Hyundai Staria name has been trademark in many Asian countries as well as in Germany, France and Latin America
We often see automobile manufacturers trademarking new names – some are funky and some frankly downright ugly. But the bottomline is not ever name makes it to the production model and if it has ‘e’ reference the assumption goes to a future electric vehicle. Hyundai has reportedly trademarked the ‘Staria Premium’ recently and as ever, nobody knows what it really is – at least at this point in time.
It is worth noting that back in June 2020, Hyundai filed for Staria name at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. It is classified under “Automobiles; vans; wagons; electric vehicles; hybrid vehicles ”. While it is too early, speculations indicate that the name could be used for a Multi-Purpose Vehicle and it could be retailed in the Southeast Asian markets in the near future.
Another possibility is that Hyundai Staria may as well be a large family carrying van. The Staria could act as a replacement to the Starex and it will more likely be imported into Philippines from Indonesia as part of a series of new models planned. The Staria and Staria Premium could be a compact seven-seater upmarket MPV and it must be noted that the name has also been trademarked in Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia.
The Hyundai Staria name is not restricted to the Asian borders though as it is filed in European countries like Germany and France alongside Latin America. If it is a volume-based premium vehicle bound for the Asian markets, it could be considered for India as well. Hyundai does have a stark absence in the MPV segment and it may bring a rival for the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.
Hyundai showcased the HND-7 Concept at the 2012 Auto Expo but the production model never came into fruition. Back in May 2020, the South Korean auto major was caught on camera testing what looked like a seven-seater MPV.
HMIL’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, SS Kim said in an interview that his company is conducting many studies to address the change in the market scenarios. We do expect an MPV to arrive in the near future mainly for under Rs. 10 lakh to appeal for a wide band of customers.