Hyundai Azera

Introduction

For the past few years, Hyundai has been redesigning vehicles and rolling out new product like it’s been on a Red Bull bender. Lost in the mix, however, has been the large Azera sedan that time — and seemingly Hyundai — forgot. But for 2012, Hyundai has finally gotten around to sprinkling the Azera with its fairy dust, and the results are quite impressive.

Slotting in just above the already commendable Sonata and below the more expensive Genesis sedan, the 2012 Hyundai Azera is meant to provide a bit more space and luxurious ambience than the typical midsize sedan. Compared to the previous Azera, the 2012 car is about the same size, but its exterior styling and interior design are much more dramatic and appealing. It’s also more expensive than it was before, but with that price increase you get an impressive number of features (leather seating and a navigation system are standard, for instance) and a more powerful, fuel-efficient V6 engine.

On the road, the Azera feels like the large sedan it is, which can be considered praise for its solid poise on the highway as well as a demerit when trying to weave through tight confines. The Hyundai Azera does, however, pull ahead of the competition when it comes to its spacious cabin that has enough room to comfortably seat four tall adults. There’s also ample trunk space for their accompanying luggage.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2012 Hyundai Azera is classified as a large sedan and is offered in a single, well-appointed trim level. Standard features include 18-inch wheels, automatic headlights, foglights, heated mirrors, leather upholstery, a 10-way adjustable driver seat, an eight-way adjustable front passenger seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front and rear seats, a chilled glovebox, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, 60/40-split-folding rear seats, a navigation system, BlueLink telematics and a 10-speaker sound system with a CD player, an iPod/USB audio interface and HD radio.

The only Azera option is a Technology package, which adds 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, xenon headlights, a power rear sunshade, manual side window sunshades, a power-adjustable steering wheel, driver seat memory functions, a driver seat cushion extension, ventilated front seats, rear parking sensors, interior ambient lighting and a premium Infinity 12-speaker sound system.

Powertrains and Performance

Powering the 2012 Hyundai Azera is a 3.3-liter V6 that produces 293 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered and sends power to the front wheels.

In Edmunds instrumented testing, the Azera accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, which is a bit quicker than average for a large sedan. Fuel economy is about average for the segment, at an EPA-estimated 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway and 23 mpg in combined driving.

Safety

Standard safety features on the 2012 Hyundai Azera include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front and rear side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, a driver-side knee airbag and active front head restraints. Hyundai’s BlueLink (which is similar to GM’s OnStar service) also provides SOS assistance and automatic crash notification.

In Edmunds brake testing, the Azera came to a stop from 60 mph in 126 feet, which is average in this class. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Azera its highest score of “Good” for the car’s performance in frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests.

Interior Design & Special Features

Both from the outside and within, the 2012 Hyundai Azera can easily be thought of as a well-fed Sonata. The quality of the leather upholstery is nice enough to convince you that you’re in a true luxury sedan, but the abundance of hard plastics will bring you right back to reality. Much of the Azera’s interior design is reminiscent of the more commonplace Sonata, which for some could be a more interesting alternative to more austere luxury cabins.

Styling and materials aside, the Azera is exceptionally roomy. A multitude of driver seat adjustments ensure a comfortable position for any body type and there’s enough head- and legroom to accommodate 6-footers in any seat. The 16.3-cubic-foot trunk is similarly generous, making it one of the largest in its class.

Driving Impressions

A car fronting “GT” as part of its name often implies there is a sporty orientation, but that’s really not the case for the 2013 Azera. There is no extra engine performance or other performance-oriented equipment, although the GT does have sportier tuning than the Elantra sedan. The Azera does have a unique driving-focused feature: a three-setting function (Normal, Sport and Comfort) for the electric-assist power steering that varies the amount of power assist for the steering. There is a noticeable amount of change in steering effort when going from Comfort to Sport, but overall it’s hardly a game-changing feature.

The 2013 Hyundai Azera accelerates adequately but not altogether energetically. With the automatic transmission, it can also be slow to respond when asked for downshifts. The automatic does offer a manual-shift mode, but it also seems sluggish and doesn’t really do much to improve performance. As with other cars in the Elantra lineup, it’s clear the GT’s performance is oriented toward maximizing fuel economy, which should be ideal for most buyers.

On the positive side, the Azera’s ride is very good. The suspension is quiet and composed over broken pavement and when riding over large bumps and potholes. Most compact cars have busy suspensions with harsh reactions to typical road irregularities, but the Azera rides and handles like a much larger, plusher car.

 

Hyundai Azera standard Equipment Includes: