Hyundai unveils Staria minivan inspired by spaceships

Hyundaihas lifted the veil on the Staria, a new minivan with a design inspired by spaceships.The MRT was developed for businesses and families and will be available in select global markets in 2021.

The Staria will be available in a variety of versions, ranging from the fairly basic two-seat spongy cargo-laden seat to an 11-seater that intrudes into luxury car territory.We haven't seen a commercial version yet, butHyundai's manned model has a very unusual design, and we're hoping to find it at CES.It sports a full-width LED light bar at the front that sits above the low-mounted headlights with an extra-wide grille.To the rear, the lights are made up of individual dots that look like pixels, just like on the Ioniq 5.

Oversized side windows let light into the cabin, and we wishHyundaihad similarly oversized air conditioning systems to keep the temperature in check during the summer.Inside, spaceship inspiration leaves the stage, replaced by styling cues taken from cruise ship lounges.The driver faces a four-spoke steering wheel and a digital instrument panel mounted near the bottom of the windshield.The appearance of the center console varies from version to version.All have touchscreens, but are larger in some respects than others.

Opting for a seven-seater premium model brings second-row passengers a one-touch relaxation mode, while the relaxation seat automatically reclines into a position that comfortably spreads the passenger's weight to improve overall body balance, a Hyundai term. rather than our words.Even first-class passengers on planes can't enjoy this feature.In addition, the nine-seater premium sedan offers a second row of seats that swivel for meetings.

The functionality of Staria has not yet been revealed.Images from Hyundai confirm that the manual transmission offers more of the base equipment, while the automatic transmission is more expensive.Front-wheel drive may be standard, and it's no surprise to see a turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood.

Hyundai will fully launch the Staria in the first half of 2021.We don't know if it will be on sale.