That's before I stepped inside, mind you. Everything that leaves me flat about the Sonata's well-built, high-quality albeit
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| Everything that leaves me flat about the Sonata's well-built, high-quality albeit somewhat conservative dash and console design had me jumping in the Azera's leather clad chair. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
somewhat conservative dash and console design had me jumping in the Azera's leather clad chair. The first thing I noticed was the shiny metal gear shift surround covering the centre console. Beautifully complemented with thin strips of a wood-like substance that flowed up under the dash and seemed to conceptually join the thin, horizontal strip of said wood-like substance that wraps around the dash, but really doesn't.
The centre stack is attractive and well laid out too, not totally unlike the
Sonata's, at least in placement, but then again totally unique in its layout and much more upscale in appearance. The buttons are all well damped, giving
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| The Azera enjoys more interior room than either the BMW 750i or Mercedes-Benz S-Class. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
it a quality feel, while side-to-side play is reduced to zero tolerance (i.e. no slack at all). I wish I could be so bullish on some premium interiors, but Hyundai has really done an exceptional job with the Azera. The areas most cars cover in hard, cheaper plastics are mostly soft to the touch in Hyundai's large sedan, and all of the stalks around the steering wheel are nicely weighted.
Getting back to those seats, the ones in front are among the most comfortable I can remember sitting in, and in the rear there's an incredible amount of legroom to complement cushions that are especially supportive. Actually, the Azera enjoys more interior room than either the
BMW 750i or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, thanks to a 1.1-inch increase in wheelbase over the outgoing XG, plus greater overall length and width.
