Business up front, plumbing in the back

Juggling calls on the way to the first job. Double-checking an address at the lights. Grabbing lunch between appointments. Punching out quotes. When it’s time to kick off the boots, a plumber can have spent a fair chunk of the working day in the driver’s seat.

In STARIA Load, you could almost forget there’s a cargo area loaded with pipes, hot water systems and tools behind you.

That’s especially true of the new Hybrid, which combines quiet petrol-electric running with a cabin that’s increasingly car-like in its refinement and technology.

At the end of the day, a work van has a tough job. But so does the person driving the business.

Clutching an armful of PVC elbows, Smart Key gets you in, live traffic picks the quickest route to the site and STARIA Load Premium’s 360-degree camera takes the guesswork out of reversing from the Reece car park.

A new 12.3-inch multimedia display brings wireless Apple CarPlay^C2 and Android Auto^C1. Bluelink^CS1 goes further, putting vehicle status, diagnostics and remote functions on your phone - handy when you’re waiting at the trade desk wondering whether you remembered to lock the van.

Over-the-air updates^C4 can keep critical vehicle software current without a workshop visit - one less reason to take a working van off the road. Wireless charging^C5 takes care of that other vital bit of business tech - your phone.

The large, crisp touchscreen is backed up by physical knobs and buttons below the display. When you’re driving, sometimes you just want to reach for a button.

Plumbing can involve a seriously impressive amount of time behind the wheel without much actual driving.

STARIA Load’s new Hybrid powertrain - a segment first - does its best work on runs like that. It uses 6.2L/100km on the official urban cycle, compared with figures in the high eights for many conventional vans in the class.

And while the latest technology often comes at a premium, STARIA Load Hybrid starts from $53,490 plus on-road costs - undercutting a direct turbo-diesel rival.

Its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol-electric powertrain produces 180kW - more power than key rivals - and 304Nm. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The electric motor responds immediately from standstill, giving the Hybrid the kind of smooth, instant response that suits a day spent ducking into gaps and pulling away from intersections.

Importantly, going Hybrid hasn’t got in the way of STARIA Load’s space or hauling ability, with 4,935 litres of cargo space^W4 and an ample 1,039kg payload.

Tight spaces mean you can’t always get to your gear from the back. Sliding doors on both sides give you another way in, while the Hybrid is available with a liftback or twin-swing rear doors at no extra cost.

For operators regularly covering long distances or working in regional areas, the turbo-diesel remains a proven option, with 430Nm of torque and an official extra-urban fuel figure of 5.9L/100km.

It takes a pretty comfortable work van to leave you feeling fresh at knock-off after a 6:30 start.

Comfort has been a particular focus for the 2027 STARIA Load, with suspension changes that let it take rough roads and urban bumps in its stride, plus additional insulation and acoustic sealing to reduce noise inside the cabin. The Hybrid also gets a revised engine mount design to reduce transmission and road noise.

The electric motor helping reduce fuel consumption in traffic also makes STARIA Load nicer to drive. Hyundai’s e-Motion Drive technology uses the electric motor to counter pitching over speed humps, improve stability through corners and help control the vehicle during evasive manoeuvres.

When the new apprentice grabs the keys, having the latest safety technology can provide real peace of mind.

Standard Hyundai SmartSense^DA2 technology includes autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, lane keeping and lane following assistance, and smart cruise control with stop and go. There are seven airbags too, while Safe Exit Warning can alert your offsider to an approaching vehicle before they open their door.

On Premium, Blind-Spot View Monitor can also show a camera view of the van’s blind spot in the instrument display when you indicate. When there’s no side window over your shoulder, that’s gold.

STARIA Load also carries the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

For the person behind the wheel, a quieter, more comfortable van can make a long working day a little easier. For anyone headed to a job, there’s reassurance in having the latest safety technology around them. And for the business owner, a van that uses less fuel and works day in, day out is simply better on the books.

The numbers keep working there, too. The Hybrid has longer service intervals than a certain diesel rival, which also costs 50 percent more to service over the first five years.

STARIA Load is backed by Hyundai’s five-year, 160,000km commercial vehicle warranty^VW2, while the Hybrid’s high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.