CD Article: 2006 Hyundai Azera

[CD_Editor]

You may discuss our cover story of the day in this thread....
Test Drive:

With its 263-horsepower engine, elegant styling and considerable luxury features, the Azera takes over as Hyundai's top-end sedan. Assistant Editor Jil McIntosh finds that it "lives up to its promise," with a comfortable ride and plenty of power, but with a premium price-tag attached.    More...

[mdxtasy]

Boy is Hyundai getting close.  This latest vehicle offering looks very well polished.  Very minor details that will be worked out with time and Hyundai can build a luxury car with the best of them.  Very very close.  I am impressed.  There's a few copycat styling cues like Jil states, but nothing vulgar.  Looks handsome. 

But $38K is a good sizeable chunk of change.  Like it's been mentioned, more money than a CTS.  Approaching a TL.  You get a lot of car for this money with Hyundai....a lot of features, but it also brings in good alternatives (even if it doesn't come loaded like this car does).  In the end, this vehicle is a showcase of how far Hyundai has come and how close they are to becoming a top tier manufacturer. 

An interesting thing is that Hyundai does realize their customers are price sensitive....and as a result of this thing being priced pretty high for the badge, they decided not to offer a nav system as an option.  That would have taken it to the $40K barrier that would put a lot of questions into the buyer's mind.  With time, the customer perception may change, but the shying away from offering such a 'luxury car' device shows that they just quite aren't there yet with the other $40K cars. 

[johngenx]

My experience with the outgoing XG350 was that, nice as it was, it made me realize just how much of a deal the Sonata was. That hasn't changed; the all-new 2006 Sonata is great to drive, only slightly smaller than the Azera, offers 235 horsepower and tops out at $28,000.

There ya go...

[smainville]

I truly dislike the looks of those rear bulging quarter panels, side by side with the Sonata they look awfully similar, different grill, almost the same tailights.  For me there are better choices in this price range ie. Avalon or possibly a fully loaded Camry XLE when it's out in Feb.  Again another Hyundai that completly lost it's distinction from the previous model, like I mentioned in the past the rear bulbous fenders remind me of the now defunct Olds Intrique.

[Snowman]

Yes I agree, I think Hyundai has just pushed through the ceiling with this one. It is time to re-badge and come up with a luxury line.

[wing]

This thing looked darn good in person.

[mrthompson]

It is a very handsome car.  Leaps and bounds ahead of the XG-whatever.  In some ways it reminds me of the previous generation Camry.

[Bullet Blue]

I agree, Perhaps Hyundai should introduce a premium brand if they want to get intp the game. VW gave it a shot and it didn't go over so well.

It is Camry-esque a bit. But it mostly reminds me a bit of the older Infinitis like the I30 and such.

[Shnak]

I agree, Hyundai should have a premium brand...

But, I'm a bit confused about Kia and Hyundai... They pretty much all have the same vehicles now... all of their vehicles are pretty much identical, except the Sonata/Magentis and Sorento/new Santa Fe which aren't the exact same equivalent. What I mean is, they're starting to look like GM and their duplications of the exact same vehicles throughout their various brands... I see Kia and Hyundai starting to get into that territory... they need better seperation IMO...

Ideally, Kia would remain their entry-level brand, and Hyundai would move into premium territory... but we all know that the Hyundai brand name wouldn't work so well there... if VW can't do it, I seriously doubt Hyundai could do it...  So they need a whole new brand... but I don't think they can, and want, to support 3 brands at the same time... they need to merge Kia and Hyundai together IMO...

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the article didn't mention the Avalon (except XTrail). And the Avalon doesn't have any more interior room than Azera I don't believe, so really, while comparing Azera to Sonata, I'm sure the same comparison of Avalon to new Camry could be made as well.

[Shnak]

Avalon is much bigger than the Camry, no?

At last year's auto show, I sat in the rear of a new Avalon and it felt like a limo... tons of legroom space in that thing. Camry is more tight than that.

[random006]

Avalon is much bigger than the Camry, no?

At last year's auto show, I sat in the rear of a new Avalon and it felt like a limo... tons of legroom space in that thing. Camry is more tight than that.

I think that is SirA's point exactly.  Comparing the Azera to the Sonata is like comparing the Avalon to the Camry.  The Azera was designed to take on the Avalon's of the auto world.  Upscale without being in the exotic high-end section.

I think that Hyundai would do well to position the Hyundai as the higher end product and leave Kia as a more entry level brand.  That being said, Kia's SUVs are designed more for the rougher stuff than the Hyundai models.  So perhaps Kia could also tackle the off road stuff and leave the urbane smooth stuff to Hyundai.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

IMO, Kia should be bland/everyday/no-nonesense/conservative while Hyundai is more stylish.

[Craig]

It will be interesting to see if the Azera is indeed a stepping stone to a Hyundai premium brand, or if the Azera just becomes Hyundai's version of Mazda's Millenia.

[Shnak]

IMO, Kia should be bland/everyday/no-nonesense/conservative while Hyundai is more stylish.

Should... but right now, it could be argued that Kia has the most stylish vehicles of the two brands... Rio > Accent, Sorento > new Santa Fe, Sportage >= Tucson... and the rest of them are equally bland IMO.

I don't think anyone would argue that the new Rio looks better than the new Accent or that the Sorento looks better than the new Santa Fe which is a bit bland.

Hyundai used to be pretty stylish (Elantra GT, original Santa Fe, Tiburon, previous Accent, etc.), but is getting blander and blander with their new vehicles as they get better at mimmicking the leading japenese brands...  they've unfortunately started to mimmick their blandness, I'm afraid...

[smainville]

It will be interesting to see if the Azera is indeed a stepping stone to a Hyundai premium brand, or if the Azera just becomes Hyundai's version of Mazda's Millenia.

I was thinking the very same.  Is someone willing to $38,000 for a Hyundai?  So many choices in this range, one could get a BMW right?

[smainville]

IMO, Kia should be bland/everyday/no-nonesense/conservative while Hyundai is more stylish.

Should... but right now, it could be argued that Kia has the most stylish vehicles of the two brands... Rio > Accent, Sorento > new Santa Fe, Sportage >= Tucson... and the rest of them are equally bland IMO.

I don't think anyone would argue that the new Rio looks better than the new Accent or that the Sorento looks better than the new Santa Fe which is a bit bland.

Hyundai used to be pretty stylish (Elantra GT, original Santa Fe, Tiburon, previous Accent, etc.), but is getting blander and blander with their new vehicles as they get better at mimmicking the leading japenese brands...  they've unfortunately started to mimmick their blandness, I'm afraid...

Accent and Santa Fe stylish!  Hello...  The new Santa Fe is more stylish come on, the Forrester front end  look is interesting though.  I would say Sorento and the new Santa Fe are pretty equal in style now.

[Bullet Blue]

"So many choices in this range, one could get a BMW right?"

True, although I'm sure someone looking for an Azera type car has different needs than one shopping for  BMW. A BMW in that price rance is MUCH smaller in size for instance.

[Demosthenes X]

Base 3-series would start around the same, I believe?  Vastly different car than the Azera...

Can't add anything new, really: decent car, but is Hyundai in a position right now to be asking $38k for one of their products?  IMO, no.

[mobilecow]

The point the article doesn't make and what most North Americans aren't aware of is that Hyundai / Kia make some large premium sedans for the domestic Korean market, and as such the Azera isn't breaking any new territory for them. Granted the sales here come from budget-priced models, but if you've seen the new Sonata's size, styling and power, it was almost certain the XG350 repacelement would be something Avalon-esque.
And why whine about the $37K price-tag? It may be high for a Hyundai if you're stuck in the 80's and see this as some kind of Hyunday Stellar descendant but come on - Honda entered this market selling low-priced compacts way back when and Toyota overcame it's Toyopet days.
As for saying the car costs more than a Lincoln Zephyr or a Caddy CTS - the author is completely off base. GM Canada's website posts $39,600 for the 3.6L CTS and base Zephyr is just north of $38K. Sure, you could find one for less, but then you could also just buy the "base" Azera which is adequately equipped. Right now there are Camry's (V6 XLE's) and Accords(V6 EX's) out there selling in the mid-high 30's How about comparing it to another non-luxury branded large sedan, like say the Avalon? That's a fair comparison...