Skip to main content

In its home market, and some other places, South Korea’s Hyundai is taking on the new BMW 5 Series and the latest from Acura and Lexus with the new 2024 Hyundai Azera, or Grandeur, depending on the market. The Azera was sold in the U.S. until 2017 as the brand’s top sedan, and then instead of refreshing the car here it launched the Genesis brand of premium cars instead. So, we can’t get this cool Hyundai in the U.S.

What is the new Hyundai Azera?

Talk about luxury. For its home market, there is no Genesis, so the Azera gets to sit on top of Hyundai’s lineup. It’s a futuristically styled five-seat sedan that offers the ultimate in tech, luxury, and refinement. It has a back end that is reminiscent of a Merkur XR4ti, for those that remember the 1980s, or Hyundai’s own Concept 74 car that wowed show-car audiences last year.

Though it’s highly styled, it’s also tech-heavy with cool features like Remote Smart Parking Assist, which when activated allows the car to park and un-park itself while the driver walks away. The driver’s seat will massage you, and the rear seats can recline, which is a common feature in Korean cars as many of them are driven by chauffeurs. T

Does the 2024 Hyundai Azera really compete against the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E Class?

The interior of the Hyundai Azera with a model standing outside
The interior of the Hyundai Azera | Hyundai

The Azera is a big car, at 198 inches long. That means it’s within an inch of the BMW 5 Series’ length, and to an E Class, too. But, while those cars have potent 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, the Azera comes with either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 295 horsepower according to CarScoops.com. So, it’s down on power compared to the BMW 540i and E450’s 362 horsepower.  

Though it may not be the fastest of its class, it’s interior is dramatic

The Hyundai Azera parked near a modern building
The 2024 Hyundai Azera | Hyundai

Hyundai’s interior was designed to wrap around the passengers and envelop them in mood lighting. Hyundai said the details are “designed with a delicate Korean aesthetic,” and while we’re not exactly sure what that means, it’s beautiful. It’s also beautiful in an angular 1980s style. The interior is trimmed in real wood, aluminum and quilted Napa leather.

The Last Hyundai Azera

A 2017 Hyundai Azera in grey at an auto show
2017 Hyundai Azera | Getty Images

From 2006 to 2017 Hyundai sold the Azera here in the U.S. as its flagship sedan. The old Azera was, much like the Toyota Avalon, the brand’s attempt at taking on big, four-door, American sedans of the era from companies like Mercury and Buick. It was the most expensive Hyundai available through 2017, with a range-topping price of nearly $40,000.

The Azera is a rare car today, but it did have every option you add, from navigation and heated/ventilated seats, to a hands-free trunk popper. But, it was not range-topper like the new Azera, or Grandeur, and we wish we could get it here.  

Related

The Hyundai Creta is the Coolest SUV We Can’t Have

Best in Sedans & Coupes
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.