Hyundai Staria faces ANCAP retest as five-star rating nears expiration date

The updated Hyundai Staria lineup will be retested by safety watchdog ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) as its existing safety rating is due to expire next year.

The Staria people mover, given its biggest update since it was introduced here in 2021, achieved a five-star safety rating that same year, with the Staria Load commercial van also awarded five stars in 2021.

With ANCAP ratings now expiring after six years, they'll need to be retested to retain their five-star rating and avoid becoming officially 'Unrated'.

“We’re getting the hybrid tested as we speak, now, and we’re working for the assessments for what we do further when the old rating runs out … it is important for us,” Hyundai Australia chief operating officer Gavin Donaldson told CarExpert.

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In 2023, ANCAP introduced a six-year expiry on safety ratings in an effort to keep pace with evolving crash-test protocols and vehicle safety technology.

The change was also designed to make safety ratings less confusing for consumers.

Vehicles with the same star rating can appear equally safe, despite having been tested under different protocols.

For example, when the Staria was tested in 2021, its five-star result sat alongside the Toyota HiAce's five-star rating.

However, the HiAce earned its five-star rating in 2019 under ANCAP's previous protocols, while the Staria was tested under revised standards introduced in January 2020. Although both received five stars, they were assessed against different requirements.

Testing standards have since been updated twice more, with new protocols introduced in 2023 and again in 2026, as ANCAP continues its three-year update cycle.

Many fleet and business buyers require a five-star ANCAP rating for vehicles used by their employees. If the Staria Load isn't retested, it could miss out on fleet sales regardless of its safety equipment.

“Obviously the five-star rating is a concern for fleet buyers,” Mr Donaldson said. “The Staria Hybrid is the first vehicle test for us [under] the new ANCAP rating [2026 protocols]. We’re expecting a five-star rating.”

That's despite the entry-level Staria and Staria Load losing their 360-degree camera ('Surround View Monitor') as part of the new three-grade lineup, although they retain a reversing camera and rear cross-traffic alert.

Hyundai has also announced a Staria Load EV, due to arrive in Australia before the end of 2026, which – if it appeals to fleet buyers – will also require separate assessment by ANCAP.

Once armed with a five-star ANCAP rating, Mr Donaldson said the Staria Load offers greater sales potential than the people mover, which is why Hyundai has chosen to offer it as an EV.

There are no plans to offer the electric powertrain in the Staria people mover as a rival to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Zeekr 009.

With the updated Staria people mover, Mr Donaldson said, Hyundai isn't looking to mount a serious sales challenge to the Kia Carnival, which currently holds a whopping 87.9 per cent share of the people mover market.

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