Toyota Hiace/Commuter vs Hyundai Staria Wagon

A proper head-to-head in Uganda — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Toyota Hiace/Commuter in Uganda

Toyota Hiace/Commuter

Hiace Bus 2.5L 15-Seats MT DLX Diesel 5-Speed Manual Current
UGX 189,600,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 260 Nm ⛽ 12.5 km/l
VS
Hyundai Staria Wagon in Uganda

Hyundai Staria Wagon

Staria 11-seater Wagon 2.2 Diesel AT 4x2 Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Current
UGX 230,000,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 130 kW 🔧 430 Nm ⛽ 12.99 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota Hiace/Commuter vs Hyundai Staria Wagon: the short answer

Hiace/Commuter and Staria Wagon are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Hiace/Commuter starts UGX 40,400,000 cheaper Hiace/Commuter from UGX 189,600,000 · Staria Wagon from UGX 230,000,000

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Hiace/Commuter Staria Wagon
Maximum Power Hiace/Commuter75 kW @ 3600 rpm Staria Wagon130 kW @ 3800 rpm
Maximum Torque Hiace/Commuter260 Nm @ 1600-2400 rpm Staria Wagon430 Nm @ 1500-2500 rpm
Engine Size Hiace/Commuter2494 cc Staria Wagon2199 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Hiace/Commuter12.5 km/l Staria Wagon12.99 km/l
Ground Clearance Hiace/Commuter195 mm Staria WagonNot Officially Disclosed

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Hiace/Commuter

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

Staria Wagon

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance

Which One's Right for You?

Hiace/Commuter

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Staria Wagon

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Hiace/Commuter Staria Wagon
Model Introduced Year 2023 2023
Generation Current Uganda-market Hiace passenger-bus generation Current market generation
Facelift History No local facelift confirmed Current-generation specification
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2023
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Small bus MPV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active active
Segment Passenger transport minibus People carrier
Vehicle Type Passenger minibus Passenger MPV
Spec Hiace/Commuter Staria Wagon
Length 4700 mm 5253 mm
Width 1780 mm 1997 mm
Height 1980 mm 1990 mm
Wheelbase 2570 mm 3273 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 195 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 170 mm 160 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 70 l 75 l
Boot/Cargo Space 1000 l Not Officially Disclosed
Kerb Weight 1833.88 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 3050 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Payload Capacity 1110 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Towing Capacity 750 kg 1500 kg
Seating Capacity 15 seats 11 seats
Number of Rows Not Officially Disclosed 4 rows
Doors 4 doors 2 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5 m 5.5 m
Front Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 1064 mm
Rear Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 1087 mm
Front Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 1027 mm
Rear Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 1025 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Hiace/Commuter and Staria Wagon comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for Uganda. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Hiace/Commuter 43 vs Staria Wagon 59.

Efficiency index: Hiace/Commuter 54 vs Staria Wagon 51.

Safety-equipment index: Hiace/Commuter 44 vs Staria Wagon 61.

Practicality index: Hiace/Commuter 81 vs Staria Wagon 69.

Ownership-cover index: Hiace/Commuter not separately scored vs Staria Wagon not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Staria Wagon leads by 6 points

Hiace/Commuter and Staria Wagon are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 61 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 66% source coverage
61
#1 Evidence leader

Staria Wagon

66% source coverage 0 strong categories
Best at Practicality 69 Check Efficiency 51
Performance 59
Efficiency 51
Safety 61
Practicality 69
Leads by 6 points
55
#2

Hiace/Commuter

74% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Practicality 81 Check Performance 43
Performance 43
Efficiency 54
Safety 44
Practicality 81
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Staria Wagon +16 Efficiency Hiace/Commuter +3 Safety Staria Wagon +17 Practicality Hiace/Commuter +12

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Staria Wagon

Performance 59/100
Efficiency 51/100
Safety 61/100
Practicality 69/100

Hiace/Commuter

Performance 43/100
Efficiency 54/100
Safety 44/100
Practicality 81/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Hyundai Staria Wagon leads the specification evidence index with 61 pts vs 55 pts for Hiace/Commuter

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Staria Wagon leads. However, Hiace/Commuter may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in Uganda.

Hiace/Commuter vs Staria Wagon questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in Uganda on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.