2026 Hyundai Staria update launched in Korea, available in Australia next year

The first facelift for the futuristically styled Hyundai Staria was launched in South Korea and the updated people mover is scheduled to arrive in Australia in 2026.

Among the unexpected changes Hyundai announced for the South Korean market are minor design tweaks, most notably the current three-part front lighting band, which is now replaced with a single full-width light strip above a new grille pattern.

The cabin features a larger 12.3-inch central touchscreen – up from the 10.25-inch display in current Staria vehicles in Australia – while a revised dashboard layout offers more physical buttons to replace previous touchscreen controls.

There’s also improved sound insulation to further reduce noise and a retuned suspension including new bushings, although Australian Hyundai models undergo their own suspension tuning to adapt to local roads.

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“The updated Staria (facelift) will arrive locally in 2026, with Australian specifications confirmed closer to launch,” Hyundai Australia said in a statement Daily Sparkz.

Australia’s current Staria range, launched in 2021, comprises three model grades, with the entry-level Staria leading the range and joined by the mid-range Staria Elite and range-topping Staria Highlander, each with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with front-wheel drive or a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel with all-wheel drive.

The latter is expected to be supplemented or possibly replaced by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, which has been offered here in the closely related Kia Carnival since mid-2024.

Kia Australia recently updated the Carnival for 2026, expanding the number of hybrid powertrain model levels available and reducing the price of hybrid versions by $20,000.