If 7 seats in a MPV are still not enough for you, Hyundai-Sime Darby (HSD) offers a MPV with four rows of seats to accommodate up to 11 persons. Known as the Hyundai Starex and imported as a completely built-up (CBU) model from Korea, the Starex (also known as ‘H-1’ or ‘H-200’ in some countries) is a full-sized multi-purpose vehicle which can be configured for various applications. 

HSD is importing a people-carrier variant which should challenge the Toyota Hiace, Nissan Urvan (14-seater) –and also 7-seat MPVs like the Naza Ria, Toyota Innova, and Nissan Serena. The pricetag which starts at RM135,533 (including insurance) for the 7-seater may be higher than the locally-assembled models mentioned and it provides an alternative but it would certainly be something that those in the market for a Toyota Estima or Alphard might take a look at too.

At first glance, the Starex looks a bit like the Alphard and has a more MPV look compared to the Hiace and Urvan which are primarily window vans. Some styling effort has obviously gone into it to give it appeal to those buying it for non-commercial purposes.

Given the gross weight of 3185 kgs, there is a lot of load on the vehicle and when heavy loads are to be carried, rear-wheel drive is better because you have a sturdy axle at the rear to support the load. Power delivery is by a 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive in top gear and a final drive ratio of 2.929. Like in many high-end passenger cars, there is also the option of manual shifting in a sequential pattern (meaning you can’t jump from 5 to 3 but must go through 1-2-3-4-5).

2.5-litre diesel engine has variable geometry turbocharger and delivers 392 Nm of torque	Thick live axle under rear end provides good support for heavy loads

As the Starex is intended to be a people-carrier – and many people at that – attention has been given to passive safety provisions and the front occupants get airbags and lap belts are provided for the occupants in the other rows. It is hard to provide 3-point belts for everyone because there are not enough roof pillars for the upper anchorage points and only a few manufacturers will design special seats with integrated upper anchorage points. In active safety, the Starex is also comparable to a passenger car with standard ABS as well as front and rear disc brakes. Again, the brake system would have to be of a high standard to provide enough stopping power for such a heavy vehicle.

The coil spring suspension is straightforward with MacPherson struts in front and a very solid rear axle located by 5 links. As mentioned earlier, the live axle provides additional benefit of providing support for heavier loads.

For the 7-seat layout, the fourth row is omitted which gives extra space for luggage. Then it is three rows with a 2-3-2 seating arrangement. HSD also has a more customized luxury version of the Starex which can serve as a mobile office with a meeting table, audio system and DVD ICE provided. The cost of this customization is RM37,355 which takes the price up to RM172,888. According to a HSD executive, the customer can specify what is required and there is some flexibility in options. Of course, this also means waiting a bit longer as customization is a one-off exercise.

If the number of large imported MPVs is any indicator, there is obviously good demand for such vehicles and the Starex should find many customers. It’s a smart-looking MPV and has a decent equipment list so there’s no reason why it won’t do well. If the volume is high enough, then it could even be assembled locally and given that Sime Darby has been putting the Inokom badge on certain Hyundai models, it’s not out of the question that the Starex could also become an Inokom product later on.

Talk about the Starex in the MTM Forum