Hyundai Motor's flagship minivan Staria has returned with a hybrid engine powertrain and more comfort and safety options, paving the way for the future of multi-purpose vehicles.

The Korea Herald had an opportunity to ride in the back of the Staria lounge hybrid model and got behind the wheel in a test drive in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday.

The back of the seven-seater minivan gave a feeling of being treated from the beginning as a chauffeur opened the door with a touch of a button. The legroom for the two seats in the second row was particularly roomy. Buttons on the side of the seats allowed passengers to change their seating position.

The spacious legroom and headroom combined with the recliner chair features were more than enough to be comparable to the second row of the Kia Carnival, a top selection for the South Korean family vehicle.

The three seats in the rear and third row also had enough legroom and headroom for someone over 180 centimeters tall.

Throughout the approximately 25-minute chauffeur-driven trip, the riding experience in the back seat felt balanced and comfortable despite the van’s height.

The first thing that stood out once The Korea Herald got behind the wheel was how quiet and smooth the driving felt at a low speed as it only used the power from its battery systems. The Staria hybrid's 1.6-liter turbo engine boasts up to 245 horsepower.

The minivan’s acceleration and braking was perfectly fine for urban driving routes. Even at a high speed, the driver could save fuel through acceleration control.

The Staria hybrid offers a maximum fuel efficiency of 13 kilometers per liter. The test drive, which covered a distance of 61.4 km over one hour and seven minutes, resulted in a fuel efficiency of 11.1 km per liter.

The one small distraction from driving the new Staria was the position of the center display that showed navigation. From the point of the driver, the touch display sticks out a little too far from the front, making it uncomfortable for the driver to look at the navigation while driving.

The price for the three- to five-person cargo model begins at 28.47 million won ($21,300). The price of the nine- to eleven-seater tourer model starts at 32.38 million won. The lowest price of the seven- to nine-seater lounge model is 37.50 million won.

According to Hyundai Motor, the automaker is considering plans to export the new Staria hybrid to overseas markets such as Europe before the end of this year.