It’s hard to believe Hyundai has been
selling cars in this country for more than 25 years. Wasn’t it just
yesterday that the first Excel—remembered more for its low price than
its Giugiaro-penned exterior—hit our shores with a thud? Since then, the
brand has grown dramatically, in both the scope and quality of its
offerings.
Intent on competing hard in
all segments, Hyundai felt underrepresented in the gap between the new
Sonata and the Genesis sedan, Hyundai’s rear-drive offering for
aspirational types who aren’t quite making Equus-level money yet. To wit: The base prices of the Elantra and Sonata
sedans are separated by about $4500. The gap between the Sonata and the
Genesis, however, is more than $14,000—financial territory the previous
Azera had difficulty defending. Enter the all-new-for-2012, $32,875
Azera—a reasonably priced front-drive automotive statement that says of
its owner to the world, “I needed a car, and Hyundai sells cars.”
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The Azera’s exterior measures 193.3 inches
long and 73.2 inches wide, neatly splitting the difference between the
Sonata (189.8/72.2) and the Genesis (196.3/74.4). The exterior follows
Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design ethos and, lingo aside, is
undeniably handsome. A chrome grille initiates the winged “in flight”
theme that continues throughout the car, and a wraparound LED taillight
treatment is—for the time being—unique to the Azera. Eighteen-inch
wheels with 245/45 tires are standard.
Power-adjustable
leather-upholstered front seats (standard), a well-located shifter, and
the optional power tilting and telescoping wheel make short work of
zeroing in on an optimal driving position. The dash pad spreads outward,
wing-like from the center console, a continuation of the
all-encompassing design theme. Driver and passenger have more room than
they’ll ever need; our fully grown rear-seat occupant rode in complete
comfort, even after we jacked the driver’s seat all the way back in a
thinly veiled attempt to shatter his ankles. Heated front and rear
seats, a backup camera, a navigation system, integrated Bluetooth, and
Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system all come standard; pony up an
additional $4000 for the Technology package, and you’ll get 19-inch
wheels, a tilt-and-slide sunroof, an Infinity audio system, ventilated
front seats, and a power rear sunshade.
Struts
with coil springs and a multilink independent rear setup team with disc
brakes and standard ABS to provide a driving experience just as
composed as that of any current Ford Taurus/Buick LaCrosse/Toyota Avalon
sedan we’ve sampled recently. The Azera tracks straight, and its
steering is precise but not particularly communicative for the segment.
Its electrically assisted rack is capable of providing a force in the
countersteer direction when the vehicle’s stability-control systems
conclude that danger is imminent based on vehicle trajectory, road
conditions, or simple operator buffoonery.
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The only available powertrain in the Azera
is a 3.3-liter V-6 lashed to a six-speed automatic transmission with a
manual shifting mode and steering-wheel-mounted paddles. It’s smooth and
quiet, revs willingly if not lustily, and shifts almost imperceptibly.
Despite the presence of 293 horses, each driver in our group declared,
“Needs more power!” within minutes of getting behind the wheel. Which is
not to say it doesn’t have enough power for Azera owners. It just
doesn’t have enough power for us; try not to confuse the two.
According
to Hyundai, the Azera is selling “like crazy” in Korea. It will be in
American showrooms in March, and we’re confident that dealers will have
no trouble finding plenty of buyers thick in the middle life, looking
for their automotive soul mate.
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