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Hyundai has released a handful images of the updated Azera sedan, proving again that the manufacturer is not adverse to taking risks. While we haven’t seen the vehicle around these parts since the 2017 model year, it has continued on in other parts of the world, often under the Grandeur name, and growing more handsome with age.
While perhaps not as comely as the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Americans stand to receive, the South Korean brand’s revamped Azera/Grandeur sticks to its tradition of bold styling updates by incorporating headlamps into a diamond-pattern grille. The end result creates an effect that makes the lights appear as if they’re located behind it. Similar in concept to the hidden headlamps of the late 1960s, its execution is a quite bit different — giving international markets something rather novel.
Odds are decent this one will stay out of the U.S., though Hyundai did file an American trademark for the name “Grandeur” last year, so don’t count it out entirely. The company also issued the “Hyundai Azera Facelift” teaser images you’re currently looking at with the car wearing Grandeur badges.
Despite the front being quite interesting, the rear portion of the full-size sedan appears to be lifted from a Lincoln. It’s highly tasteful but slightly derivative. Hyundai calls its new design language “sensuous sportiness” and has been affixing it to various models. It typically incorporates tweaking the bodywork to make the car look as long as possible, a bunch of interesting lighting, and a diamond-pattern grille (though not always).
The interior has also been redone — adding new trim materials, two 12.3-inch displays, and a bit more legroom in the back.
Regardless of whether or not we see the Azera/Grandeur here at home (what would happen to the Kia Cadenza?!), it’s nice to know Hyundai is still experimenting. That industrial-level moxie has helped turn the brand around and delivered some of the most interesting mainstream vehicles we’ve seen of late. And it doesn’t appear to be anywhere near finished.
Hyundai’s Flagship Sedan, Azera’s bold transformation.
Teaser image of Hyundai Azera Facelift, "Sensuous Sportiness" innovative design.– First production model to have integrated grille and headlamp
– Spacious interior with wide horizontal cabin design#Hyundai #Azera pic.twitter.com/1oHPrWDWnL— Hyundai Worldwide (@Hyundai_Global) October 24, 2019
[Images: Hyundai]
I like the LED on the rear end, probably needs some dental work on the front end to reduce the amount of “teeth”.
I like that this design retains the high roofline as long as possible – it says good things about how the car is designed for the comfort of its rear passengers – but I dislike how it turns into a sloping fastback before joining the rear fenders. I think the shape is supposed to look sleek but instead it shifts the cabin too far back and makes the car look bunched up over its rear wheels.
I think it would have been better to do away with the fastback and go for a more formal roof line or, if they had wanted to keep the fast back look, maybe do it with curved glass to keep the rear end looking lighter.
Is nobody employed for the purpose of avoiding pitfalls like naming a fancy Hyundai the Grandeur?
Perhaps it’s a Grand Eurrusion.
Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week. Try the lasagna!
Thomas, Nice one – lol.
Huh? It’s been called the Grandeur in Korea forever, that’s the big market for this car. It’s called Azera most other places. As if that’s much better.
@quaquaqua,
He’s being racist. Just a pale copy of DW.
Scanning for racist remarks, not finding any.
Either I am missing something that was said, or you are imagining something that wasn’t.
Bring it here as a Genesis model with an AWD option, and sell it for $45,000 – it’d stick a fork in the Lexus ES.
Wouldn’t Lexus customers be the ones least likely to take a chance on a car from a company that can’t source an alternator? Tau owners know what I’m talking about.
Huh? Why would Lexus owners care (or even know) about a problem limited to a V8 that isn’t in this car?
Lexus ES customers are the most loyal on the planet. The one I know best is a late-70s woman who has had four straight ESes. I can’t possibly imagine her considering a Genesis no matter how good it is. (Or much of anything else — she’d think of the competition as Mercedes and BMW, and complain about the reliability of both.)
But nobody know where to buy a Genesis or WTH it actually is supposed to be.
That’s actually very attractive, both inside and out.
Trypophobia aside
the paisley interior scheme is a little bit much but if they aim to draw attention, that may work
Nice work all around except the front end. I get the feeling I’m looking at it through a chain link fence.
I’ve been working on my design vocabulary. I believe that LED strip on the rear can be accurately described as “extra frowny.”
(How am I doing?)