If you’re 25 and older, you’re probably familiar with the heyday of vans. They were used as school services, company shuttles, and family vehicles. It is in our culture to be close to extended families and so even a couple with one kid would buy a van back then just to accomodate grandparents, or titos and titas in their way in and out of provinces during holidays.
The Hyundai Grand Starex was one of the few survivors of that era. Its front-mounted engine design and aerodynamic overall shape stood the test of time while it grabbed awards left and right along the way. Despite its age, it still has a place on the road and still stands out from the rest of the pack for a few key reasons.
Styling
The Grand Starex is a thing of beauty and elegance despite its size and utilitarian nature. The front is now more sleek and simplistic, with nice curves on the side, topped by an invisible C-pillar that made the windows one big panel.
The placement of the engine upfront not only adds to the allure of the Starex, it also adds comfort since the engine’s size, heat, and noise won’t ruin the interior.
Inside, the absence of the engine and long wheelbase meant more legroom for everyone up to the last row. The adequately bolstered seats and aircon vents only add to all passengers comfort even in long drives.
There’s also a space for everything for all occupants. They can choose between the two-tier glove box, overhead console, several cup holders, and door compartments to store their other things.
Safety
Aside from Hyundai’s signature rigid body construction, the Starex comes with two airbags infront, and driver safety windows. There’s also rear parking sensors and rear underview mirror to help you maneuver the large vehicle in tight spaces.
Performance
Hidden infront is the Grand Starex’s 2.5L CRDi VGT diesel engine that puts out 168 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque. It’s coupled to a 5-speed automatic transmission with H-matic manual mode, for those moments when you want control over your gears. This combo alone is enough to haul a whole family and their cargo through some uphills outside the city. Yes, it can reach Baguio without any worry.
Reinvention
Wondering how the Grand Starex survived after all these years? It simply kept up with the times. It kept changing itself and employed amenities that the current buyers need and released variants that will be of use in the market.
Right now they don’t only have variants for private owners. The base model is meant for cargo/shipping use, while the Super Express is meant for PUV use. They also recently have a Grand Starex Ambulance which proved very useful during these trying times.
With attainable comfort as its primary offering, combined with safety and performance points, it looks like the Hyundai Grand Starex is here to stay. If you’re ready to move into the next level of automotive comfort, you can shop for the Grand Starex right in Hyundai PH’s website. See? That’s how you stay relevant in an ever changing world.
