Hyundai has quickly developed a full range of products in its US lineup, and quality scores from companies like JD Power show those vehicles now rank among the best in the industry. For all of Hyundai's progress the past few years, the South Korean automaker has taken its time getting navigation systems into its fleet of cars and trucks.
For '08, the Azera, Santa Fe, and Veracruz all get nav systems, the Genesis sedan receives a separate high-end interface, and the bread-and-butter 2009 Sonata will get the tech as well. The folks over at Kicking Tires proclaim the interface to be bright, clear, and easy to use. It's about time. With Hyundai raising the price of entry for the Sonata to match (or exceed) the competition, it's important that the midsize sedan has everything the competition offers. It's just a shame that it took until now for them to do it.
[Source: Kicking Tires]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ShaamanRyu @ Feb 9th 2008 1:50PM
omg....I saw the centre console in that pic, and immediately, I thought about: Lexus RX. *in Clarkson's bewildered voice* WHY?!? WHY CAN'T YOU KOREANS EVER MAKE A CAR THAT ISN'T A SAD COPY?!?!
DKB_SATX @ Feb 9th 2008 11:38PM
Actually, nothing Hyundai currently sells in the US is as sad and ugly as the RX.
ShaamanRyu @ Feb 10th 2008 2:17AM
the RX is ugly, and Hyundais are not.....did I hear you right? the Veracruz looks like a one-toothed man with smears of jam for butt cheeks, the Accent is nothing more than an Accident, the Sonata is a rip-off of the Accord, only boxier and looks like they gave the old Dodge shadow some steroids, the Tucson and Santa Fe look exactly the same, and are worse than the CR-V and RAV-4 in looks, the Elantra looks like the effort that was put into it : half-assed. Now tell me, what is ugly about the RX? the RX has elegant lines, it drives well, it's quiet, it's comfortable, AND it doesn't look like a messed up jack-o=lantern. gimme a break. the RX is ugly and the Hyundais are not. Look at the pics again of ANY Hyundai garbage and the RX, and study them carefully. The Hyundais are anything but good looking and the RX is anything but ugly. Either that, or you can go ask your friends for an opinion.
DKB_SATX @ Feb 10th 2008 10:23AM
You didn't HEAR anything, unless you have to read aloud.
The RX has always been dumpy and homely, it is very out of place in Lexus' lineup. While I wouldn't personally want a camry..er.. ES, it's at least just bland. The RX looks like it was put together in CAD by 3 blind 10-year-olds, it's a visually poor design. The taillights are less off than the original, but still don't look good. The overall proportions are a problem for me, but that's mainly because I think crossovers are idiotic stand-ins for wagons that people are too trend-conscious to drive. The nose looks like someone heated an ES until it was soft and then inflated it a bit, leaving a weirdly-proportioned and unattractive front end. The stance looks clumsy, but again I'd apply that to most CUVs.
The RX stands out sharply among its fleetmates. While I wouldn't want an ES, GX or LX, none of them strikes me as awkward or ugly and the RX always has. Perhaps every manufacturer needs at least one vehicle to be homely?
The difference in perception may be that I expect a great deal from Lexus, and they deliver in every other vehicle. I never said anything negative about the driving dynamics of an RX... I've read decent press about them, but have never driven one and won't feel deprived if I never do. The Hyundais are for the most part utilitarian and unexceptional... neither beautiful nor ugly, they're taking the middle of the road that Honda did with the Accord until they screwed up with the new ugly Accord sedan. except for the Azera, which is a nice ES (and frankly looks as good, the ES isn't ugly but it's not much of a looker either) and the new Genesis, which I haven't seen in person but looks reasonable enough for a giant bargain luxobarge.
If I needed a midsize car and didn't care about performance, I'd buy a Sonata or a Malibu. I'd have to drive them back to back to see, but the new Accord looks like the Ridgeline's love child and the Camry looks like it's had one facelift too many, with that Joan Rivers "stretched-surprised" face. As it stands, I do care about performance and will keep my Legacy wagon.
None of the friends I've ever asked like the RX very much. It's a suburban class-conscious trend-conscious show-off car that doesn't get it right, and just because the Jones family owns one doesn't make it beautiful. You're entitled to your opinion as am I, and if you don't like that you need to become emperor somewhere.
BC @ Feb 9th 2008 1:58PM
I thought the conventional wisdom was that integrated nav units were a bad buy because they are horrendously overpriced and often inferior compared to standalone Garmin, TomTom, etc., units--a great profit center for the automakers, sure, but not great for the customer. Or is it just important for Hyundai to offer ridiculous options to uninformed shoppers because their competitors do also?
jsjs @ Feb 9th 2008 2:06PM
Get a life you sad sack!
First off - the center consoles aren't that similar (any no. of other auto models have the same look).
Second - didn't Lexus completely rip-off the S-Class w/ the LS?
Third - Hyundai has made a no. of models w/ their own look - Santa Fe, Elantra, Tiburon (the old version), etc.
Fourth - every automaker borrows styling cues (even Mercedes and Audi).
jsjs @ Feb 9th 2008 2:11PM
Yeah, integrated nav units are overpriced and get obsolete fast.
Nonetheless, there were too many ill-informed consumers who demanded it.
And as for the center console (and the dash overall), it looks better than the one found in the RX.
whofan @ Feb 9th 2008 2:51PM
If your your into foreign cars, why buy a Lexus when a Hyundai is this nice?
Hyundai makes Toyota look like a joke. Soon the novelty of owning a Toyota will wear off then they`re in trouble.
Good job Hyundai!
tekdemon @ Feb 10th 2008 6:47PM
Probably because you want your car to still be reliable in 5 years.
Dausman @ Feb 9th 2008 3:22PM
Thank you...those were my thoughts also...the cost is too much as far as I am concerned ...the benefit is not there if compared to the Tom Toms, Garmins etc .......the huge screens do provide a much better view of the map/route but I find looking at the screen distraction to my driving safety so I just listen to the directions given to me by the "girl" but I do glance at the screen when traffic allows if I need to do so.
I'd rather have the extra dollars an integrated unit costs applied to some other technology/feature that will not become obsolete over a somewhat short period of time.
William @ Feb 9th 2008 3:49PM
The truth is unfortunate, really. Many customers who shop the Azera, Santa Fe, and Veracruz demanded an in-dash navigation system. Even media publications constantly picked on Hyundai for not offering one as an option. Adding to that, anti-Hyundai enthusiasts right here on Autoblog scolded Hyundai for not offering one. Now that Hyundai has granted the wish, I'm seeing people stating that an in-dash navigation system is useless. What does Hyundai have to reach to satisfy you guys?
Buckus @ Feb 9th 2008 3:51PM
I am not familiar with these integrated NAV units, but I do know that most manufacturers offer map updates every so often. If they could make the updates available via the Internet, then burned to a DVD and able to be updated by the customer that would make it even better.
DKB_SATX @ Feb 9th 2008 11:45PM
It would be even harder for them to justify high prices for the map updates that way, though.
A download of the Western Europe maps for my TomTom is 49 Euros... this is a NEW map I don't already own, not an update to a map I already bought. Intermediate updates of maps I already own are free. I can see auto manufacturers not liking that method nearly as much as consumers would.
Christopher H. Kim @ Feb 9th 2008 3:54PM
Hyundai actually listens to its customers Last Sonata's interior was dull and boring they changed that
People complained about Sonata not having an optional Nav...they changed that also
Great work Hyundai
Keep it up!
Bling Bling Boy @ Feb 9th 2008 3:56PM
Drug counselors should use Hyundai's remarkable turn-a-round as an example of how your life can go from ruin, to a resounding success...I know I'm in left field for comparing drug addicts to a car company, but Hyundai's story should remind us all that we can overcome any obstacle.
Big ups to Hyundai !
MemphisNET @ Feb 9th 2008 4:00PM
People demand them, so there it is. It's good to offer what customers want, but personally I'd save the money or put it towards other options.
If the car I wanted was on the lot, but it had the nav system, I'd tell the dealer to knock the price down because it's not a feature I want. It will become outdated too quickly, support will be dropped and be useless 5years down the road when the next owner finds out that it's not giving accurate info.
I'll stick with ugly solutions, or install a 3rd party deck that at the very least be removed and replaced down the road (no pun intended).
MemphisNET @ Feb 9th 2008 4:01PM
Did I just use ''down the road'' twice? Gah.... it's too cold today :(
iSpec @ Feb 9th 2008 4:34PM
Hyundai will never satisfy the obstinate skeptic . And yet I find the most obstinate skeptics aren't very well informed. Just talking and not touching. Always pointing to a past that no longer exists as if yesterday was today. Dragging us back decades to something when we live in the now and are heading to our future. Skeptics are myth perpetuators and ignore obvious progress. Progess in such a short period of time is actually remarkable. Big ships usually take a great deal of time to turn around. So... such ignorance and skepticism proves to be that which ought to be criticized. I'd rather they just live in their past and let the progressive thinkers, and more importantly, those who prove they can bring about change lead us to our future. When they no longer can progress, let another stand up and take us there. This is the cycle of progress and change. Fools and small minds can't grasp such things.
Reader @ Feb 9th 2008 8:10PM
@iSpec
Goodness, could you come off more self-centered? Might as well make a counterargument though. Without skepticism we would be living in a world similar to that of 1984. With your superior intellect you should be able to draw the link, I don't feel like making a complete theory argument on an automobile blog. Also your argument stops making any sense at "Skeptics are myth perpetuators and ignore obvious progress" (I believe you mean perpetrators); skepticism may often hold us back, but it also keeps us off the wrong path and the wrong path is often far worse than the status quo. Just think of how the economy would be doing if people were more skeptic about the idea of Iraq having nuclear weapons.
Mike @ Feb 9th 2008 4:48PM
My God!, how do you hiold your head up with such a huge omniscient brain?