2021 Hyundai Staria Highlander review: long-term update 3, off-road driving and manners

Now, let’s get stuck on chapter three. As promised we took the Hyundai Staria 8 seater people mover off road to explore its lifestyle abilities and off road skills. Then I had to wash the Hyundai Staria, and I can tell you that I have never washed such a big car.

I can also tell you that if the roof was dirty before washing, it is still dirty now. I just can’t get to it. Hopefully the semi-regular rainy days in Melbourne will take care of the roof, but if they don’t then it won’t be as much as many other road users can see my dirty secret. Truckies maybe, and pedestrians on overpasses.

So, how did the all-wheel-drive Staria go off-road, I hear no one ask? Absolutely fine but it wasn’t like we tackled the Canning Stock route. We went out to Lerderderg . State Park about 35 minutes west of Melbourne near Bacchus Marsh. There is a great walking trail that starts at Mackenzies Flat and goes to Grahams Dam which takes about an hour.

But if you take two young guys like us, it takes a lot longer… Possibly. I don’t know as an unusually sunny winter day turned rainy and wet shortly after we arrived. So all we did was teach my two year old how to skip rocks in the Lerdderg River.

Then we went back to Camerons Road and followed it north, deeper into the park. The bitumen road quickly changes to unpaved but it is tarmac and well maintained so wouldn’t challenge a Corolla.

We turned into a chopped siding to see the Staria’s on-demand four-wheel drive system handle itself on rougher terrain, and it just felt weird. Really weird. Not because the car did something wrong. The Staria did a fine job, driving the ruts with the poor wheel articulation and ground clearance it had, and the four-wheel drive system did the job, shuffling drive to the rear wheels when the front wheels started to slip.

What felt odd was to see such a big, boxy, tall van in the bush on an off-road track. It’s like seeing Kim Kardashian at a wrestling match or John Howard bowling a cricket ball. It just doesn’t look right.

In all fairness, the Staria’s limited ground clearance and long wheelbase, and light all-wheel drive system, aren’t really designed for off-road use. This van is absolutely capable of driving forest trails to your favorite bushwalking or mountain biking route, as long as the grader keeps things level and firm. If your idea of ​​a dirty weekend involves something a little more strenuous, a good SUV or 4WD is what you need.

But for a family of four eager to get out and about after three weeks of Covid-positive lockdown – it went through all of us, but at least now we’re on the other side – a quick breath of fresh air was just what we needed.

On the drive back I noticed how attentive the Staria is. This is a very caring van.

For example, as we drove into the CityLink tunnel, the Staria informed me that it had closed the external vents and turned the AC on recirculation to keep those pesky fumes out of our lungs.

When we got home, it reminded me to check the back seat because it could see there was something heavy in there. However, we knew this because the boys have discovered the joy of torturing us parents by incessantly babbling nonsense words.

It also reminded me to take my phone off the charging mat, which I am grateful for as I left it there before.

As the day turns to dusk, the Staria automatically changes the color schemes of the screens from bright white to softer black. It’s not the only car to do this, but it’s still a nice touch.

I’ve also found that the Staria automatically turns on the heated seats and steering wheel heating when I start the car on cold mornings. Another handy feature that you just know you need.

The latter is a mixed blessing as the Staria’s wheel has an alloy covering that doesn’t heat up, and the contrast between toasted leather and icy alloy is stark if your hand accidentally wanders on the latter.

Another handy feature is the automatically closing tailgate. It has sensors behind it to tell you when you’re done charging and get off it, then it beeps three times and closes on its own.

All this will make the next update bittersweet. Our six months with the Staria are coming to an end. But before then I have to take the family back from Geelong to Melbourne. Last month we put our house on the market and moved into a family friend’s empty house so the real estate team would have unrestricted access for the duration of the campaign.

Also, we didn’t have to go through the formidable task of cleaning the house twice a week after the boys spent the intervening days recreating the world’s biggest mess.

Now the campaign is over and it’s time to go back home. The house didn’t sell because we were unlucky to time our campaign with the Reserve Bank’s decision to raise interest rates to the moon (relatively speaking), pouring icy water over a once-hot real estate market.

Driving from Geelong to the office three times a week has increased the mileage and slightly reduced the average fuel consumption. We now show a general average of 8.3L/100km† Not bad for a two-ton truck that can carry eight.

So one more mega load of life junk and the Staria goes goodbye. Will I miss it? Find out next month.