- The 2012 Hyundai Azera makes a major play for premium territory with a dramatic redesign and engine improvement — and a much bigger price tag.
- The 2012 Azera will go on sale in February, starting at around $32,000; the current model starts at $26,270.
- The 2012 Azera will feature only one engine choice and one trim level with more upscale standard equipment, including a navigation system and leather seating.
LOS ANGELES — The 2012 Hyundai Azera, which debuts at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, may no longer be the poor sister of the Hyundai lineup. Hyundai's lowest-volume vehicle in the U.S. is making a major play for premium territory with a dramatic redesign and engine improvement and a Lexus-like price tag.
The 2012 Azera will go on sale in February, starting at around $32,000, said Hyundai Motor America spokesman Miles Johnson in a phone conversation with Inside Line. A formal pricing announcement will be made in January. The base 2011 Hyundai Azera starts at $26,270, including a $775 shipping charge.
The 2012 Azera will feature only one engine choice and one trim level with more upscale standard equipment, including a navigation system and leather seating, Johnson noted.
The Azera has been polished up courtesy of Hyundai's "fluidic sculpture" design language, putting it more on a par with the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra. A major horsepower boost is also in store for the 2012 Azera. It gets the new 293-horsepower 3.3-liter gasoline direct-injection engine linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. The base 2011 Azera has the base 260-hp 3.3-liter V6 or the optional 3.8-liter V6. The 3.8-liter V6 has been deleted for the 2012 model year.
"The strategy here at Hyundai has been (engine) downsizing with smaller-displacement V6s," Johnson said. "We're trying to lead the industry in downsizing."
The EPA has not yet posted fuel-economy numbers for the 2012 Azera, but Hyundai estimates that it will earn 20 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway. The outgoing model with the 3.3-liter V6 returns 20 mpg in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway, says the EPA. The 2011 Azera with the 3.8-liter V6 returns 19 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway.
The 2012 Azera gets standard 18-inch alloy wheels, HID xenon headlights and an optional panoramic sunroof. Hyundai said it is targeting the Lexus ES 350, Buick LaCrosse, Nissan Maxima and Ford Taurus with the redesigned Azera.
Inside Line says: The weak link in the Hyundai lineup gets a boost — but customers may be in for a bit of sticker shock.
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nutsaboutcars says:
07:43 AM, 01/28/2012
My cocncern with this car is there direct injected engines sound like cheap wind up toys you can get from a dollar store. I had a 2011 sonata as a loaner car for the day and that engine in that was not refined at all. Especially when accelrating and at idol. I cannot have a car that sounds like that.
rats says:
11:51 PM, 12/04/2011
Growing up I used to Love the Maxima, stylish, sporty, yet in a useful package. Then I dunno what happened but they lost the crown to the Acura TL. That became the go to car in this class(last 2 gens not the ugly current one). Now, Acura/Honda has lost it's styling ways, kind of like how Nissan did. Although I think Nissan is still just ok but Honda has really gone down hill.
Now we have this Azera taking the crown from the TL. Who would've thought, quiet amazing Hyundai. I guess everyone has their moment in the light until they mess it up, lol. I wonder who's going to be next, Tata or Shanghai Motors?
Never say never.
tekcar says:
09:31 AM, 11/19/2011
@j2j Pretty sure that the Equus does not outsell the LS at all. Unless you mean that the Genesis Coupe plus the Genesis Sedan plus the Equus outsells the GS and LS combined? The Genesis sedan itself actually sells very poorly, the coupe is the one that sells in high volume so if you want to blend all those cars together then yes you can come up with a higher figure but that's pretty silly.
96jagman says:
06:38 AM, 11/18/2011
The 2012 Azera exterior is a logical and handsome upgrade from the 2011. However, the interior is too influenced by the swoopy interiors of the competition. Pricewise it seems to be OK, since it has most of the goodies in the base price. I hope they don't keep raising the price since the Azera currently is good value for the money. Frankly, I think the 2011 interior was very nice, particularly the seats and dash.
damaje says:
05:06 AM, 11/17/2011
I would say it is the best looking out of all the competition. I Find it odd they did not mention the Avalon though, it is certainly better looking inside and out than what I thought would have been it's biggest competitor. In the looks department it smokes the Maxima, though I am a Nissan fan, it seems as though they forgot how to style the Maxima, the interiors look nice on the Max, they just don't know how to do the exterior anymore, which is a shame since nissan has better looking cars in other markets that could be rebadged as a Max.
tippin4u says:
03:41 AM, 11/17/2011
sweet looking ride,a lil too lit up all around the dash though, Kind of cartoonish.Overall,i am a fan of the looks,and the quality that they have brought to the automobile industry. Still not a fan of the logo,it doesn't fit the looks of these cars anymore.
angry_mushroom says:
12:23 AM, 11/17/2011
Lead the industry in downsizing? Good luck with that.
j2j says:
07:51 PM, 11/16/2011
@fortstring
Yeah, I know; the new interior to the GenCoupe is much better, but I'd put it more in the 370Z category than the G37 category (for the next gen, the interior for the GenCoupe will be even nicer).
fortstring says:
05:49 PM, 11/16/2011
@j2j
The Genesis Coupe's interior has been updated for 2013 with a more square center layout. It is an improvement from the previous gen's oval center stack.
financeman2 says:
05:23 PM, 11/16/2011
First impression....I like it. Very attractive, upscale, and a reasonable price point. That said, it will need to drive very well....a lot of good competition in the marketplace at that price point.