Is this the look of the next-gen Hyundai Azera?
The Hyundai Azera is something of a “tweener,” a product not quite up to the lavish Genesis sedan but definitely a step above the mainstream midsize Sonata – it’s aimed at a buyer who wants something a little bigger but doesn’t want to push into the Genesis price range, like the Toyota Avalon or, on the domestic market, the old Ford Crown Victoria, perhaps.
Many folks have been expecting Azera to simply go away, but a tweet from John Krafcik, the maker’s U.S. chief executive, tells us that Azera will stay part of the expanding line-up – but get a decidedly new look for 2012. And, says the ever-informative Krafcik, we’ll get a first look at it during the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show.
In the sheet metal, that is, for we first spotted this image on the pages of AutoBlog.com and thought it appropriate to bring it here for a quick glimpse. What you see is actually the Korean Grandeur, which is likely to serve as the influence for the new Azera, incorporating the latest iteration of Hyundai’s “fluidic styling” language. What claims to be a spy shot of the new Hyundai closely resembles this image and clearly shows the familial resemblance to the Sonata.
“We’re in the final stages of ride/handling tuning for the 2012 Azera, and it’s dialing in nicely,” tweeted Krafcik.
What will we find under the hood? Speculation varies, though it could maintain the current 3.8-liter V6, but may very well opt for something more fuel-efficient, in line with Hyundai’s corporate direction. This is, after all, a company that recently proclaimed it could get to a fleet average of 50 mpg by decade’s end.
Among the alternatives might be a 274-hp 2.0-liter I-4 borrowed from the smaller Sonata, or perhaps a modified version of the current Azera mileage-minded 3.3-liter V-6 – but bumped to 300 horsepower, thanks to direct injection, which would also give it notably better fuel economy.
Hyundai’s decision to maintain the Azera suggests that either Krafcik is getting marching orders from Seoul or that he believes there’s an opportunity to reposition the updated ’12 model as the maker improves its perception among luxury buyers.
It certainly wouldn’t make sense to put the money into a product which has seen sales decline about 30% through mid-2011. In fact, the Azera, with January – June sales only slightly over 1,000 is now being outsold by the top-of-the-line Equus.
And that model, incidentally, just outranked all the Euro and luxury premium cruisers (think BMW 7-Series and Lexus LS) in the latest J.D. Power APEAL study. So, considering Hyundai’s recent history, it would be a safe bet to stop by the maker’s stand at the L.A. show.
(For more on the 2012 Hyundai Equus’ strong showing in the J.D. Power APEAL study, Click Here.)