Car Chat Reviews the new 2012 Hyundai Azera.
The all-new Hyundai Azera arrived in April for the 2012 model year. Its design now lines up with the other recently redesigned Hyundai cars like the Accent, Elantra and Sonata. Called “Fluidic Sculpture,” the Hyundai style has sharp corners, curves and complex surfaces which catch the eye and continue to differentiate the Hyundai line-up from the more plain Toyotas and Hondas they compete with.
The new Azera is much more sleek, improving its coefficient of drag to .28. (That’s better than a lot of the Azera’s competition: Lexus CT200h .29, Prius v .29, Jaguar XF .29, Porsche Panamera .29, BMW 5 Series Sedan .29-.3, BMW 328i .29, 335i .3, new Altima .3, Chrysler 300 .32, 2013 Taurus .33, and Maxima .33)
This efficient design helps the Azera achieve 20 MPG city and 30 MPG highway (up slightly for 2013) as rated by the EPA.
Under the hood, the Azera gets a gas direct-injection 3.3 V6. Gasoline direct injection used to be only in high-end German luxury cars, but Hyundai is the fastest adopter of this new, highly efficient technology. Where normal fuel injectors fire downstream, through the intake port, direct injectors (as their name suggests) fire fuel right into the combustion chamber.
This does two things: 1. It delivers the fuel more precisely, timing it to better mix with air and burn more completely. And 2. It cools the intake mixture, allowing a higher compression ration, which means better fuel mileage and more torque.
The Azera’s 3.3 V6 jumps to 293 horsepower. That’s more power than the Acura TL FWD, Accord V6, ES 350, Maxima, Altima V6, Camry V6 or Passat V6. It may be coincidence that none of those engines feature direct injection.
Azera 293
TL FWD 280
328i 240
Accord V6 278
ES 350 268
Maxima 290
Altima V6 270
Camry V6 268
Passat V6 280
Safety’s a very important feature to look for when buying, and the near-luxury category isn’t an exception. The new Hyundai Azera joins six other Hyundai vehicles in receiving the 2012 “Top Pick” status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Getting top marks in the frontal offset test, side impact test, rear collision test and roof strength test, the Azera is safe in a collision.
Equipped with dual-stage smart airbags for the driver and front passenger, the Azera also protects front passengers with side-impact airbags located in the seats. In addition the driver is further protected by a knee airbag that protects the driver’s legs and helps keep the driver properly positioned for the main airbag’s maximum effectiveness.
The driver and front passenger’s seatbelts both have height adjustments, to make them more comfortable and effective for people of different heights. They also have pre-tensioners. Pre-tensioners are activated when the safety systems determine a frontal collision is occurring, and while the airbags are beginning to deploy, the seatbelts draw in rapidly [Holding seatbelt, pull it back quickly], to best protect the front passengers and position them for the airbags.
The Azera also has advanced impact-reducing front seats which help to prevent neck and back injuries in rear-end collisions.
The Azera has childproof rear door locks, which can be set to prevent a small child from opening the rear door. The driver can also deactivate all the passenger windows.
All three rear-seat positions have three-point seatbelts and headrests.
The Azera is one of the few in its class to have standard side-impact airbags to protect the rear passengers’ hips and ribcage in case of a broadside impact.
Side airbag curtains protect front and rear outboard passengers’ heads from side impacts, and are also standard on the Azera.
LED taillights use less power than traditional bulbs [Someone press brake pedal] and the brake lights light almost a quarter of a second faster, giving following drivers more reaction time.
These LED taillights are an integral part of the Azera’s premium styling. With the continuous reflective strip and the twin tailpipes integrated into the rear bumper, the Azera is clearly a step above the Sonata.
Azera’s standard side mirrors are heated clear to off frost or condensation to help improve driver visibility.
The primary strategy Hyundai has employed to make the Azera a winner is content. The Azera is loaded with standard equipment that even most players in the luxury class charge extra for: rear view camera, heated front and rear seats, Proximity Key (where you don’t need to take the keys out of your pocket to unlock the car, open the trunk or drive away), navigation with live traffic, Blue Link (a GPS response service, similar to OnStar), and Voice Command control of the audio system and navigation.
The only optional equipment comes in the Technology Package: HID headlights, 19” wheels, parking sensors, memory seats and mirrors with power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, air conditioned front seats, upgraded stereo system and a panoramic sunroof.
The ride and drive is good. The engine is responsive and the handling is very competent without making the ride harsh. The 12.6” brakes stop very well. Motor Trend reported a stop from 60 MPH in 120 feet. That compares favorably to 128 feet for a 2013 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan.
Stability control to prevent skis is standard, as it is on all new cars, but the Hyundai uses the electric power steering assist to turn into skids automatically to counteract skids even better than a conventional stability control which only uses the brakes.
What the Azera doesn’t offer is interesting for a new model: adaptive cornering lights, blind-spot or collision warning systems are notably missing.
The standard Azera is $33125. That’s less than $265 more than the starting price on a V6 Honda Accord with navigation. Its $7845 less than a Maxima with navigation, heated mirrors and seats. From a value point of view, the Azera scores high, as most Hyundai models do.
With Hyundai being ranked ninth in overall reliability by J.D. Power and Associates, over Acura, Honda, BMW, Infiniti, Nissan, Volkswagen and others, the Azera seems to be a very smart, safe, stylish choice overall.
The Car Chat 