Hyundai Officially Kills The Azera Leaving More Room For The G80

Hyundai is one of those companies, and the Azera for the U.S. is now officially dead. Classified as a full-size sedan, the comfort-oriented model will live on in Asian markets as the Grandeur. In the United States, however, the premium-ish sedan will be indirectly replaced by the upmarket Genesis G80 and the cut-price Hyundai Sonata.

This news comes courtesy of a Hyundai release on its 2018 model year lineup, which mentions the Azera’s discontinuation explicitly in this part of the world. What the automaker got wrong, though, is this line here: “… has been a successful model in the Hyundai lineup for a number of years.”
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cidflekken - 7/6/2017 2:28:21 PM

+2 Boost

I think Hyundai could have kept this model and made it a formidable competitor to either the Toyota Avalon or Nissan Maxima. I always thought it was a nice-looking car, but too closely aligned to the Sonata in size.

MDarringer - 7/6/2017 3:44:55 PM

0 Boost

@cidflekken No more so than how the Avalon is close in size to the Camry.

MDarringer - 7/6/2017 3:52:40 PM

0 Boost

Hyundai-Kia's marketing of its large cars has always been incoherent. They started off with the XG300 but quickly did a strange Kia version. Then came the Azera and the seemingly obligatory Cadenza. Then the similar-sized Genesis then the Equua and the seemingly obligatory K900. The stinger is yet another overlap.

This overlap is not only bad for business but bad launching Genesis.

Hyundai-Kia should kill the Cadenza as well and create a Genesis G60...essentially a version of the Grandeur for Genesis to be aimed at the Lexus ES.

dumpsty - 7/7/2017 8:20:47 AM

+2 Boost

I'd have to agree a bit here. The overlap on their premium vs luxury lineups seems like a blaring product issue. I think that since they launched the Genesis brand, it's going to take the Hyundai/Kia lines a few years to kinda "re-align" based consumer sales & how the industry is balancing sedan vs SUV sales.

dumpsty - 7/7/2017 8:35:00 AM

+2 Boost

The Hyundai/Kia product mix has always been a little weird since they became major competitors in the US.

I initially saw the Hyundai line as only mainstream which matched well against Chevy, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Dodge. Kia had started to look more "sport-upscale" but then the Genesis sporty-luxury sedan (and later coupe) was launched under the Hyundai brand - that was confusing considering the well creased, premium designs Kia had at the time. And to an extent, the Kia line still looked more upscale than Hyundai.

Now with the Genesis brand ramping-up, Hyundai has to find a way to keep their maintream lineup fresh & keep the Kia line sporty while not putting out silly-azz designs that'll push regular customers away. Like Toyota/Lexus. But, they cant make their bread-and-butter Sonata/Optima too upscale which would take needed attention from potential Genesis sales.

It's a thin line they must walk I guess.