As of late, Hyundai has had a lot to crow about with its rapid-fire new product rollouts. But the Azera, with its distinctly Hyundai of yore feel, was forced to sit out a few rounds while fresher products rolled in. Until now.



Despite its 2012 nameplate, the redesigned Azera has an on sale date of sometime late in March, but we didn’t want to wait.



Hop in as we from Red Rock to Rock Vegas in Hyundai’s newest sedan.

As an older sibling of the multi-talented Sonata, the Hyundai Azera doesn't have it easy. Think about the four big brothers in the Jackson 5 who knew they were really members of the Jackson 1+4. Not only is the Sonata Hyundai's best-selling model, with 225,961 sold in 2011, but it's arguably the brand's most impressive offering. From the 198-hp, 35-mpg-highway GLS whose equipment and performance belie its "base" descriptor, to the 274-hp, 34-mpg-highway 2.0T that melds sporty dynamics with small-car mileage, the Sonata is a force to be reckoned with. Just ask Accord, Altima, and Camry. And what about the Azera? See, you've already forgotten about it -- that's the power of Sonata Effect.

It’s hard to believe Hyundai has been selling cars in this country for more than 25 years. Wasn’t it just yesterday that the first Excel—remembered more for its low price than its Giugiaro-penned exterior—hit our shores with a thud? Since then, the brand has grown dramatically, in both the scope and quality of its offerings.



Intent on competing hard in all segments, Hyundai felt underrepresented in the gap between the new Sonata and the Genesis sedan, Hyundai’s rear-drive offering for aspirational types who aren’t quite making Equus-level money yet. To wit: The base prices of the Elantra and Sonata sedans are separated by about $4500. The gap between the Sonata and the Genesis, however, is more than $14,000—financial territory the previous Azera had difficulty defending. Enter the all-new-for-2012, $32,875 Azera—a reasonably priced front-drive automotive statement that says of its owner to the world, “I needed a car, and Hyundai sells cars.”