2022 Hyundai Staria Load Van 2.2L Diesel Review

Hyundai’s new commercial van is finally here. Replacing the ageing – but very popular – Hyundai iLoad, the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load has big shoes to fill. Commercial vans have gotten much more advanced in recent years offering more technology and features than they ever had before. That’s in addition to more comfortable driving dynamics, more efficient engines and a superior all-round ability. Does the Staria Load have what it takes to be a hit seller? Let’s find out.

The Hyundai iLoad was sold locally for 13 years and while it did sell in strong numbers, it never matched the European vans for driving dynamics, interior quality and equipment. The Hyundai Staria Load promises to change this with more equipment, an all-new design and some proper safety features. Rivals to the Staria Load include the Volkswagen Transporter, Peugeot Expert, Ford Transit Custom, Renault Traffic, Mitsubishi Express, Toyota HiAce and the Mercedes-Benz Vito.

Price & Equipment: 8.5/10

The 2022 Hyundai Staria Load now only comes as one spec, which is priced at $45,740 plus on-road costs. The outgoing Hyundai iLoad used to start at $39,680 plus on road costs, but in saying this the Staria Load now comes with a standard automatic transmission and a lot more equipment.

The Staria Load’s equipment list includes 17-inch steel wheels with a full-size spare wheel, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a two-speaker sound system, wireless charging, driving modes, a partial 4.2-inch digital driver’s display, automatic headlights, front and rear mud flaps, heated and auto-folding mirrors and a leather steering wheel and gear knob.

Safety equipment includes seven airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, a speed limiter, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, driver fatigue monitoring, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and an alarm.

Rivals to the Staria Load are the $47,990 plus on-road costs Volkswagen Transporter TDI340 auto, the $45,240 Toyota HiAce LWB auto and the $42,990 Peugeot Expert SWB auto. The Hyundai is on the higher end of the pricing between all of these vans, but it also has much more equipment than each of them.

The only option available on the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load are twin-swing barn-style rear doors, which are a no-cost option. There are also only two colour options available on the Staria Load – our test car’s ‘Creamy White’ is the only no-cost option and the metallic ‘Shimmering Silver’ attracts a $695 charge.

Our test Staria Load was fitted with the genuine cargo separator accessory and also available are headlight protectors, alloy wheels, a dash mat, a tow bar, a bonnet protector, window protectors and a nudge bar.

Performance & Economy: 8/10

There is only one engine that is available in the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load and it is the familiar ‘R Series’ 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine that features in a lot of other Hyundai/Kia produces. The engine produces 130kW of power at 3,800rpm and 430Nm of torque between 1,500rpm and 2,500rpm, which are healthy outputs for a commercial vehicle. Power is sent through the front wheels via an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The regular Hyundai Staria people carrier can be had with this same engine but with all-wheel drive, which is not available on the Staria Load.

The previous Hyundai iLoad had a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produced 125kW of power and 441Nm of torque. But comparing this engine to the one in the Staria Load is like comparing night and day as the new engine is smoother and quicker than that in the iLoad.

Being the older diesel engine and not the newer ‘Smartstream’ engine seen in the updated Santa Fe means that the engine can be a little vocal when accelerating. It is a little brash and it also misses out on the extra power that the new engine gets. But it is more than powerful enough and is a nice change from the commercial engines that are used in other vans.

The eight-speed automatic is an excellent unit that makes for a smooth and linear driving experience. There is no jerking or jarring when taking off from a standstill, unlike the dual-clutch auto in the Renault Traffic. The manual mode is also handy when there is a heavy load in the back or when wanting a little more punch out of the engine. The gear selector in the Staria Load is a traditional knob, rather than the push button gear selector in the regular Staria – and we like it a lot more because of that.

In comparison, the Toyota HiAce has a 2.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 130kW/450Nm (the same power but 20Nm more than the Staria Load), the Volkswagen Transporter TDI340 produces 110kW/340Nm (20kW/90Nm less than Staria Load) and the Peugeot Expert produces 110kW/370Nm (20kW/60Nm less than Staria Load).

The claimed average fuel consumption figure for the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load is 7.0L/100km, which is much better than the 8.8L/100km that the previous iLoad claimed. Our week spent with the Staria Load driving on a mix of highways and urban environments saw an average fuel economy figure of 8.5L/100km. The Toyota HiAce diesel has a claimed average fuel economy figure of 8.2L/100km, the VW Transporter TDI340’s figure is 8.3L/100km and the Peugeot Expert’s figure is 6.3L/100km.

Ride & Handling: 9/10

Based on the same platform that underpins the regular Staria, the new Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento, the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load drives rather like a big car. It is very comfortable to live with on a daily basis even without anything in the back. The Staria Load is less firm than the Volkswagen Transporter, but not as soft as the Peugeot Expert.

The steering is quite light and the steering rack is adjusted to make the Staria Load feel manoeuvrable in tight spaces, which it has in common with the Volkswagen Transporter. The turning circle in the Staria Load is 11.94-metres.

The active safety tech in the Staria Load is excellent for a commercial vehicle. It has more active safety tech than any other van on the market. The lane departure warning can occasionally be a little intrusive around town but it is easy to deactivate if you wish and on the motorway it is excellent. The forward collision alert and radar cruise control also work a treat.

The braked towing capacity of the Staria Load is 2,500kg with a maximum tow ball weight of 100kg. In comparison, the VW Transporter TDI340 can also tow 2,500kg but the Toyota HiAce can only tow 1,500kg. The Peugeot Expert has a braked towing capacity of 2,165kg.

Interior & Practicality: 8.5/10

The interior of the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load is very functional and modern in design. There are supportive and comfortable cloth seats, a nice large touchscreen and some funky dials to make the interior feel a little more playful rather than the serious and somewhat boring cabins of its rivals.

There are a lot of storage cubbies in the Staria Load. There is a spot in front of the shifter where the wireless smart phone charger is to store a phone, a pop out cupholder underneath that, a cupholder up on the dash on the drivers side, a storage tray underneath the dials, two storage bins underneath the shifter, a glovebox and deep door bins.

The materials used in the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load are more than acceptable for a van. The cloth on the seats is comfortable and seems to be quite durable, the plastic on the dash and door panels is hard to the touch – which is to expected in a commercial vehicle – but it does feel durable. The leather on the steering wheel is also soft and feels nice to hold.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen on the Staria Load is excellent and easy to use. The shortcut buttons on either side of the screen make it easy to go between menus on the move. Seeing traditional volume and tuning dials is a welcome sight, rather than push buttons that some manufactures are choosing these days. The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto works very well and is great to see in a commercial vehicle. The 360-degree surround view camera is very handy when manoeuvring the Staria Load in tight parking spaces and loading docks.

Opening one of the dual sliding rear doors reveals the truly cavernous cargo space of the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load. There is 4,935-litres of cargo space on offer with handy cargo tie down hooks on the floor of the rear. The Staria Load’s cargo bay measures 2,607mm long, 1,640mm wide and 1,436mm tall. The GVM for the Staria Load is 3,020kg, which means a maximum payload of 1,090kg. In comparison, the Volkswagen Transporter TDI340 has a slightly higher payload at 1,135kg.

Service & Warranty: 9/10

The 2022 Hyundai Staria Load has comes with the brand’s five-year/ unlimited kilometre warranty, which is the same warranty that is offered on the Toyota HiAce and Volkswagen Transporter. The Staria Load also comes with 12 months of roadside assistance, which is extended by a further 12 months at every scheduled service through a Hyundai dealer for up to five years in total. The Volkswagen only comes with 12 months of roadside assist and the Toyota doesn’t come with any form at all.

Servicing the Hyundai Staria Load comes around every 12 months or 15,000km, which is the same as the VW Transporter, the Peugeot Expert only needs servicing every 12 months or 20,000km and both of these are better than the six months or 10,000km which the HiAce needs servicing. The cost to service the Staria Load over five years or 75,000km is $1,800 (each service is $360). Compared to the $3,339 it will cost owners to service their Volkswagen Transporter TDI340, the Staria Load’s servicing looks like good value.

2022 Hyundai Staria Load DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.6/10

Buying a van or commercial vehicle in 2022 is very different to even doing so 10 years ago. There is more choice, much more technology and much better and more frugal drivetrains on offer. The Hyundai Staria Load encapsulates all that is good in the commercial market at the moment. It has a great cargo area, modern technology, it’s good value when compared to rivals, has a great diesel engine and is more than comfortable enough to drive on a daily basis. What’s not to like?

So the big question is would we buy a Hyundai Staria Load? Yes, we most certainly would. To us it is the van that makes the most sense at the moment considering you don’t have to service it as often as the HiAce, it’s much cheaper to service than the Transporter and is very car-like to drive. If we were in the market for a van, we would definitely park a Hyundai Staria Load on our drive.