Hyundai Azera
Overview
Hyundai's full-size Azera, a competitor to the Toyota Avalon and Ford Taurus, enters its second generation for 2012. The front-drive sedan slots between the Sonata family sedan and Genesis luxury car. It adopts Hyundai's fluidic styling and a new direct-injection V-6, and it will come with a litany of standard luxury features.
Exterior
The Azera looks like a larger Sonata, complete with similar chrome strips running from the headlights to the base of the A-pillars. The distinction comes in back, where a red strip joins the Azera's taillights but raises them off the trunk for a floating effect. Exterior features include:
18-inch alloy wheels standard; 19-inch wheels optional
Dual chrome exhaust tips
Fog lights
Optional xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights
Optional panoramic moonroof
Interior
The five-seat cabin features a broad dashboard whose center controls splay into its upper reaches. Standard features include heated front and rear seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control and a 7-inch touch-screen navigation system. On the audio front, the Azera gets a standard iPod/USB-compatible CD stereo with Bluetooth phone control and audio streaming. The Azera also comes standard with Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system. Interior features include:
- Tilt/telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; power-adjustments optional
- Cruise control
- 60/40-split folding backseat
- Optional ventilated front seats
- Optional power rear sunshade
- Optional power rear sunshade, manual side-window sunshades
- Optional Infinity stereo
- 16.3-cubic-foot trunk
Under the Hood
The Azera's direct-injection, 3.3-liter V-6 engine teams with a six-speed automatic transmission. Mechanical features include:
- 293 horsepower and 255 pounds-feet of torque
- Four-wheel independent suspension
Safety
Safety features incdlue:
- Antilock brakes
- Front and rear side-impact airbags
- Side curtain airbags
- Driver's knee airbag
- Backup camera
- Optional rear parking sensors