In March this year, Hyundai unveiled one of the most unusually-looking vehicles in its lineup. The Staria van was launched as a futuristic multi-purpose vehicle with spaceship design, cool interior features, and room for up to 11 passengers. Now, a far more restrained version of that minivan is making its debut as a cargo bus and it is already available for orders in Australia.

The so-called Staria Load replaces the iLoad in the Land Down Under and can be now ordered in a two-seat van or five-seat crew van configurations with either a standard hatchback or twin rear doors at the back. However, the latter option will go on sale in the fourth quarter of the year. Two exterior colors are available - Shimmering Silver and Creamy White.

Gallery: Hyundai Staria Load

Regardless of the exact configuration you choose, power is provided by a 2.2-liter diesel engine mated as standard to an eight-speed automatic. The four-cylinder compression-ignition unit sends 174 horsepower (130 kilowatts) and 317 pound-feet (430 Newton-meters) to the front wheels, being slightly more powerful than the model it replaces.

What’s probably more important for a cargo van, though, is the cargo space. Hyundai says the area can swallow three Euro palettes which is a huge improvement over the two palettes on the iLoad. To put that into perspective, the Staria Load has a cargo space of 174,22 cubic feet (4,935 liters), up from 156,3 cu-ft (4,426 liters) in the predecessor.

In terms of modern safety and assist systems, Hyundai’s newest LCV addition comes equipped as standard with seven airbags, an electronic parking brake, keyless entry with remote window open and close, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging pad, and many others. Pricing starts at $45,740 AUD for the Staria Load Van and $48,240 AUD for the Staria Load Crew Van.

Gallery: 2021 Hyundai Staria

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