Hyundai Staria-Load set to replace iLoad van

The hotly anticipated 2022 Hyundai Staria people mover is set to be joined by a light commercial van sibling called the Staria-Load.

The name of the new Toyota HiAce competitor was recently registered with the Federal Government’s Road Vehicle Certification System.

Replacing the out-going iLoad, which has been in production for no less than 14 years, the upcoming LCV is expected to land Down Under in the third quarter of 2021, shortly after the Staria people mover, which will also be debuted locally in quarter three.

Both will be based on the Korean auto giant’s Hyundai-Kia N platform architecture, which was first introduced in 2019 and serves as the basis for other Hyundai and Kia products such as the Sonata, Santa Fe, Sorento, and Carnival.

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The 2022 Hyundai Staria people mover

Power will be derived from Hyundai’s R II 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which produces 130kW and 431Nm.

Due to its N platform underpinnings, and unlike the current iLoad, the Staria’s diesel donk will send power to the front wheels rather than the rear.

The change from RWD to FWD should also free up more of the Load’s cargo capacity, which is reported to be no less than 5000 litres.

Like its predecessor, owners will be able to choose from either a manual or automatic transmission. However, while the three-pedal option retains the same amount of gears (six), the auto gearbox will be an eight-speed job.

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The 2022 Hyundai Staria people mover

The new Load bests its ancestor in size by some margin, measuring 5253mm long, 1997mm wide, 2000mm tall, and with a wheelbase measuring 3273mm.

Towing capacity will be rated at 2500 kilograms, and although the work van’s kerb weight isn’t yet known, it will most likely tip the scales at a similar weight to its predecessors 2134 kilograms.

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The 2022 Hyundai Staria people mover's interior

Inside, the Load will most likely score the same 10.25-inch digital dash and 12.3-inch centrally mounted touchscreen infotainment display as the Staria people mover. Other features will include smartphone mirroring, push-button gear selector, and haptic touch interfaces.

A suite of safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, reversing camera, and front and side airbags are also expected to feature on the new LCV.

Local pricing and features will be unveiled closer to the 2022 Hyundai Staria Load’s quarter three release.