I think it was the softness of the leather that gave the seats that extra measure of comfort, mind you, while also imbuing the Azera
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| I think it was the softness of the leather that gave the seats that extra measure of comfort. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) |
with a level of luxury most cars in this class don't come close to matching. If only I could get the Azera's interior wrapped in the Sonata's clean, graceful body shell, highlighted by the Azera's gorgeous 17-inch alloy wheels and P235/55R17 tires, all would be perfect. Am I missing out on something here?
It took sitting around the Christmas dinner table of a competitive automaker with a group of automotive scribes to help me understand the genius behind Hyundai's exterior design. The group of ripe old men was going on at length about how wonderful the new Azera was - I'm sure to the dissatisfaction of the president of this purposely unnamed Japanese automaker who was sitting beside me, when one of the
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| I'm sure, considering the accolades zinging around the dinner table, that the Azera's exterior styling should make the car a success. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) |
journalists complained about the car's metal console, saying that it didn't fit in with the rest of the cabin. Then it hit me, the exterior was designed for the disenfranchised Buick crowd while Hyundai had attempted to lure in younger buyers with a stylish interior enhanced by a little bit of metal trim. The latter worked for me, a fair bit younger than the median age at our table, while the Azera's exterior design worked wonders for them. I'm sure, considering the accolades zinging around the table, that the crowd could get over the very design element that most immediately enticed me, and being that most full-size luxury car buyers are at the very least 50+ years of age, the Azera's exterior styling should make the car a success. That message was drilled further into my cranium when the one import in the class that I just happen to like the styling of, Toyota's new Avalon, was lambasted from a design perspective. Go figure?
