2007 Hyundai
Azera Limited

by Steve Schutz, MD

I knew this day would come, I just figured it would be later. After twelve years of reviewing cars for this column, I’m finally writing about a Hyundai. Why did it take so long? Two reasons: until around 10 years ago, Hyundais were Pacer/Pinto/ Vega bad, quality-wise — remember the early 80s Excel? Hyundai hopes you don’t — but since the mid 1990s, they have been built well, but so dull very few San Antonio Medicine readers would give them the time of day.

But, as Bob Dylan might say, the times they are a’ changing. After serving as an object lesson in how not to enter the U.S. auto market, Hyundai has been producing progressively better and more interesting products, backed by a 10-year warranty. Now they’ve created the Azera, a family sedan that provides near-luxury levels of comfort and convenience coupled with (some) style. And through the Azera it’s possible to see hints of the V8 powered rear wheel drive luxury sedan Hyundai intends to launch in 2008.

Since I just wrote the words “Hyun-dai” and “style” in the same sentence, I’ll start with one aspect of the Azera that has some flair, the exterior. Sort of Sonata-ish but with more curves, a taller profile, bigger grille and a bustle trunk borrowed from the BMW 7-series, the Azera looks good from all angles. It’s standard family sedan stuff, mostly, but with just enough visual spice to catch your eye. And it’s much more attractive than its predecessor, the XG 350, an automotive nerd if there ever was one. Still, Hyundai took no chances in design-ing the Azera, and good for them; best to focus on quality and practicality first, then adventurous styling.

Oh yes, quality. Korea’s biggest automotive manufacturer has been making progress on this front for years as noted above, and their efforts have borne fruit. Consumer Reports now recommends the Tiburon, Hyundai came in third in JD Power’s Initial Quality survey in 2006 and the Sonata won that award in the entry-level midsize sedan category in 2004. (The Sonata’s JD Power gold was based on a small sample size, so it’s a bit suspect. But it counts.)

The interior of the Azera is less interesting than the exterior. Ergo-nomically there are no flaws, and the buttons push and twist with reassuring solidity, but there’s little originality. In addition, the dash and surrounding areas are more plasticky than I’d like. While significantly more luxurious than the more generic Sonata, the Azera’s cabin needs work to reach Passat levels of richness and comfort.

There’s plenty of room for passengers inside the Azera. Tall drivers will fit behind the wheel just fine, there’s space for two adults in back — three if you’re not going too far — and the rear seats are nicely angled for comfort. The Limited’s power rear sunshade is another plus on hot days.

On the road, the Azera does surprisingly well with a supple ride that rivals the Toyota Avalon. No sedan in this class is a BMW M3 wannabe, but the Azera’s handling is nevertheless sure and confident unless you push too hard, in which case expect typical front- wheel drive understeer. On the highway, the Azera is also Avalon like; very little road or wind noise intrude, and there’s almost nothing to distract you from your cell-phone conversation.

Equipped with variable valve timing, the Azera's all-aluminum, DOHC, 3.8-liter V6 provides 263 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. There’s plenty of thrust for passing and merging, and a five-speed automatic transmission upshifts smoothly under all conditions. Published 0-60-mph times are around seven seconds, and my seat-of-the-pants feel (such as it is) tells me that’s about right; this Hyundai can hustle when you need it to. Fuel economy is about where you’d expect it: 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.

All Azeras come with electronic stability control, side airbags all around, dual-zone climate control, a power driver seat, and tilt-telescoping steering wheel; the Limited Version adds leather upholstery with front bun warmers and nicer wheels. If you choose the Ulti-mate Package, which I recommend since the final tab is still under $30,000, you get a 10-speaker Infinity sound system with an in-dash six CD changer, power sunroof, driver memory, power tilt-telescoping steering wheel, adjust-able pedals, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers. No navigation

system is offered, though, so if you can’t live without one of those in your Hyundai, you’ll have to wait for the upcoming V8 luxury sedan. (As this piece was being finalized, Hyundai showed a near-production version called the Genesis at the New York Auto Show. A quick web search will show you what it looks like.)

The Azera is a good looking near-luxury sedan that takes Hyundai one step closer to being a full-line brand all buyers — including doctors and dentists — can consider without being afraid that their friends and neighbors will think they’ve fallen on hard times. It may have taken twelve years for the first Hyundai to appear in this space, but I bet it won’t be long before I write about others.