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DEPARTMENTS
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Hyundai Azera – Another Winner
by Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist
Industry wags are wondering how Hyundai did it. How did the Korean automaker breakthrough to become ranked with the best automakers in the world in initial quality surveys? After all, just a decade or so ago Hyundai (rhymes with sundae) was nearly laughed out of this market because of shoddy quality.
What’s more, Hyundai keeps spewing out highly stylized, well equipped products for less. This time it’s the automaker’s all new flagship sedan, the Azera. We had the Limited model for a one week test drive and found Hyundai’s claim that the Azera is a premium sedan credible. That’s significant since our test car had a base price of $27,495.
It’s difficult to really appreciate the Azera without considering what you get in the base car. Standard ventures included a 3.8-liter V6 that made 263 horsepower, leather seating surfaces, heated power front seats, a power rear sun shade, a full-size spare tire and carpeted floor mats. Some automakers charge extra for floor mats.
Safety features included front and rear side airbags, side air curtain bags, electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes. Our test vehicle had the $2,500 Ultimate Package, which got us a sunroof, a premium audio system with six disc in dash CD changer, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, power pedals, power folding side mirrors, rain sensing wipers and for another eighty bucks we had a sunroof wind deflector.
The optional equipment raised our Azera’s sticker to a still reasonable $29,415. More in importantly than the price though, was how well all the equipment came together. In other words, the Azera as a package was quite pleasing.
We always like to get in the back seat, especially of sedans. In the case of the Azera, the back seats were roomy, there was plenty of hip room, headroom was acceptable and there was enough legroom to really stretch out. The back seats also provided good lower back support and the car had a really huge trunk. The 60/40 back seats folded to create a rather large pass through.
Hyundai likes to say that the Azera has more interior space than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 760i, maybe so. But we’ve tested both of those cars and it’s just not the same. With the Azera, Hyundai would be wise to stick to its targets: the Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima and “other large premium sedans.” That’s task enough.
For instance, a guy commented on the style of the Azera. He owned a Honda Accord but thought that the Azera looked much better. Depending on tastes, that’s true. From the rear, the Azera looked a little bit like the all-new Mercedes S-Cass. That’s not a bad thing.
But Hyundai still has some work to do. Although the V6 packed plenty of oomph, it needs a richer engine note. During a hard stop we found the brakes to be sure, however, could hear them rubbing when we applied them backing out of our driveway. While the interior finish was good, there were a couple of places were the fit could have been better.
However, that doesn’t mean that the Azera’s interior was tacky. The materials were first rate. Dials and button were pleasing to the touch and a pleasure to operate. They were marked clearly and functioned as they should.
In a word, we thought that the Azera was impressive. Its independent suspension was tight. The car traversed the bumpy streets here without any problems. Response to driver input was immediate. Acceleration was head snapping and there was no torque steer.
It was a capable midlevel sedan. That said the Azera exceeded our expectations.
Frank S. Washington, a former correspondent for Newsweek magazine, has covered the automobile industry for such publications as Automotive News, Advertising Age and the Detroit News Online. Your comments are welcomed. Washington can be reached at P.O. Box 23167, Detroit, Michigan 48223 or by e-mail at frank@aboutthatcar.com. You can also visit his Web site, aboutthatcar.com.
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