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2022 Hyundai Staria-Load detailed: Futuristic new Toyota HiAce, Ford Transit Custom, Renault Trafic and Mitsubishi Express rival coming soon

The Staria-Load (pictured) will soon replace the iLoad as Hyundai Australia’s van. (Image credit: Phil Gilbert Hyundai)

Hyundai Australia will launch the all-new replacement for its iLoad van in early October, with registrations of interest now being taken for the Staria-Load, examples of which have already arrived at dealerships for pre-delivery.

For reference, the Staria-Load is the van version of the Staria eight-seat people mover, which went on sale this month, with the latter’s pricing starting from $48,500 plus on-road costs and stretching to $66,500.

Pricing and full specifications details for the Staria-Load haven’t been released yet, but the Australian government’s Road Vehicle Certification System has confirmed it will be available in regular two-seat and Crew five-seat configurations with Liftback and Twin Swing tailgate options.

The Staria-Load will only be offered with one engine, a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder that produces 130kW of power and 430Nm of torque, and is mated to one of two transmission options: a six-speed manual or an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.

Of note, the Staria-Load is exclusively front-wheel drive (FWD), with the preceding iLoad having been a rear-wheel drive (RWD) model like the segment-leading Toyota HiAce. The rivalling Ford Transit Custom, Renault Trafic and Mitsubishi Express are also FWD, though.

  • 2022 Hyundai Staria-Load (Image credit: Phil Gilbert Hyundai) 2022 Hyundai Staria-Load (Image credit: Phil Gilbert Hyundai)
  • 2022 Hyundai Staria-Load (Image credit: Phil Gilbert Hyundai) 2022 Hyundai Staria-Load (Image credit: Phil Gilbert Hyundai)

With the manual option, the two-seat variants have a tare mass of 1928kg and Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 3000kg, making for a maximum payload of 1062kg. Meanwhile, their five-seat counterparts are superior in every category, at 2022kg, 3100kg and 1078kg respectively.

Either way, braked towing capacity is 2500kg, while unbraked is 750kg, with the Staria-Load measuring 5253mm long (with a 3273mm wheelbase), 1997mm wide and 2000mm tall.

Standard equipment in the Staria-Load includes 17-inch steels wheels with 215/65 tyres, an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, wireless smartphone charging, manual air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, lane-keep and steering assist, adaptive cruise control and at least four airbags (dual front and curtain).