Little by little, Hyundai has started to make cars that people might actually want to buy. No longer is the Korean brand the butt of jokes and no longer is it a brand for people who don’t care anything at all about cars, driving, or build quality. Even in the luxury sedan segments, they’re confidently taking on the established names by offering decent looks, luxury, and incredible value. It really does seem that people are finally coming around to a brand that used to be seen as the poor man’s Honda, and it’s not for lack of effort on Hyundai’s part.They’re keeping pace in the ever-changing car world by offering direct-injection on many of their engines, advanced technology and connectivity in their interiors, and current if not exactly original styling on their exteriors. Slated conveniently between the Sonata and the Genesis, the new Azera is an impressive product of Hyundai’s rise, and one that might just have some drivers leaving their Lexus behind.
Hyundai claims the styling of the new Azera has been inspired by “the mechanics of flight”, but in all honesty it hardly stands out from the other midsize sedans it competes against. The lines of the rear quarter panels and the third windows at the back are nice touches and the Azera is overall a handsome car (especially compared to Hyundais of the past), but it’s a relatively safe design in the end.
