Hyundai Staria vs Kia Tasman

What's the difference?

The Staria Load has good build quality, refinement, performance and pricing. In Premium specification, it also offers numerous desirable goodies that make it one of the best-equipped and sharpest-looking one-tonne vans on the market. For some buyers, depending on their requirements, it offers a compelling alternative to the ubiquitous HiAce. 

Ute buyers prepared to look beyond the Tasman’s polarising appearance will discover a competent all-rounder. It has its faults like any ute but boasts high standards of engineering, build quality, interior design and performance that make it a worthy new competitor in this space.

The Premium shares the same 3273mm wheelbase, MacPherson strut front suspension and leaf-spring beam axle rear suspension as all Staria Loads, along with power-assisted rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes. The Premium is available only with a swing-up tailgate.

Its 5253mm length and 1997mm width allows a turning circle of 11.94 metres (HiAce LWB is 11 metres) and its 2000mm height ensures access to height-restricted multi-storey carparks and underground loading docks.

The two-seat interior design, with its absence of physical dials and scarcity of buttons on the dash, provides a spacious and uncluttered workspace. However, adjustments like cabin temperature, fan speed, audio volume control etc using touch-sensitive prompts can be distracting while driving.

Even so, the brightly illuminated instrument display with its ‘virtual’ analogue speedo/tacho is mounted a long way ahead of the driver and quite high, so it almost works like a head-up display given its optimal positioning in the driver’s eyeline.

The height of the cabin doors is also conspicuously low, which has practical benefits given they are not far above knee height (like a LandCruiser 70 Series) which provides excellent side and forward-angle vision.

The Tasman is claimed to have more Australian input than any previous Kia model and it certainly has a distinctive ‘Australianised’ competence in the way it performs (see Driving).

It also follows a reassuringly conventional engineering path with its turbo-diesel drivetrain, body-on-ladder-frame-chassis, twin wishbone/coil-spring front suspension, leaf-spring live rear axle, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering.

The Tasman is no shrimp either, as it shares the same 3270mm wheelbase as the market-leading Ford Ranger and is slightly longer and wider.

Work-focused light commercials are often armoured with unpainted plastic in areas prone to bumps and scrapes. The Tasman S 4x2 follows convention here too with dark grey plastic prominent at the front, rear and along the sides, where unusual ‘eyebrows’ are positioned above the wheel-arches which every onlooker we spoke to said looked better in body colour.

The S 4x2 shares the same 206mm ground clearance, 800mm wading depth and approach/ramp breakover/departure angles as its S, SX and SX+ 4x4 siblings. However, they also share a shallow approach angle of only 20 degrees, which is considerably less than its previously-mentioned rival 4x2 models.

The lower ‘spoiler’ section of the front bumper seems largely responsible for this, as it looks too close to the ground and vulnerable to damage from a farmer’s rocky creek-bed crossing or a tradie’s rugged worksite.

The black and grey interior is a functional and spacious design (see Practicality) which looks and feels more upmarket than typical base-model offerings. It has the coolest doorhandles we’ve seen in a ute, which although made of a composite material look like machined steel, complete with a lathe-like knurled finish on the finger-pulls.

There’s also soft-touch surfaces on the door armrests to optimise elbow comfort plus contrasting hard-surface finishes including honeycomb and diagonal patterns, two-tone fabric seat trim with exposed stitching and neat embossed grooves across the seat-facings.

With its relatively light 1938kg kerb weight and 3020kg GVM, our test vehicle has a genuine one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1082kg (HiAce LWB is 1060kg) of which up to 100kg can be carried on roof racks.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer (HiAce LWB is 1500kg) and with its 5520kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that means it can legally tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload.

On face value, that’s a handy set of numbers. However, with a tow-ball download (TBD) limit of only 100kg it would be a challenge not to exceed that with 2500kg of trailer, given TBD is usually around 10 per cent of trailer weight.

The Premium’s solid-walled cargo bay, with 4.94 cubic metres of load volume (HiAce LWB has 6.2), is accessed through sliding doors on each side and a swing-up tailgate (no rear barn-door option is available for the Premium).

The doors and walls are lined to mid-height and although there’s internal lighting it could be brighter (preferably LED), particularly given the dark colour of our test vehicle.

The cargo bay is 2607mm long and 1640mm wide with 1250mm between the rear-wheel housings, which means it can (theoretically at least) carry up to two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by a choice of eight load-anchorage points.

We say ‘theoretically’ because the raised tailgate effectively blocks rear access for forklifts not equipped with extendable tynes and the side-door openings are too narrow for an Aussie pallet to pass through.

So, if pallet-loading is important, a base model Staria Load with rear barn-doors would be a better choice than the Premium. However, for many other working roles a swing-up tailgate can be beneficial, particularly when serving as a large ‘umbrella’ during wet weather.

The cabin offers three tiers of storage in each door, with the lowest level providing a large-bottle holder and generously-sized bin.

There’s also a small-bottle/cupholder in the dash-pad to the driver’s right plus a handy compartment with clamshell lid in the centre, single glove box, full-width overhead shelf and pop-out cupholder.

With its 2126kg kerb weight and 3250kg GVM, our test vehicle has a mighty 1124kg payload rating which is the largest available in the Tasman fleet. And up to 100kg of that can be carried on the roof.

Like its 4x4 siblings, the 4x2 model is rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 6200kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) the payload would need to be capped at 574kg (a reduction of 550kg) to avoid exceeding the GCM.

Although few (if any) owners would need to tow 3500kg, it’s important to be aware of these numbers if you did to avoid overloading. Even so, almost 600kg of payload would still allow for a crew of five and their gear when towing the maximum trailer weight, so this is a useful set of numbers for many working roles.

Internally the load tub is 1573mm long, 1600mm wide and 543mm deep with a load volume exceeding 1.3 cubic metres. And with 1186mm between the rear wheel-housings, it can carry either Aussie or Euro pallets.

The tailgate can be opened remotely and its hinges provide opening/closing assistance. There’s no standard tub-liner but it comes with four load-anchorage points positioned at around mid-height.

There’s ample cabin space for the driver and front passenger plus storage including a bottle-holder and bin in each door, a single glovebox and a centre console with a large open tray at the front with USB-C ports, two cupholders in the centre and a large box at the back with an internal 12v socket and padded lid which doubles as a comfy elbow rest.

Rear cabin access is enhanced by doors that open to almost 90 degrees and Kia claims the rear bench seat offers best-in-class legroom, headroom and shoulder-room. Even so, it would still be a shoulder squeeze for three big Aussies (like all dual cabs short of a full-size US pick-up) so a limit of two would be preferable for long trips.

Rear storage includes a bottle holder and bin in each door plus pockets on the front seat backrests and a slender pocket on the rear of the console ideal for storing phones. A couple of USB ports would be handy here too, but we are talking base-grade.

There’s also no fold-down centre armrest at this level but the bench seat's 60:40-split base cushions can swing up and be stored vertically if more internal cargo space is required, or to access a full-width bin that can store heaps of stuff away from prying eyes.

The Kia Tasman range offers a choice of cab-chassis and ute body styles and five model grades comprising S, SX, SX+, X-Line and premium X-Pro.

Our S 4x2 test vehicle represents the bottom rung of the model ladder, for those not needing the all-terrain capabilities of its S 4x4 sibling and other Tasman models. However, it does share the same 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic transmission, for a list price of $42,990.

That's more than competitive with equivalent dual-cab ute rivals like the Ford Ranger XL Hi-Rider 2.0L auto 4x2 ($43,530), Toyota HiLux Workmate Hi-Rider 2.4L auto 4x2 ($44,820) and Isuzu D-Max SX High-Ride 2.2L auto 4x2 ($44,200). Our example is also finished in 'Steel Gray' which is a premium paint option that adds $700 to this price.

The S 4x2 comes standard with 17-inch black steel wheels and 265/65 R17 tyres with a full-size spare, automatic LED headlights/daytime running lights/tailgate-mounted rear stop-lights, front/rear parking sensors, rear bumper corner-steps, body-coloured/heated door mirrors, body-coloured doorhandles with pocket lights (front doors only) and more.

Accessing the cabin using the smart key reveals a premium steering wheel and gear knob, remote start, six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, 12v socket and USB-C ports, tyre pressure monitoring, integrated trailer brake controller, reversing camera and more.

There’s also a six-speaker audio system and what Kia calls the ‘Integrated Panoramic Display’ which in one expansive digital screen combines a configurable 12.3-inch driver’s instrument display, 5.0-inch climate control display and 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen display.

The Euro 5-compliant 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 130kW of power at 3800rpm and 430Nm served across a 1000rpm-wide torque band between 1500-2500rpm.

This is paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic, which offers the choice of more direct engine control using sequential manual-shifting. It also has overdrive on its seventh and eighth gears to optimise fuel economy at highway speeds.

Plus, there are four selectable drive modes comprising Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart, with the latter automatically switching between the other three to optimise performance and economy depending on variables like driving styles, road conditions, payloads etc.

All Tasmans share the same 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that produces 154kW of power at 3800rpm and 440Nm of torque across a 1000rpm-wide band between 1750-2750rpm, which showcases flexibility that's well suited to hauling and/or towing heavy loads.

This engine is paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting and five selectable drive modes comprising Normal (default), Eco, Sport, Tow and MyDrive with the latter allowing custom settings.

Hyundai claims official combined consumption of only 7.0L/100km. The dash display was showing 8.3 when we stopped to refuel at the end of our 270km test, which comprised a mix of city, suburban and highway driving, with about one third of that distance hauling a heavy payload. We also regularly switched between drive modes.

Our own consumption figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in at 10.9, which was considerably higher than the dash was claiming. So, based on our ‘real world’ numbers, you could expect a driving range of around 680km from its 75-litre tank.

Kia claims combined average consumption of 7.4L/100km and the dash display was showing 8.3 when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 591km test, which included suburban, city, highway and backroad driving of which about 120km was hauling its near-maximum payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in higher again at 9.6 which is still within the usual 2-3L/100km discrepancy between lab-based official figures and real-world numbers. That's also excellent sub-10L economy for a vehicle weighing more than two tonnes operating mostly in urban settings.

So, based on our own consumption figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of more than 800km from its 80-litre diesel tank.

The driving position feels spacious and comfortable for someone my height (186cm). However, given its Premium status, the driver's seat should have adjustable lumbar support for longer hauls. A fold-down inboard armrest would also be welcome.

The large doors mirrors, combined with blind-spot monitoring and different camera views (including the excellent blind-spot views that appear on the instrument panel) ensure good all-round vision.

This is one of the Staria Load’s strengths, given the huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder created by all solid-walled commercial vans.

The steering is nicely weighted with a mild self-centre effect that ensures it tracks nice and straight over road surface irregularities.

Its unladen handling is stable and sure-footed, with a disciplined ride quality that’s supple enough to soak up the bumps without the lightly-loaded rear suspension bouncing around as you might expect in an empty one-tonner.

Engine response is energetic, as the eight-speed auto does a good job of keeping the turbo-diesel operating within its 1500-2500rpm maximum torque band most of the time. And it requires less than 2000rpm to maintain highway speeds.

Of the four drive modes available, we found ‘Sport’ the most engaging and enjoyable to use, with the instrument panel changing to a red colour and revised shift calibrations providing sharper engine response. This sporty effect is enhanced when using the sequential manual-shift function.

To test its payload rating, we used a forklift to load 650kg into the cargo bay through the side doors, which were just wide enough to allow this.

Combined with our crew of two, this was a total payload of 850kg (about 200kg under its limit). The rear suspension only compressed about 10mm, so there was no chance of its bottoming-out on our test route.

It felt even more planted on the road hauling this payload and coped well with our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60-km/h in ‘Normal’ drive mode, self-shifting down to fourth gear to easily haul this load to the summit.

However, when testing engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, road speed was approaching the 60km/h limit when the transmission overrode our manual selection and shifted up to third gear when the engine reached 3750rpm.

These engine-protecting shift calibrations are common in light commercial vans, which is great for mechanical longevity but not much use when you’re leaning on the engine to assist with braking on steep descents. Fortunately, the four-wheel disc brakes easily coped with the increased workload.

We should also mention the internal noise levels when travelling at highway speeds, given the lack of a solid bulkhead between cabin and cargo bay. Tyre roar emanating from the rear-wheel housings, not helped by the unlined upper walls and roof, can become intolerable over long distances. Fortunately, Hyundai offers a solution with a solid bulkhead ($1825.63) in its genuine accessory range.

There’s no cabin side-steps but large handles on the A and B pillars assist climbing aboard. People of most shapes and sizes can find a comfortable driving position given its supportive seating, large left footrest and height/reach-adjustable steering wheel featuring a flat top to optimise forward vision and a flat base to provide ample torso room.

It exudes solidity in its engineering and build quality along with excellent steering feel, handling and braking. It also has energetic acceleration and all-round performance.

We trialled the sequential manual-shifting and selectable drive modes but spent most of our test in the ‘Normal’ default setting as it provides the best compromise. It’s also a low-stressed highway cruiser requiring only 1600rpm to maintain 100km/h and little more for 110km/h.

The unladen ride quality is firm, as you’d expect given its big payload rating, but it’s more supple than some other 4x2 one-tonners we’ve tested without loads.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 890kg into the load tub, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1070kg which was only about 50kg below its legal limit.

Under this weight, the large bump-stop rubbers fitted to the rear leaf-springs engaged with the chassis rails above them very early in compression, which eliminated the hard thuds experienced with traditional designs that ‘bottom-out’ over large bumps and through dips.

The Tasman proved to be a competent heavy load-hauler in ‘Normal’ drive mode, maintaining its hearty performance and sure-footed handling with more than one tonne on board.

It also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, self-shifting down to third gear to easily haul this load to the summit.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually selected second gear, was equally strong until the engine reached 4000rpm on overrun (no redline is displayed) and promptly shifted up a gear.

These engine-protection protocols are increasingly common in light-commercial vehicles (both utes and vans) but can spring a surprise when you’re ‘leaning’ on the engine to restrain its payload during steep descents and it suddenly shifts up a gear and starts running away from you. Even so, the Tasman’s four disc brakes easily maintained the posted 60km/h speed limit for the remainder of the descent.

Overall, we struggled to find fault in the driving experience apart from one baffling oversight in cabin design, given the steering wheel’s rim blocks the driver’s view of the climate control screen located between the instrument and multimedia screens.

This is distracting for drivers, given climate control settings are among the most-adjusted cabin functions. Hopefully this will be corrected in future upgrades.

The Tasman S 4x2 and X-Line/X-Pro 4x4 models are yet to be ANCAP-rated, but other grades earned the maximum five stars when tested this year.

There’s a full suite of airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with multiple object detections, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, trailer stability assist, driver attention alert, smart cruise control, lane-keeping and lots more.

Junior tradies get ISOFIX and top-tether child-restraint anchorages on the two outer rear seating positions.

Hyundai covers the Staria with a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km totals $2375 or an average of $475 per year.

It comes with Kia’s excellent seven-year/unlimited km warranty, plus 12 months complimentary roadside assistance which is renewed each year for up to eight years if serviced by an authorised Kia dealer.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-pricing applies to the first seven scheduled services up to seven years/105,000km totalling $3971, or a pay-as-you-go average of $567 annually. Alternatively, Kia offers pre-paid servicing packages with cost savings for three, five or seven-year terms.

There are currently more than 160 Kia dealerships across Australia, which also provide vehicle servicing.