Disclosure: Hyundai Motor Philippines accepted our request to have the Hyundai Stargazer (Specs | News) GLS Premium reviewed. It came with a full gas tank and an RFID car which we did not use. I paid for the carwash and other operating expenses during the seven-day lending period. Photos were taken at Parklinks C5 Pasig.

Yays

• Easy to drive
• Adequate interior space
• Responsive powertrain
• Relaxing ride

Nays

• Unfinished interior look
• Lane-centering disengages during tight bends 
• Mixed-up design language
• High-end pricing

There’s a running gag among motoring scribes about how car manufacturers can’t seem to fathom the error of having piano black surfaces and accents for a car’s interior. 

We’ve been saying it for years; piano black is a scratch-and-dirt magnet. It doesn’t take long for it to wear and become an eyesore. And that we wish car interior designers would ditch the idea of using piano black as a sign of “elegance” and “class.”

Well, one brand listened. And we’re regretting ever praying for piano black to go away.

The Hyundai Stargazer is the South Korean brand’s entry into the lucrative small MPV market. It ticks off the right boxes regarding size, driveability, versatility, power, and safety. 

When Hyundai Motor Philippines launched the Stargazer last November, we on the motoring beat finally thought that maybe, the Mitsubishi Xpander, the Suzuki Ertiga, the Toyota Avanza, the Honda BR-V, and even the Nissan Livina have met their match. Because what’s there not to like about the Hyundai Stargazer?

Also Read: FULL REVIEW: 2023 Nissan Livina VE AT - A sensible spin-off

Rolling Robocop 

Simply put, the Hyundai Stargazer has the Hyundai Staria's futuristic front end, complete with an LED strip that reminds you of Robocop’s mug. The rounded-off front suggests a friendly, welcoming appearance that will amuse you.

The Mitsubishi Xpander’s side profile comes to mind when looking at the Stargazer from the side. Imitation is the best form of flattery, and we can’t blame Hyundai for following a successful formula.

Then, the tail light layout at the back is similar to the Hyundai Elantra's. It's angular, daring, and futuristic. While the matching red LED accent across the tailgate makes the Stargazer an entertaining car to follow on the road, much like trailing a UFO, I wonder why there's a discord in the overall design.

A baby Staria look throughout the car would have kept the design language within the family.

Also Read: FULL REVIEW: 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross -- Still makes complete sense

Size-wise, it equals the Honda BR-V’s length and is second only to its power, though the smallish 16-inch alloys don’t do the overall design justice. I wonder what the Hyundai Stargazer would look like shod in beefier 18s.

Also Read: FULL REVIEW: 2023 Honda BR-V S CVT -- Will simplicity sell big?

As an MPV should be

Inside, the basics are all checked. Ample seating for five in the first two rows and a third row capable enough to satisfy an average Filipino in decent comfort. Access to the latter is easy with a lever that releases one side of the passenger seat. The kids will find the space in the third row expansive and sufficient enough to tumble around.

As with other small MPVs, the back end transforms into a cavernous real estate when all the seats are folded. So, again, no worries there, as the Hyundai Stargazer lives up to the segment’s necessities.

Hyundai Motor Philippines also specced the Stargazer GLS Premium generously with leather seat covers, soft-to-the-touch contact points for the elbows, a sprinkling of USB-A ports and 12-volt sockets, and a wireless charging pad to power cellphones and small devices.

The door cards are all plastic, however, but Hyundai at least did an excellent job of making them look appealing to the eyes.

Practicality must be the Hyundai Stargazer’s strongest suit. Each door can house four bottles, plus two more lit cup holders in the middle of the front row and a center armrest in the second row for two more beverages. You’ll probably never get thirsty on a long trip with the Stargazer.

The dashboard even hides a small compartment to keep valuable items hidden from prying eyes. And there’s also a folding tray in the second row for mounting a cup and other light objects.

Behind the leatherette steering wheel, we found the driving position par for the course. The light and wiper stalks, along with the air conditioning knobs, are easily within reach.

So easy to drive

Visibility is likewise excellent as the rake of the A-pillar ensures you get a minimally obstructed view of the road ahead. A bit of a warning on the door frame adjacent to the A-pillar, though; it's a bit thick and can easily hide a pedestrian behind it. At least your peripheral vision won’t have a hard time while you drive the Hyundai Stargazer because the windows around the car are expansive enough to give an excellent view of your surroundings.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels light, the pedals are responsive, and the gear lever for the Intelligent Variable Transmission is shaped right for the hands to gravitate and latch onto, much like a throttle stick from a fighter jet.

The Hyundai Stargazer has been one of the easiest cars for me to drive, with its quick throttle response off the line. The 115 PS and 143.8 Nm numbers from the 1.5-liter Smartstream G gasoline mill may not be groundbreaking, but they propel the car with hardly a pant.

Effortless comes to mind when describing the feel behind the wheel, and the light and breezy driving reminds me of a circa-2005 Honda Jazz (Specs | News) GD. 

It’s only when you’re cruising, and you mash on the throttle that you get reminded that the Hyundai Intelligent Variable Transmission is still a CVT with its inherent shortcoming - the slight lag as the computer calculates which ratio to match your engine and wheel speed with.

But Hyundai did equip the Stargazer with three drive modes - Eco, Sport, and Smart. These control the engine's shifting logic depending on the driver's selection. I kept it on Smart most of the time and found it adequate for most situations. I even got a 12.65 km/l reading in 9.6 kilometers of EDSA Quezon City to NLEX Balintawak driving.

And a whopping 18.18 km/l reading when I took Skyway Stage 3 from Quezon City to Macapagal highway.

Well-above average in safety

Aside from Stargazer GLS Premium's six airbags, one good move by Hyundai Motor Philippines is to equip the Stargazer GLS Premium with Hyundai Smartsense Technology, the brand's attempt with Advanced Driving Assistance Systems.

In today's world, where a car’s safety rating depends on the availability of drive safety aids, the Stargazer adds more value. It raises the bar among MPVs in this regard.

Its ADAS safety complement includes:

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with car and pedestrian detection and Emergency Braking
• Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist
• High Beam Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Driver Attention Warning
• Safe Exit Warning
• Lane Following Assist

Cruise control is standard fare, and while not the adaptive type found in the Honda BR-V, it still helps relax your right foot on long highway runs. 

For kicks, I activated cruise control to keep the Stargazer’s speed fixed at 60 kph along Skyway Stage 3. I also turned on the lane-centering function to have a semblance of self-driving.

While speed was mainly kept constant, the lane centering wasn’t as completely helpful on sharp bends as it tended to lose contact with the road markings. On straight lines and mild bends, sure, it works. But approach a 45-degree turn, even at 60kph, and you’ll be tugging the steering wheel yourself to change the vehicle’s direction and keep within the lanes. In fairness, Hyundai never said the Stargazer had a self-driving system.

Are you entertained?

The semi-digital instrument cluster provides some entertainment as well. Blue bars appear on each flank as you step on the throttle pedal, providing a visual clue of the engine’s RPM. The panel changes color, too, when you toggle through the drive modes.

Vehicle information is clear and concisely displayed on the Supervision LCD panel. It shows tire pressure, lane centering guides, the track title of the song you’re listening to, and the settings menu. 

The Hyundai Stargazer GLS Premium has decent entertainment with its 8-inch touchscreen audio system and the adequately-bassed sound output from the six speakers inside the cabin. At least you won't get a sense of cheapness on the audio front.

Just one thing...

So obviously, the Hyundai Stargazer is a prime candidate to be the Goldilocks of all small MPVs in the market. So what’s our main beef against it? 

Remember our qualms about piano black? Well, Hyundai did hear what most motoring journalists were rambling about and decided to remove any semblance of the dark shiny paint inside the Hyundai Stargazer. And frankly, it didn’t turn out as well as we hoped.

You'll immediately miss those piano black accents when looking at the Stargazer's combined cowl for the instrument cluster and the infotainment screen. The whole panel looks unfinished, with no hint of design and class. It is just begging for the aftermarket to produce a stick-on sheet of, dare we say it, piano black. 

Even the panel onto which the air-con knobs are mounted and the cupholder surrounds are sorely missing some shiny accents. When we wished off the piano black, we didn’t mean to leave the plastic nude. A more wear-resistant yet still shiny surface would have been a palatable touch to elevate the interior ambiance.

If you’ve ever seen the instrument and infotainment panels of most modern Kias and Hyundais, you'll know what we're talking about. How we wish we kept our mouths shut instead.

But don’t let this slight oversight take away from what the Hyundai Stargazer is, a viable and worthy alternative to the other MPVs I listed earlier. The design is fashionably modern, the practicality doesn't fall short of its peers, and the performance doesn't leave you wanting. Safety is also one of its strong suites, which other MPVs struggle to compare with. 

At ₱1,288,000, it lands at the higher end of the small MPV price spectrum, beaten by the Honda BR-V at the top. But, given its ADAS safety specifications, one can justify that paying for a Stargazer GLS Premium now ensures you can count on its active safety features in the future when needed. 

So if you're in the market for a small seven-seater with a futuristic MPV look and the cocoon of protection that comes with it, the Hyundai Stargazer GLS Premium would be a sound and logical choice.

But if you prefer a more rugged finish with some added style, you can wait for the Hyundai Stargazer X. At least that one has the piano black accents to complete the product's promise.