, although we neither expect nor recommend that the typical Starex owner to explore its dynamic limits. Nevertheless, considering the combination of space, refinement, and performance on offer, the Starex makes for a fantastic value MPV. The updates introduced actually add little value to the overall package, but neither do they harm the case.
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