SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active list down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and search through the drop-down menu that appears.

Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.

For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.

Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.


Undercover hustler: 2022 Hyundai Staria Multicab

Niche player

Posted: April 21, 2022

The numbers
Price: R759 900
Engine: Hyundai D4HB, 2199 cc DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder commonrail diesel with VGT
Power: 130 kW between 3000 and 4000 rpm
Torque: 430 Nm between 1500 and 2500 rpm
0-100 km/h: 12.4 seconds
Top speed: 185 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.2 l/100 km
Tank: 75 litres
Cargo volume: 2890 litres
Payload: 1074 kg
Maximum towing capacities (unbraked / braked): 750 / 2500 kg
Ground clearance; 186 mm
Turning circle: 11.94 metres
Fit into garage? 5253 x 1997 x 2000 mm
Warranty: Five years, 150 000 km plus additional two years, 50 000 km mechanical warranty
Roadside assistance: Seven years, 150 000 km
Service plan: Six years, 90 000 km

Hyundai’s Staria Multicab’s an enigma; is it a panel van masquerading as an SUV or is it an SUV with added accent on utility?

Trouble is that the term “Multicab” is a bit confusing. It’s better described as a double-cab panel van that seats five in comfort if not ultimate luxury. And its load box, accessed via a pair of swing-out doors, puts many single-cab pickups to shame. Apart from small-business applications, it could be just the thing for camping weekends or hauling band equipment.

The space is just over 1.6 metres long, 1.2 wide between wheel arches and 1.3 metres high; not long enough to accommodate a trail bike but possibly a pedal cycle or two. Loading height is at 58 cm and the space is fitted with six conveniently placed lashing rings. Pity about the trail bike.

People space is plentiful. Those in the back seat wallow in almost two fist-widths of headroom, lots of knee space and comfortable accommodation for feet - even when the driver’s chair is completely lowered. The middle passenger can stretch out to his or her heart’s content because this model dispenses with the centre console found in the SUVs. That space comes in useful because one needs to stand between the front seats to pull the strap that lifts the rear seat cushion covering a pair of storage bins. Three belts, three head restraints and a second courtesy lamp take care of amenities although there are no map pockets, arm rests or cup holders. It’s a commercial vehicle at heart.  

That delivery van influence extends to a pair of overhead document slots above the sun visors, a single pop-out cup holder on the dash and three storage trays of varying sizes in each front door. But fear not, feminists; both visors still feature illuminated mirrors for those who need them.

Let’s look at some numbers. Maximum load volume is 2890 cubic decimetres; more than double that of any of its SUV sisters. Maximum payload is 1074 kilograms; 200 more than its roomiest sister. The multilink rear suspension made way for load-bearing leaf springs on a beam axle but there’s no evident trade off in ride quality or comfort. And it weighs a relatively svelte 2016 kg; at least 184 less than any of its siblings.

Engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, as well as rated acceleration, top speed and fuel consumption, are the same as per the SUVs. But someone neglected his or her homework because the lower unladen mass pays off in fuel economy and, probably, in performance. A trial run, in Sport mode and working the box manually, was huge fun. This beast hauls ass.

Trim-wise, Staria Multicab is kitted (mostly) at Executive level so it starts with a key and shifts between park, reverse, drive and neutral with a proper stick rather than fussy little buttons. There aren’t any boy-racer paddles for manual override either. All the expected safety kit is present with only the smart version of cruise control, ISOFix mountings, tyre pressure monitoring and some collision avoidance systems not fitted. You still get six airbags, reversing camera, automatic locking, rear pdc, standard cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, hill hold and the usual braking and handling electronics.

Didn’t I mention the eight-inch touchscreen entertainment system with connectivity, the folding mirrors and the automatic air conditioning? Chill; all are present.

Again, what is this machine; panel van or SUV? It’s practical, luxurious without being overly prissy, not really suited to hauling babies or pampering staff but devilishly sporting and utilitarian. There’s surely a niche for it.

Test unit from Hyundai SA press fleet

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.