Hyundai Keeps Faith in Azera’s U.S. Prospects

Hyundai’s all-new sixth-generation Azera is revealed in renderings before its Nov. 15 world debut in Seoul, when it will launch in its home market.

Marketed under the Grandeur nameplate in Korea, the Azera may be shown Nov. 16 at the press preview for the Los Angeles auto show. The predecessor fifth-gen Azera made its 2011 U.S. debut in Los Angeles.

At best a tepid seller in the U.S., Hyundai offers no clues to its Azera export plan, but does not want to pull the marque from the U.S. or its other established overseas markets.

If the Azera doesn’t break cover in the U.S. at the Los Angeles show it likely will be on the floor at the North American International Auto Show in January in Detroit. If so, it might launch closer to midyear as an ʼ18 model.

Hyundai says the new version of the midsize entry, slotted between the Sonata and Genesis G80, “builds on its rich heritage while also setting its own legacy, thanks to its futuristic looks.”

The new vehicle highlights what Hyundai says is the first upscale translation of the cascading grille design in a premium-priced sedan.

No drivetrain information has been released, but a hybrid-electric iteration of the Grandeur likely will be offered in Korea along with a range of gasoline and diesel engines and an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Some interior and powertrain features are shared with Kia’s Cadenza.

The first-generation Grandeur debuted in Korea in 1986, but sales in the home market have fallen dramatically and Hyundai hopes the new offering will reverse the decline.

The Grandeur HG sold 3,050 units in Korea in September, bringing year-to-date deliveries to 34,347. That is a 54% year-on-year drop from the 5,616 units sold in September 2015, and a 64% retreat from the 53,615 sold in last year’s first nine months.

The Grandeur HG sold 76,317 units in full-year 2015.

The Grandeur hybrid is a minor player, selling 218 units in Korea in September and 5,574 year-to-date.

Hyundai has been exporting about 500 units per month from its plant in Asan, mostly with the Azera badge, and mostly to the U.S. The automaker logged 610 export sales in September, bringing the 9-month total to 4,662.

Hyundai Motor USA sold 419 units of the Azera last month, and 3,775 in the first nine months of 2016. This compares with just 281 sales in September 2015 and 4,639 units from January-September last year.

The sixth-gen Azera’s base price is expected to be around $35,000 in Korea and the U.S.