This new trim of Stargazer adds some off-road aesthetics to Hyundai’s existing crossover-MPV.
Aside from the new Kia Carnival-rivalling Custin MPV, Hyundai Philippines have also recently debut a new macho-looking variant of its Stargazer people mover. Dubbed the Stargazer X, this new range-topping trim with off-road aesthetics is set to compete against the likes of Mitsubishi’s Xpander and Toyota’s Veloz.
Now just a bit of background for those who are unfamiliar with the Stargazer, this particular Hyundai is a primarily ASEAN-market MPV that was initially launched in Indonesia last year. In fact, this new rugged-looking variant was first shown off at the Gaikindo Indonesia Auto Show earlier this year and was launched in both Indonesia and Thailand before its recent arrival in the Philippines.
The off-road aesthetics of this new X variant relative to the regular Stargazer comes largely in part from the addition of a black plastic lower body cladding, a redesigned set of front and back bumpers with silver-painted decorative skid plates, as well as silver roof rails. This new crossover-MPV hybrid was also given an increase in its ride height of 15 mm for a more SUV-like stance, which is further accentuated by variant-exclusive 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels
And behind those rear wheels on the Stargazer X meanwhile are disk brakes, replacing the drums found on the regular Stargazer. Its front wheels however are still to be driven by the same 1.5-litre Smartstream four-pot through Hyundai’s IVT, with power and torque figures for the engine rated at 115 PS and 144 Nm respectively.
Now moving on inside, tech within the Stargazer X consists of a digital instrument panel with a and an 8-inch central infotainment touchscreen that supports wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Standard also within this top-end MPV over its lower-tier counterparts are an electronic parking brake, a wireless charging pad, interior ambient lighting keyless entry and an 8-speaker Bose sound system.
A new piano-black fascia and black leatherette upholstery with red stitching further classes up the cabin of this 7-seat MPV too. Though it is likely for buyers to be more appreciative of the expansive suite of active driver aids that are now included with this top-of-the-line Stargazer, which includes features like high-beam assist, forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, blind-spot avoidance, and rear-cross traffic alert.
This new top-tier rugged-looking Stargazer X trim arrives in the Philippines costing PHP 1.348 million (RM 113,000). Three colours are to be available with it: Creamy White Pearl, Magnetic Silver Metallic and Dragon Red Pearl.
As for the chances of Stargazer arriving in Malaysia, this particular people mover does indeed have a higher chance of having a local debut relative to the Custin, which was initially developed for the Chinese market and hence is only available in left-hand drive thus far. However seeing as Hyundai Malaysia has been going increasingly upmarket with its product lineup, it is nevertheless hard to see how this more common-market car will fit in with the rest of its more premium current offerings.
