Hyundai Grand Starex Executive 2019 state to state test drive

July 9, 2019

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Hyundai Grand Starex Executive 2019 state to state test drive

Yes, we went across 2 states and 600 plus kilometers in one day with this all new Hyundai Starex. The reason was simple. A group of friends and us have been talking about a whole day foodie hunt for months and the planning was always going sideways due to too many issues cropping up from outside forces.

So, when we got the confirmation from Sime Darby Hyundai to test drive their latest Starex over a weekend we pushed all participants to commit to this trip. Instead of the group driving in 2 cars, we could all go in one comfortable MPV. Seating provided was for 11 people and with only 7 of us, comfort levels will be even better.

Morning crawl at Sungei Buloh

We started our journey at 7.30am and the destination was breakfast. Simple small town noodles were requested. We took the highway to Tanjung Malim and despite a truck accident at the Sungei Buloh rest and relax section of the highway, we made good time for breakfast.

Keeping to the speed limit all times, all 7 of us could easily converse and poke fun at each other with a very pleasant cabin and very low external noise coming into the cabin at 110km/h.

The ride was very good and there were no complaints from my 6 passengers. After a leisurely breakfast, we continued our journey on the old state road (off the PLUS highway). With very little traffic, we managed to speed along with very little interference from small town drivers and motorcyclists.

We stopped for the necessary fruit purchasing at Bidor which took some 30 minutes and all the vendors when seeing the Starex and me were under the impression that I was a luxury tour van driver with overseas guests. I did not disappoint and was quick to point out false nationalities of each of my passengers to the fruits vendors.

Knowing this, we got better prices for our own purchases.

Another 2 hours of state road driving and we arrived at our lunch destination, Port Weld or Kuala Sepetang as it is known today. A sleepy forgotten fishing village just 30 minutes away from Taiping, we looked for the most crowded seafood restaurant to confirm a decent meal.

After lunch we proceeded back to Kuala Lumpur with full stomachs and plenty of diesel fuel still in our Starex tank. In a short 15 minutes, one by one my passengers reclined their super comfy seats and the zzzzz’s were filling the quiet cabin space.

About the new Hyundai Starex

Open the front door, and the driver’s seat is just high enough to slide into without bending or stepping up. The driving position is good with a good all round view and there is an extra seat in front. That’s right, you can put not one, but two passengers next to you while you drive. We haven’t seen passenger vehicles that can do this, so we can’t imagine just how useful this could be.

The gauges are in a clear defined cluster with tachometer, speed, fuel and coolant temperature. Controls and switches are easy to reach and clearly labeled. The gearshift is sensibly mounted on the center dash, freeing up enough floor space to walk through the front seats. The front seats are comfortable and adequately bolstered. To accommodate 11 occupants, Hyundai have configured this new Starex with 4 rows of seats. The last row is a moveable bench seat which easily slides forward to provide more luggage room when needed.

Bonding between the rear passengers is also made easier as the 2nd row of seats can swivel round to face the 3rd row. This makes face-to-face communication between passengers possible and can make road trips and every day journeys a lot more entertaining and socially conducive. And if you really just need to move a bunch of stuff around, the seats can be slid, tipped and swiveled in multiple ways to make way for cargo.

There are 4 –airbags, ESP and ABS for a peace of mind motoring.

Moving this large people mover is an efficient and powerful 2.5-litre turbo diesel. It produces 441Nm of torque at just 2000rpm, so you don’t have to overwork the engine to get it going. The 5-speed automatic also means basic maintenance is all that’s needed for longevity. Hyundai also gives you an awesome 5-year, 300,000km warranty for a worry-free ownership experience.

This new Starex asking price starts at just RM151,888 and you need to bring your whole family to a showroom and see how you all feel about it.