Hyundai Azera

The Hyundai Azera is considered a large, luxury car. The Hyundai Azera is larger and more expensive than the Hyundai Sonata and cheaper than the Hyundai Genesis sedan.

History

The Hyundai Azura was first sold in South Korea by Hyundai in 1986. The Hyundai Azera was first sold in the US in 2006. The Hyundai Azera replaced the Hyundai XG300 and XG350 sedans, as well as the Hyundai Granada. The first generation of the Hyundai Azera had three trim levels: GLS, SE, and Limited.
The second generation of the Hyundai Azera came out in 2012. That generation had only the one basic trim line for the first two years until the “Limited” trim line was added in 2014.

Design

The Hyundai Azera is essentially a Hyundai Sonata that is longer, has more soft interior surfaces, and more premium features. The Hyundai Azera is the largest front wheel drive offered by Hyundai.
The Hyundai Azera and Azera Limited come with a 293 horsepower 3.3 liter V6 engine. The Hyundai Azera has a six speed automatic transmission connected to the front wheels; a manual transmission isn’t an option.
The base Hyundai Azera has keyless ignition, keyless entry, HD radio, satellite radio (subscription separate), Siri Eyes Free integration, dual zone climate control, heated front seats, power front seats, a rearview camera, six speakers, and Bluelink emergency communication system. The higher trim line Hyundai Azera Limited has xenon headlamps, power adjustable steering wheel, heated rear seats, surround sound, and power folding mirrors. For the Limited trim line, rear parking sensors are an option.

Performance

The standard Hyundai Azera gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. The Limited edition gets one mile less per gallon.
The Hyundai Azera goes from zero to sixty in just over six seconds.
The Hyundai Azeras from 2006 to 2011 were recalled for a corrosion problem. The Hyundai Azera's cross-member corroded unusually fast on exposure to salt on the road. The recall only affects Hyundai Azeras sold in cold weather or salt belt states.
The 2012 and 2013 Hyundai Azeras were recalled due to a malfunction with the air bag sensors. All of the affected vehicles were built in 2012.
The 2006 through 2009 Hyundai Azeras had a recall for problems with the front seat belts.
The Hyundai Azera was rated as having average reliability by JD Power and Associates in 2015.

Price

The Hyundai Azera started at $34,000 new in 2015. The Azera Limited cost around $38,000 to start. The Hyundai Azera is cheaper than the Genesis sedan. That vehicle cost $38,000 new in 2015, rivaling the Azera’s higher end trim line on price. However, the higher end Hyundai Genesis is much more expensive, coming in at $51,500 in 2015.

Rivals

Rivals to this Hyundai Azera are the Buick LaCrosse, Toyota Avalon, Dodge Charger SXT, Kia Cadenza, Chrysler 300, Chevrolet SS, Volvo S60, Mazda 6, Ford Taurus, and Chevrolet Impala.

Trivia

The Hyundai Azera is sold in South Korea as the Grandeur.
The Hyundai Azura was one of the vehicles involved in a lawsuit for overstated fuel efficiency. Both the 2012 and 2013 has to lower their miles per gallon numbers by one to two mpg.
Sales of the Hyundai Azera have been slow since the release of the Genesis because many buyers simply pay for the Genesis.