Review and photos by Jil McIntosh
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Photo Gallery: 2008 Hyundai Azera
Oshawa, Ontario - There are as many types of drivers out there as there are cars to accommodate them, but it's very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our favourites are universal. Journalists and enthusiasts love sports sedans that can carve corners like sports cars, but the reality is that there are many drivers who want a pillow-smooth luxury car that doesn't cost the earth.
Enter the Hyundai Azera.
The Azera was introduced for 2006 as a replacement for the outgoing XG350, and still holds the spot as Hyundai's flagship sedan, at least until the rear-wheel drive Genesis arrives this summer to top it. While the U.S. version of the GLS carries a 3.3-litre V6, the two trim lines in Canada - the GLS and my tester, the Limited - use a 3.8-litre V6, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.
2008 Hyundai Azera Limited. Click image to enlarge
Equipped with continuously variable valve timing (and a timing chain, rather than a belt), the 3.8-litre is a standout. It accelerates briskly, smoothly and quietly, and it's got plenty of power on tap, even at highway speeds. Against the published figures of 12.2 L/100 km in the city and 7.8 on the highway, I got a combined fuel reading of 9.4. The five-speed is a good mate to it, with almost imperceptible shifts and the ability to keep the engine in its sweet spot almost all of the time, with only a bit of gear hunting on some steeper hills. I also like that the engine starts with the turn of a key, rather than with a silly keyless starter button. (I did discover that I'm spoiled, though; after driving so many cars with keys that also contain the lock functions, it felt odd to fumble for a separate fob to unlock the doors.)
The ride is as smooth as the engine, and the car is almost eerily quiet, without any wind or road noise making its way inside (although very bad potholes will cause it to bottom out). But if the ride's that soft, there has to be a compromise, and it's in the handling. The steering, while accurate, is too light and numb; there's body roll on turns; it needs a lot of minor corrections to keep it in a straight line on the highway; and there's torque-steer. The brakes stop the car just fine, but the pedal feels spongy, too, and there's nose-dive on hard stops.
Even so, we're back to the original premise: there are buyers who want a car that they can point and go, with no drama, and the Azera will be high on their lists. And while younger buyers may go for its price-tag, older buyers who cut their teeth on wallowy Buicks and rear-drive Fords will find it a new-and-vastly-improved version of those roomy, big-driving sedans.
2008 Hyundai Azera Limited. Click image to enlarge
Hyundai's mandate - and Kia's, too, with the similarly-engined Amanti - is to pack more luxury features into the car than you'd expect for the price. So the GLS, at $35,995, includes such things as heated power leather seats, automatic headlamps, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming mirror, sunroof, and woodgrain trim. The Limited, at $39,195, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, six-CD stereo, power tilt and telescopic wheel, power-adjustable pedals, driver's side memory, power rear sunshade, and rain-sensing wipers.
There aren't many competitors that can come close to that - except, perhaps the Azera sold in the U.S.: you get a similarly-equipped Azera Limited stateside for $29,800 in practically-at-par U.S. greenbacks, and for $31,300, you can add a navigation system that isn't available on Canadian cars. You also get a better warranty; while Hyundai's Canadian coverage is a relatively hefty 5-year/100,000 km on almost everything, the U.S. adds a10-year/160,000 km-equivalent powertrain coverage. (Hyundai Canada noisily added a 7-year/120,000 km powertrain warranty in 2004, but quietly dropped it a year later.) It should be interesting to see if automakers ever finally do the equivalent math between the two countries.
The Azera's interior is very attractive, and looks better than even the higher Canadian pricing would suggest. The materials look and feel top-quality, the woodgrain accents are very attractive (the Limited adds them to the steering wheel as well), controls are simple and easy to use, and the centre vents can be closed completely. Small-item storage is handled well, with open and covered cubbies, large door pockets and a sizeable glovebox.
2008 Hyundai Azera Limited. Click image to enlarge
Overall, the Azera is extremely roomy, both for front- and rear-seat passengers. The seat cushions are relatively flat, though, and could use more support and bolstering. I found the driving position to be just right, with good visibility all around, but I'm only 5-foot-4; many taller drivers complain that the power seat doesn't go low enough to accommodate them.
The trunk is 112 cm long, and while the rear seats don't fall flat, they will fold to accommodate cargo up to 185 cm long. They also can be locked in their upward position via buttons on the seatbacks, so that valuables in the trunk can be isolated from the cabin.
The luxury touches continue outside; Hyundai's stylists are not above nicking a design they find attractive, and more than one person commented on the car's muscular rear end, which pays homage to BMW's famous "Bangle Butt". The front end, meanwhile, reminds me alternately of Mercedes or Lexus. Even so, the overall design is fairly cohesive, and much better integrated than Kia's Amanti.
In the marketplace, the Azera can square off against such competition as the Buick Allure and Lucerne, Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima, and if it doesn't always do so on its handling characteristics, it'll do so on its long list of features and relatively low price. Offering up an exceptional powerplant and extremely smooth ride, this Hyundai hits that "affordable luxury comfort" market, and does it with a bull's-eye.
Jil McIntosh's automotive work and her garage includes cars both old and new;
she writes for The Toronto Star Wheels, Old Autos, and Canadian Street Rodder.
