With the Staria, Hyundai managed to do what seemed impossible and develop a legitimately desirable minivan. Launched last year in multiple configurations with two to 11 seats, the futuristic family hauler has already spawned a cargo van and even a 15-seat school bus dubbed Kinder (German for "children.") The time has now come to explore the vehicle's outdoorsy side by discovering the new Staria Lounge Camper.
Introduced in South Korea, the adventurous minivan comes in Camper 4 and Camper 11 flavors, depending on the number of seats. It gets an electrically deployable pop-out roof tent and an air mattress for even greater sleeping accommodations. Thanks to its boxy size providing a spacious cabin, the Staria Lounge Camper incorporates a lot of goodies. The list includes a 36-liter refrigerator, a sink and faucet set, a folding table, and built-in side shelves.
Gallery: Hyundai Staria Lounge Camper
You can hook up a shower head to the back of the Staria Lounge Camper where there's also a power socket to juice up various devices. Owners can keep that massive tailgate open in the summer without having to worry about bugs getting inside the minivan since Hyundai offers a mosquito net. Inside, there’s enough space for two people to sleep comfortably, while an awning system expands the camper's versatility.
At 49,470,000 won or $40,000 at current exchange rates, we'd argue the Camper 11 variant is reasonably priced. Step up to the more luxurious Camper 4 and you're looking at 68,580,000 won ($55,400). Of course, there are plenty of options that will drive up the final asking price. For example, all-wheel drive (HTRAC) is an extra $1,500 while various packages (comfort, convenience, camping) are also offered at an additional cost.
The only thing the Staria is missing is an electric version as the minivan's avant-garde design begs for a zero-emissions setup. For now, it's available only with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine and a naturally aspirated V6 3.5-liter in gasoline and LPG configurations.
