Photo: Hyundai
As if the arrival of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan didn’t already put enough pressure on the mid-luxury, front-wheel-drive Hyundai Azera, the all-new 2015 Sonata might end up suffocating the sedan from the other end. From the sounds of it, the future of the Azera is looking pretty bleak based on a report Autoblog.
Once the flagship of the Hyundai lineup, the Azera is now tightly positioned between two of Hyundai’s newest and most exciting products out right now. After the high-priced Equus, Azera is the slowest-selling vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup, with just 4,191 units sold through June, and sales are down considerably from last year.
In speaking to John Shon, Hyundai’s manager of product planning for the Azera and Sonata, he says there is room for the Azera to stay due to itsV-6 engine and loyal customers. While that isn’t a whole lot working in the car’s favor, it could be enough to keep the car from being dropped in the U.S. And the Azera’s problems aren’t all internal either. Since the redesigned Azera debuted for the 2012 model year, newer competitors like the Chevrolet Impala, Kia Cadenza and Toyota Avalon have come along offering more luxury and technology.
As an attempt to spark some sales, Hyundai dropped the price of the 2014 Azera by $1,250 to give the sedan a new starting price of $31,000, but there is very little wiggle room between a fully loaded Sonata and a base Genesis Sedan. For example, check all the option boxes on a 2015 Sonata Limited and you’re looking at an MSRP of $32,385. The good news is that the 2015 Genesis Sedan now has a higher base price of $38,000 giving the Azera a little extra breathing room, but the fully loaded Azera Limited with the Premium Package starts at $37,795
Shon points out that the Azera is a strong-selling car in South Korea (where it is called the Grandeur) selling more than 100,000 units per year, so there will definitely be a next-generation model. It just sounds like it’s up in the air as to whether or not Hyundai will continue to import the car to the U.S. following the 2015 model year.
In speaking to John Shon, Hyundai’s manager of product planning for the Azera and Sonata, he says there is room for the Azera to stay due to itsV-6 engine and loyal customers. While that isn’t a whole lot working in the car’s favor, it could be enough to keep the car from being dropped in the U.S. And the Azera’s problems aren’t all internal either. Since the redesigned Azera debuted for the 2012 model year, newer competitors like the Chevrolet Impala, Kia Cadenza and Toyota Avalon have come along offering more luxury and technology.
As an attempt to spark some sales, Hyundai dropped the price of the 2014 Azera by $1,250 to give the sedan a new starting price of $31,000, but there is very little wiggle room between a fully loaded Sonata and a base Genesis Sedan. For example, check all the option boxes on a 2015 Sonata Limited and you’re looking at an MSRP of $32,385. The good news is that the 2015 Genesis Sedan now has a higher base price of $38,000 giving the Azera a little extra breathing room, but the fully loaded Azera Limited with the Premium Package starts at $37,795
Shon points out that the Azera is a strong-selling car in South Korea (where it is called the Grandeur) selling more than 100,000 units per year, so there will definitely be a next-generation model. It just sounds like it’s up in the air as to whether or not Hyundai will continue to import the car to the U.S. following the 2015 model year.
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