The Staria minivan has yet to be formally launched in our market, despite word that it could be one of four new models that Hyundai Philippines is set to unveil this year. Meanwhile, the Staria’s size is already being put to good use in its home market of South Korea.
We'd probably be seeing the Staria used this way here if it weren't for the pandemic
This is the Staria Kinder, taking the German word for children. We’re assuming that conditions in that part of the world have improved enough to allow face-to-face classes for kids (envious much), warranting a dedicated shuttle to ferry them in style and safety.
Thanks to the sleek aesthetics of the stock people-mover it’s based on, the Staria Kinder is widely touted as the world’s best-looking school bus. Obviously, it’s hard to disagree with that claim. The non-threatening exterior of the Staria is exceedingly child-friendly, lending itself well to kindergarten and grade school surroundings.
Light bars positioned at both ends of the roof don’t detract much from the Staria’s elegant shape (if at all) while being functional at the same time by featuring warning flashers. A flip-out stop sign deploys when the doors are opened, cautioning nearby motorists to slow down or stop when children are making their way through.
The Staria Kinder features seatbelts that can be adjusted according to the child's height
To its credit, the Staria Kinder retains the large greenhouse on the standard model, the better for tiny travelers to see outside as they excitedly ride to school and back home. As the Staria Kinder is a school bus after all, it comes in a standout shade of yellow.
Inside, the minivan’s most important passengers sit on black-and-yellow troop carrier-style seats. Three-point seatbelts with height adjustment enable children of varying sizes to be accommodated, while a seatbelt reminder system notifies the driver if an occupant isn’t secured.
The Staria Kinder is big on safety for its little passengers. Front collision avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision prevention are just some of the features protecting all occupants on board as they head out for another day of learning.
It's whetting our appetite for the Hyundai Staria even more
This cool-for-school bus retails for KRW 34.78 million (more than Php 1.47 million) for the 11-seater variant, with the bigger 15-seater version costing KRW 31.41 million (more than Php 1.58 million). If the Staria finally makes its debut here, something like this could be a viable option.
See more sides to the industry’s most anticipated models at Philkotse.com.