Luxury touring for less.

Introduction

The Hyundai Azera, the Korean automaker's premium sedan, is now entering its third season, and the accolades are still rolling in. For the second year in a row, Azera scored a first-place finish in the J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, and in its Strategic Vision Total Quality Award. That's after landing a second-place (but still ahead of the Toyota Avalon) in Power's 2006 Initial Quality Study. 

Azera is Hyundai's entry in the full-size, near-luxury segment, an alternative to the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima. Azera boasts as much or more total interior and cargo volume as the Avalon, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans, and the BMW 7 Series. In design and styling, in creature comforts, powertrain and in safety features, Azera offers as much or more than anything else in the class, and at a lower price. 

Azera's powertrain uses the latest technology. Both available V6 engines feature variable valve timing for low emissions and a broad power curve; while the standard five-speed automatic gearbox gives the driver the option of shifting semi-manually. These are features that compete with Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. While there's nothing especially striking in Azera's design or styling, take off the Hyundai badge, and it could pass as family among any of the top-rated Japanese nameplates. 

Inside, fit and finish are first rate, with quality materials and assembly. There's a quiet elegance in the simplicity of the instruments, usability of the controls and sleekness of design. What isn't readily visible received the same attention as what is, with hardware studiously hidden away and storage bins fully finished. All is not perfection: Some of the faux leather feels more plastic than bovine. But the overall presentation is upscale. 

At a more practical level, the Azera equals or betters the competition in standard equipment, with special emphasis on safety. Eight airbags are standard, as are electronic stability control, traction control, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and active front seat head restraints. Rain-sensing windshield wipers, more commonly found only on high-end cars, are available. In addition to the awards cited above, Azera has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) top crash test rating for frontal offset impacts. 

For 2008, Hyundai has expanded Azera's list of standard and optional equipment. The 10-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels reserved for Limited models last year are now standard on all Azeras, as is XM Satellite Radio. The Limited now comes with a power sunroof and a 315-watt Infinity audio system with an in-dash six-disc CD changer and 10 speakers. New options include leather for the base model and an LG navigation system for Limited. And all Azeras benefit from a re-tuned chassis and quicker steering. 

Lineup

The 2008 Hyundai Azera comes in two trim levels. The base model, which was called the SE last year, has been renamed the GLS. The GLS comes with a 3.3-liter V6 rated at 234 horsepower. The Limited comes with a 3.8-liter, 263-hp engine. Both come with five-speed automatic transmissions. 

GLS ($24,600) also comes cloth upholstery; dual-zone automatic climate control; eight-way driver and four-way passenger power front seats; power windows, mirrors and central locking with keyless remote; leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob; cruise control; AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers and steering wheel-mounted controls; XM Satellite Radio; auto-dimming inside rearview mirror with HomeLink; bi-level front center console; automatic headlight control; and P235/55VR17 tires on ten-spoke alloy wheels. The Premium Package ($2,200) adds leather seats with heat in front, and a power tilt-and-slide sunroof. The sunroof is also available as a stand-alone option ($950). 

Limited ($28,550) now comes with a power tilt-and-slide sunroof and 10-speaker Infinity premium audio, in addition to leather-trimmed seats (heated in front), simulated leather inner door trim, heated outside mirrors with power fold-away, an electroluminescent gauge cluster, power rear sunshade, and other upgrades. The Limited model comes standard with the larger engine. 

The Ultimate Package ($1,250) adds a 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 Surround-Sound system with 12 speakers (including subwoofer) and external amplifier, power adjustable tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, power adjustable pedals, integrated memory system, woodgrain steering wheel and door pulls, and rain-sensing wipers. The Navigation Package ($1,750) combines the 605-watt Infinity surround-sound with the new the LG navigation system; the CD changer is deleted. To get all of the above, choose the Ultimate Navigation Package ($2,750). 

Dealer-installed accessories include a Bluetooth hands-free phone system ($325), floor mats ($100), cargo mat ($95), composite cargo tray ($100), and wheel locks ($50). A selection of pearl paint colors also cost extra ($200). 

Safety features are comprehensive, including state-of-the-art frontal airbags, full-coverage side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, active head restraints for the front seats, and LATCH child safety seat anchors. All five seating positions have adjustable head restraints and three-point belts; the front seatbelts have pre-tensioners and height-adjustable shoulder loops. Active safety features for crash avoidance include antilock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, electronic stability control, and traction control. 

Walkaround

While there may be nothing strikingly new nor original about the looks of the Hyundai Azera, there's nevertheless a completeness, a proportional flow that both catches and pleases the eye. And while other automakers are drifting toward increased visual mass, Hyundai is developing a crisper, more adventurous look all its own. 

The front styling of the Azera resembles that of the smaller Sonata but with the comfortable filling out that can come with healthy aging; not quite stately, but definitely wiser. The headlights are familiar, as is the shape of the grille, although the latter is textured on the Azera with fine horizontal lines, rather than the Sonata's single bold slash. Similarly, Azera's lower air intake is gently split horizontally, and its bumper subtly detailed with thin, bright-finish bump strips at each corner. 

The side view reaches for elegance, with gracefully arced, micro-bulged fenders and a glasshouse that rises softly from the bonnet, flows smoothly over an elongated cabin and falls gently into the boot. The rear overhang extends a bit farther than the shorter front overhang, but wide doors and spacious windows temper this relatively minor discord. The trunk lid seems to sit atop the rear fenders, inviting unfortunate comparison with the awkward back end of the current BMW 7 Series, but some designers are saying that's a necessary aerodynamic solution, and we're seeing the same sort of thing on the newest models from Lexus and Acura. 

The Azera's back end is equally reminiscent of the Sonata, again albeit fuller, more mature. Sonata-like tapers outline the lighting arrangements and license plate. LED tail and brake lights are standard at all levels. A unique reflector strip reaching across the trunk lid doubles as a background for the only external display of the name, Azera. A bright strip along the top of the bumper finishes the loop started at the front and carried along the side. Widely spaced dual exhaust tips add a sporty touch. 

Interior

The Hyundai Azera is comfortable and offers near-elegant transport. The upholstery, the dash covering, the carpet, are all top notch. Even the fabric headliner is a cut above the standard mouse fur. Gaps between the bits and pieces of plastic and other materials are impressively tight, earning high marks for fit and finish. The glove box and storage cubbies are of good quality. All hinged fixtures, from glove box door to roof-mounted grab handles, are damped for smooth, quiet operation. 

The dash sweeps gracefully across the car, beginning and ending in sectioned caps molded into the front door panels, and beneath an odd, table-edge-like flat rim that circles the entire interior from the outboard edges of the rear seats. Vent registers are symmetrically positioned near the doors and on each side of the audio and climate control panels centered above a large storage bin. Intuitively proportioned tachometer, speedometer, fuel level and engine coolant gauges peer out from a hooded pod through the top half of the steering wheel. Large, friendly knobs, buttons and switches return a pleasant tactile feel. 

An AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio system with a four-channel, 172-watt amplifier and six speakers comes standard in the Azera GLS. Limited models upgrade to an Infinity audio system that includes a 7-channel, 315-watt amplifier, in-dash six-disc CD changer and 10 speakers. 

The center console is trimmed in natural-looking woodgrain and brushed aluminum. Up front, almost tucked up underneath the dash overhang, is a covered ashtray with lighter. Aft of this is a small cubby, with controls for the seat heaters. Driver and front passenger have access to a pair of cup holders that hide beneath a hinged cover at the forward end of the console. The top of the bi-level console and storage bin is padded. 

Map pockets in each door are provided, part of which flip out to expand. The backsides of the front seats wear magazine pouches. Back seat passengers get a fold-down center armrest with two cup holders and, overhead, reading lights. 

The seats, front and rear, are comfortable and supportive. Front seat bases are fully enclosed so hardware isn't exposed. The driver's seat power lumbar covers an impressive range. Front seats give more and better thigh support than the rears, but the copious rear seat leg room more than compensates, helped by the rear doors' remarkably wide openings. 

Visibility is good all around, with special credit to the view out the back. The adjustable rear head restraints are the shingle type, which are formed to fit down over the top of the seatback when retracted. The electro-chromatic rearview mirror comes with an off switch, for the compass, too, and when that's turned off, the window in which it appears fades into the mirror. And shift into reverse with the Limited's rear sunshade deployed, and it automatically retracts. 

The Azera is roomy. Dimension-for-dimension against the competition, Hyundai Azera generally prevails, besting the Nissan Maxima, Buick LaCrosse and Mercury Milan in nearly all measures (Maxima has a quarter-inch more leg room in front). In fact, Azera's interior dimensions are more comparable to those of the larger Buick Lucerne and Mercury Sable. Toyota Avalon offers more rear-seat hip and legroom than Azera; but then Azera surpasses Avalon in front-seat legroom and in front and rear headroom. 

In trunk space, the Hyundai Azera is near the head of this class. Only the Buick Lucerne and Mercury Sable have more trunk space. The Azera beats the Avalon by two cubic feet. The Azera's trunk is fully finished, and enclosed gooseneck hinges and a hydraulic strut lift the lid. 

Driving Impression

Driving the Hyundai Azera is more fun and rewarding than driving most of the competition, save maybe for the Mercury Milan, which is a bit smaller and quite a bit lighter. This is despite the Azera tipping the scales a few hundred pounds heavier than the mid-size cars mentioned above, and weighing in closer to the full-size Sable and Lucerne. The Azera Limited V6 equals or beats most of the mid-size competition in horsepower and torque. In overall dimensions and stance on the road, there's little difference. What differentiates the Azera is the way it feels from the driver's seat, and the signals the various mechanicals send to the driver through the car's touch points. 

Response to the gas pedal is smooth, immediate and linear; Hyundai says the Azera Limited can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 7 seconds, which puts it smack in the heart of its competitors' numbers. Azera's one shortcoming in raw performance data is its highway fuel economy, where by EPA estimates it trails even the hefty Sable by two miles per gallon. 

The smaller, 3.3-liter GLS V6 improves fuel economy disappointingly little, with 18 city mpg vs. 17 for the Limited, and the same 26 mpg on the highway. We haven't driven an Azera with this engine, but its 234 horsepower and 226 pound-feet of torque still tops the Milan's V6, and should be enough for all but the most lead-footed drivers. Like the bigger Azera V6, the 3.3 comes with a five-speed automatic transmission, but with gearing specific to the smaller engine's horsepower and torque curves. 

Transmission shifts may not be seamless, but only slightly less so than in the pricier Avalon and on a par with the Milan. The Sportronic manual-shift feature selects gears by moving the shifter forward to shift up, rearward to shift down. On the down side, while it holds a higher gear, it will shift up when the engine approaches redline. The shift lever travels through a gated slot that puts the secondary, Sportronic range on the opposite side of the gate from the driver. We'd prefer it on the driver's side. 

The brake pedal feels solid, and the four-wheel discs haul the Azera down from extra-legal speeds with confidence and no noticeable fade in everyday driving. 

The Azera's steering has been quickened for 2008, its suspension bushings softened, and its gas-charged shock absorbers re-valved. Steering assist is nominal, with just about the proper amount of resistance to wheel movements; unlike the Avalon, for instance, which is over-assisted for our tastes, and the Milan, which could use a bit more assist. 

Handling is nicely balanced. Put another way, while the Azera doesn't beg to be driven rapidly along two-lane, winding country roads; if so called upon, neither will it embarrass a reasonably rambunctious driver. Not even in the pricier Avalon Touring were we as comfortable on such roads; in the Milan and Maxima, yes, but the former's overall quality level fell a bit short and the latter is priced up there with the Avalon. 

As with its front-wheel-drive counterparts, push the Azera past the cornering limits of its tires and it understeers (where the car wants to go straight when the driver wants it to turn). However, the electronic stability control should keep all but the most irrationally exuberant driver out of trouble. Directional stability on freeways is above reproach, and there is zero hint of float over pavement heaves. 

Little wind or road noise intrudes into the cabin, although we noticed more of the latter in the rear seat than in the front. No buzzes, squeaks or rattles surfaced in our couple hundred miles over virtually every type of pavement in the test car. 

LG, the South Korean based consumer-electronics manufacturer, developed the optional touch-screen navigation system exclusively for Hyundai. The system includes mapping software for the continental United States, and can help you find entertainment, sh. 

Summary

The 2008 Hyundai Azera is an amazing accomplishment from the same car maker that made its U.S. debut a little over two decades ago with the disposable Excel. As a matter of fact, it's a pretty impressive car regardless, what with all the standard creature comfort and safety features. Then there's its price, giving it an advantage of between $1500 and $3000 in retail numbers. Like its smaller, less expensive sibling, the Sonata, the Azera could well set a new standard in performance, price and value. 

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard filed this report after test driving the Azera around La Jolla, California. 

Model Lineup

Hyundai Azera GLS ($24,600); Azera Limited ($28,550). 

Assembled In

Asan, South Korea. 

Options As Tested

Ultimate Package ($1,250) includes 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 Surround-Sound system with 12 speakers (including subwoofer) and external amplifier, power adjustable tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, power adjustable pedals, integrated memory system, woodgrain steering wheel and door pulls, rain-sensing wipers; carpeted floor mats ($95).