The Blue number plates on a vehicle in India is a rare occurrence among the sea of White, Yellow, Green and Black number plates
Luxury MPVs are currently on the rise. They offer more space and luxury on the inside than luxury sedans that cost twice as much. For people considering light and space as luxury, MPVs offer more value than a large sedan. More manufacturers are exploring this segment and one of them is Hyundai with its Staria.
Hyundai Staria Spotted In India With Blue Number Plates
Recently, images of Hyundai Staria credited to Praveen Kumaar Bharaneedharan surfaced on the internet, which was spotted in Chennai, India. In the pictures, we can see a Black colour Hyundai Staria with immense road presence, owing to its size. It was spotted grabbing eyeballs with its sleek and futuristic appearance.
Dimensions are closer to that of its Kia counterpart, Carnival MPV. Unlike Carnival, Hyundai sells Staria in multiple body styles. There is a standard Staria, Staria Cargo Van, Staria Lounge and top-spec Staria Lounge Limousine with an extended roof and revamped interiors. There is a Staria Lounge Camper as well, which is a high-end modular RV (recreational vehicle).
Sticking to the vehicle spotted in India, it is likely to be Staria Lounge variant. It measures 5,253 mm long, 1,995 mm wide, 1,990 mm to 2,200 mm in height (depending on variant) and has a massive wheelbase of 3,273 mm. It has premium and sleek appeal with Hyundai’s new-age design language that we get to see in new Verna.
The blue number plates seen on this particular Hyundai Staria MPV is unusual among the White, Yellow, Green and Black plates we are used to. Blue number plates in India is only given to diplomat’s vehicles and they usually have dark-tinted glasses. Because it is a Hyundai Staria, we would be inclined to say that there were South Korean delegates in that particular vehicle spotted in Chennai.
Premium appeal on the inside
Sticking to minivan characteristics, Hyundai Staria has a large glass area all around. Exterior design highlights include sleek LED DRLs that double as turn indicators along with a connecting light bar in the middle, sleek vertically arranged pixel-effect LED tail lights and a subtle roof spoiler. On the inside, there are two free-standing displays, one in centre for infotainment and the other behind steering wheel for instrumentation.
Other notable features include ambient lighting, 2+2+3 seating layout in Lounge setup with two captain seats in the middle row, premium materials, star-lined roof and more. Hyundai sells Staria in Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore, Russia, Malaysia and Philippines.
There are three engine options with Hyundai Staria. Two of these options are variations of the same G3.5 Smartstream MPI petrol engine. This is a V6 engine and is capable of developing 240 PS, 310 Nm in one version and 270 PS and 330 Nm in another.
The third engine option is the 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel engine that we get in Kia Carnival as well. This engine makes 177 PS and 431 Nm. An 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox is standard. Hyundai has not disclosed any intentions of launching Staria in India, even via CBU route.
