Azera becomes Hyundai flagship

Hyundai’s assault on the mainstream continues with the all-new 2006 Azera sedan.

The Azera, which falls just short of being full-size, picks up where Hyundai’s previous flagship, the XG350, left off. The XG350 carried Hyundai quietly into the mainstream, but the Azera will thump its chest all the way.

Hyundai expects to sell 30,000 to 40,000 a year in the United States, double the numbers of the XG350.

Discounting the Tiburon sport coupe, the Azera is the first Hyundai that has dared to be different. Check out the strong-shouldered fenders, a toned-down interpretation of those designed by Mazda for its RX8 sport-coupe, with a nod to BMW’s controversial hindquarters.

The gung-ho spirit continues inside, where a strong character line runs the width of the dashboard and into the door panels, creating a defined space for front-seat occupants more typical of a true luxury car.

It’s a touch that creates an aura of exclusivity but isn’t particularly expensive to execute — it comprises a strip of faux wood trim, a layer of textured vinyl and a bead of metal-finish trim. It’s a terrific example of doing more with less, a Hyundai calling card.

To be sure, the Azera is not perfect — in the final analysis, it falls short of the standard set by the competition, which includes the redoubtable Toyota Avalon, Ford’s Five Hundred and the new Buick Lucerne — but its aggressive price point, dramatic styling and 10-year/100,000-mile warranty will seal the deal for many buyers.

With a $24,995 price tag, including destination, the base SE comes equipped with dual-zone automatic climate control; power windows, mirrors and locks; remote keyless entry; cruise control; tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel; fog lights; exterior-mirror and rear-window defoggers; and a full-size spare on an alloy wheel.

Our $29,335 Azera Limited tester added leather seats; heated front seats; 17-inch wheels and tires; power passenger seat; power rear sunshade; and electroluminescent instrument cluster, along with a host of popular options, including a sunroof, power-adjustable pedals and rain-sensing wipers.

In the Limited, the tilt-and-telescoping steering column is powered, a rare feature in the sub-$30,000 class.

All Azeras are equipped with side-impact airbags for front- and rear-seat occupants, curtain-style bags, anti-lock brakes and skid control. Active front headrests reduce whiplash in the event of a rear-end collision.

Any way you slice it, it’s a hefty chunk of gear for an affordable sedan that legitimately seats four adults, with abundant room all around for legs, hips, shoulders and heads. The trunk is fairly large and is finished nicely.

But while the double-stitched leather seating surfaces and textured vinyls and plastics that comprise the dash are of consistently high quality, other features show the effects of corner-cutting.

Interior fit and finish is generally quite good, but the gaps between various surfaces are larger than those found in more finely honed vehicles, and the plastics used for various stalks and buttons would be considered contractor-grade were the Azera a house.

A more expensive car might signal its up-level aesthetics with a more harmonious interior lighting package and with more care in the design and location of the controls — I was forever trying to find the radio’s “seek” button.

Satellite radio won’t be available for the Azera until the fourth quarter and, though its audio system is MP3-capable, there’s no adapter for an iPod or other MP3 player.

Neither is there an available navigation system, Bluetooth interface or adaptive cruise control, features that are beginning to show up in this category.

A single powertrain is offered in the Azera family, a 3.8-liter V-6 that makes 263 horsepower, which is more or less par for the course in the segment. It is paired with a good, though not great, five-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode.

The all-aluminum, double overhead cam engine incorporates the requisite modern technologies, including variable valve timing, and returns EPA ratings of 19 city/28 highway.

Azera’s suspension is oriented to comfort, though body lean through fast corners is acceptable and the Azera handles quick transitions reasonably well. The steering system has a quick and sophisticated feel and is accurate, though not particularly communicative.

Azera owners will appreciate its fluid, precise handling in traffic and during slow-speed maneuvers, but the fully independent suspension system suffers from the same lack of refinement that troubled the XG350. Exemplary under normal circumstances, it can be provoked into harsh response by freeway expansion joints, potholes and other irregular road surfaces.

This character flaw is not sufficiently troublesome to be a showstopper, but it illustrates a couple of points: 1) Hyundai is new to the pursuit of luxury and 2) not even a pretty face can fully compensate for budgetary realities.

In the end, Hyundai has not been able to suspend the old truism that one gets what one pays for, but it has proven that what one gets may be more than one expects.