Nope, the Hyundai Staria hasn't landed in Malaysia yet. Until that materialises, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) is doing what it can to keep the ageing Grand Starex competitive. And its latest move is to equip its 11-seat MPV with a 'Telematics System' for added convenience to owners, even in the event of their vehicle being stolen. 

Among the services offered by the Telematics System are automatic accident detection, emergency assistance, breakdown assistance, service assist, connected security features and stolen vehicle tracking. It's essentially similar to SOS features typically found in premium makes that connect the car to a help centre. In the Grand Starex, the new SOS button is mounted on the map console. And the Secure Operating Centre (SOC) it connects drivers to can dispatch help depending on the situation, be it an ambulance, the police or a tow truck. 

Of all the features present, Automatic Accident Detection seems to be the most useful as it automatically dispatches an ambulanace and a police to the location where a great impact is detected if the driver cannot be contacted upon the crash. The Concierge Service is similarly convenient as it helps drivers keep track of service intervals and renewals of road tax and insurance. 

The Telematics System comes pre-installed with all Hyundai Grand Starex registered from 1 May 2021. The remote services are free-of-charge for the first three years, after which owners can stay subscribed for RM380 per year. Existing owners of earlier models can also have the Telematics System installed at any authorised Hyundai service centre for RM1,998. 

Currently, there are two variants of the Grand Starex in HSDM's latest product line-up, starting with the Grand Starex A2.5L CRDi Executive Plus at RM165,888. The Grand Starex A2.5L CRDi Executive Prime is the high-spec variant which retails at RM173,888. All prices include a five-year warranty capped at 300,000km and three years or  50,000km of free service.