Hyundai, under new leadership in the local market, is steadily making up for lost time. Aside from bringing in the latest iterations of established models like the Tucson, the Santa Fe, and the Starex (now known as the Staria), it’s venturing into other segments where it has yet to gain a foothold in our market.
We’ve already confirmed it’s set to bring in the all-electric Ioniq 5 this year, but late in 2022, it also launched its contender in the seven-seat subcompact SUV class: the Hyundai Stargazer.
ALSO READ:
Report: Next-gen Toyota Hilux to debut in 2025
All-new Toyota Wigo: What we know so far
All other entries in that segment are Japanese-badged models we’ve gotten so used to seeing on our roads for the past several years, so the Stargazer has a steep uphill climb ahead of it—and a lot of overtaking to do—if it fancies its chances at the top of the class.
Like its peers, it comes with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that puts out 113hp at 6,300rpm and 144Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. Standard across the range is Hyundai’s Intelligent Variable Transmission, basically its version of a CVT. There are three variants available on our market: the base Stargazer GL, priced at P1,038,000; the midspec Stargazer GLS, priced at P1,168,000; and the range-topping Stargazer GLS Premium, priced at P1,258,000.
The GLS Premium is the first Stargzer variant we’ve gotten our hands on for an extensive review. Click play on the video above to check out our driving experience, a detailed look at the interior layout and space, the pros and cons of this vehicle, and its overall score. You can also check out our latest videos on the Stargazer’s competitors below.
