Hyundai Rolls Out 2012 Grandeur / Azera in Korea, Releases Video Showing the Car's Evolution from 1986

Hyundai has been advertising the all-new generation of its Grandeur for quite some time now, but today, the automaker officially launched the large sedan in its home market. The new Grandeur, which will be badged as the 2012 Azera in the States, arrives in the Korean market six years after its predecessor’s launch in May 2005.

Codenamed HG, the 2012 Grandeur is result of three-and-a-half years and 450 billion won (about US$415 million) of research, development and testing. Positioned between the Sonata and the Genesis sedan, the new Grandeur measures 4,910mm (193.3") long, 1,860mm (73.2") wide and 1,470mm (57.9") tall. It rides on a 2,845mm-long (112") wheelbase, which is 65mm (2.6") longer than the outgoing model.

The South Korean market model is offered with a choice of two gasoline engines, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Theta II GDI with 201-horsepower and a new 3.0-liter V6 Lambda II GDI producing 270-horsepower. Both engines are linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

The new Grandeur comes with a suite of safety systems including VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) and ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), plus a standard nine-airbag system that includes a driver’s knee airbag.

Other notable features include Hyundai's Advanced Smart Cruise Control, which automatically keeps a safe distance from a car ahead and provides automatic stop and restart functions in response to traffic flow, and a Smart Parking Assist System that utilizes a sensor to measure parallel parking spaces, controlling the steering wheel to semi-automatically park the car.

Hyundai said it aims to sell 100,000 units of the Grandeur this year (80,000 in the domestic market and 20,000 outside of Korea) and 120,000 units in 2012 when the car arrives in more markets.

The South Korean automaker has not yet provided details on the North American market Azera.

Along with some new photos, Hyundai also released a video showing the evolution of the Grandeur / Azera from the presentation of the first generation in 1986 to the current fifth gen model.

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Hyundai Launches First 4-D Commercial for New Azera Sedan

Hyundai is banking on the latest film technologies to promote its new Azera sedan, at least on its home turf. The automaker released a new advertisement for the mid-size saloon, which is named Grandeur in its home market, in select 4-D and 3-D movie theaters in South Korea.

For the creation of the advertisement, Hyundai turned to the makers of the Avatar movie. Even though this is not evident in the 2-D version of the advert seen in the video below, the 4-D movie shown in theaters combined a 3-D film with special physical effects such as vibrating seats, wind and steam which occur in synchronization with the film.

We'll have to wait and see if Hyundai will make use of the 4-D commercial for the North American version of the car when it arrives in the market later this year.

Hat tip goes to Jinhwan!

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2011 Hyundai Azera Facelift with More Powerful V6 Engines

Hyundai rolled out a mildly restyled version of the Azera sedan at the Chicago Auto Show this week. We first got a taste of the changes made on the 2011 Azera back in December '09 when Hyundai launched the sedan's South Korean domestic market twin, the Grandeur, in its facelifted form.

The biggest changes to Hyundai's competitor to vehicles such as the Lexus ES350, Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima, Buick LaCrosse and Ford Taurus (or at least those are the cars that Hyundai claims that the Azera rivals) are well hidden under the hood.

Both the 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter V6 engines of the 2011 Azera have been enhanced with the use of Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (DCVVT) that improves engine breathing on the intake and exhaust camshafts for better fuel economy and lower emissions.

The previous versions of the V6 engines only had CVVT on the intake camshaft. Furthermore, both engines benefit from the adoption of a new six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control

The 3.3-liter V6 unit now produces an estimated 250 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 233 lbs.-ft. at 4,500 rpm of torque, up from 234 hp and 226 lb-ft in the 2010 model. With this engine, the 2011 Azera returns an estimated 20 mpg city / 29 mpg highway (2010MY: 18mpg and 26mpg respectively).

The larger 3.8-liter V6 churns out 272 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 262 lbs.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, while returning 18 mpg city / 28 mpg highway. The 2010 Azera's 263HP 3.8-liter V6 returned 17mpg city and 26mpg highway.

As with the KDM Grandeur, the cosmetic tweaks on the 2011 Azera are minimal. The most noticeable exterior updates concern the reshaped front bumper, new headlamps with LED surround accent lighting, new chrome grille and round foglights.

The redesigned LED taillights and restyled bumper with integrated chrome tailpipes and a matching decklid at the back along with the revised exterior mirrors and the new designs for the alloy wheels complete the list of exterior updates.

Inside, changes are limited to a new brushed metalgrain finish applied to the gear shift indicator area, cup holder cover, ashtray cover and center console cover.

The refreshed Azera will go on sale across the nation in Spring 2010.