PT Hyundai Motors Indonesia (HMID), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company, has unveiled the all-new Stargazer, which is now available for booking in the republic. The Stargazer is the Korean carmaker’s seven-seat MPV that will compete against the likes of the Mitsubishi Xpander, Honda BR-V, Toyota Avanza/Veloz and Daihatsu Xenia in Indonesia’s Low MPV segment.

In terms of dimensions, the Stargazer measures 4,460 mm long, 1,780 mm wide, 1,695 mm tall and has a wheelbase spanning 2,780 mm. These figures are within the vicinity of the competition, but what sets the Stargazer apart is its futuristic styling.

Taking inspiration from the larger Staria, the Stargazer boasts a full-width light strip at the front that sits just below the bonnet shut line. Further down, you’ll find the vehicle’s main headlamps flanking a large rectangular grille that are part of an X-shaped bumper, with a trapezoidal-shaped lower intake.

The visual drama continues down the sides, with a belt line originating from the top of the front light bar that rises gradually before shooting upwards towards the D-pillar. You’ll also notice the pointed tips where the D-pillar meets the roof, which creates a rather distinctive “floating roof” look.

Elsewhere, strong creases on the doors create a visual link between the front and rear, while the angular wheel arches are slightly recessed to highlight the snazzy wheels. If you thought things will mellow down at the rear, think again.

Like the front, the Stargazer also sports a full-width light bar at the rear. This links to vertical light bars at the corners of the vehicle to form a “H,” while the actual taillight clusters are triangular in profile. More instances of triangles are seen in the lower apron for the reflectors, while the tailgate accommodates the Hyundai badge, a black trim piece with the Stargazer script and a recessed number plate section.

Moving inside, the dashboard is dominated by a huge binnacle that houses both an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system as well as a 4.2-inch (or 3.5-inch) LCD instrument cluster that is set quite deep within it. To complement the visual flair of the exterior, the main trim piece on the dash that integrates the air vents is finished in bright silver.

You’ll also notice areas where you can place items at the top of the dashboard and just above the air-conditioning controls, the latter replete with ambient lighting. The conventional gear lever sits on a raised centre console, aft of a sunken section with room for Qi wireless charger, a USB port and power outlet.

The Stargazer will be offered with seven seats, but there’s also the option for a six-seat version with two captain seats in the second row. Based on photos of the interior, air-conditioned air is sent to rear passengers via four vents on the ceiling.

Powertrain-wise, the MPV is equipped with a Smartstream G 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder from the Creta with 115 PS and 144 Nm of torque. The mill is paired with either a six-speed manual or Hyundai’s IVT (intelligent variable transmission), with drive sent to the front wheels.

In Indonesia, the Stargazer will be available in four variants, starting with the Active that can be had with a manual gearbox for 243.3 million rupiah (RM72,203) or IVT for IDR255.9 million (RM75,942). The next step up is the Trend, which is also offered with both transmissions – MT for IDR263.3 million (RM78,076), IVT for IDR275.9 million (RM81,812).

After that comes the IVT-only variants, including the Style for IDR296.3 million (RM87,870) and Prime for 307.1 million rupiah (RM91,073). It’ll cost customers an extra IDR1 million (RM296) for the captain seats, although this can’t be specified for the base option. Only the Prime can be had with a two-tone exterior for an extra IDR1.5 million (RM445).

In terms of equipment, the Active comes standard with halogen reflector headlamps, a 3.5-inch LCD instrument cluster, an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, four speakers, fabric seats, two airbags and 15-inch wheels. The Trend adds on things like Bluelink telematics, parking sensors as well as 16-inch wheels.

The Style gets the Trend’s items and adds LED reflector headlamps, cruise control, the larger instrument cluster, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, two more speakers for a total of six, ESC, hill start assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system, manual speed limit assist, a reverse camera, keyless entry and start and rear occupant alert.

Naturally, the Prime being the most expensive option means it’ll get the most goodies. In addition to the Style’s kit list, the range-topper gains leather upholstery, ambient lighting, four more airbags for a total of six, and most importantly, a suite of active safety systems. These include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (AEB), Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist.

The Prime’s specifications are impressive and puts the Stargazer on par with the Toyota Avanza and Veloz as well as the Honda BR-V and Daihatsu Xenia when it comes to safety. The asking price is competitive too, as the Stargazer in Prime guise is cheaper than the top-spec Veloz Q CVT TSS and BR-V Prestige with Honda Sensing but is costlier than the top-spec Xenia. The Indonesian-spec Xpander can compete in terms of active safety as it lacks any, even on the range-topping Ultimate CVT that costs the same as the Stargazer Prime.

The Stargazer is produced locally in Indonesia at PT Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia’s (HMMI) Cikarang plant in the Bekasi Regency. So, what do you think of the Stargazer? Is this a more attractive MPV compared to the options we currently have? Share your thoughts in the comments below.