oldcajun

Kia has a "concept" car called KND-5 which is about the size of the Azera and is likely on the next version of the Azera platform. It would not surprise me to see the Azera disappear from the Hyundai nameplate and become the top of the Kia line. Kia's head designer used to be at Audi and there new cars are a completely different style than the similar models at Hyundai. I think the new Optima looks great, even better than the Sonata. If they can share platforms but have totally different styles, they can greatly improve market coverage. It would make sense to me for Hyundai to move upscale and leave Kia with the bottom end of the market. If their products are good enough, they can eventually change the perception of Hyundai being a cheap car. Look what Samsung has accomplished.
Steve

EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

The more brands, the higher the market share will be, a la GM, hyundai and kia are both hyundai products

Fizzboy7

No one is buying the Azera, so the dealer is not going to spend money on stocking them.

Fizzboy7

This car stumbled out of the gates and turned out to be a dud. Facelifts are not going to help. Time for a new one.

mmarshall

That's only a part of it..............but the main reason is because the 2010 model-year is over, and the 2011 Azeras simply haven't been shipped to dealerships yet. They are on their way, though.

It's the same way with the Ford Explorer. Ford is dragging their feet getting the all-new 2011 to market. It's on my review list, but I still havent had a chance to see it or drive it.

LexBob2

The Azera is selling just a little over 250 cars per month (2,140 YTD thru Aug) so it stands to reason that dealers won't keep many on the lot.

My guess is that they won't want to keep many 2011's either unless/until the car starts selling better. With the minor changes for 2011 I doubt it will turn things around.

IS-SV

Wow, that's simply pathetic by any major automakers business standards, but slightly ahead of the Acura RL at least.

mmarshall

The 2011 Azera might get some customers who are unhappy with the new Sonata. Time will tell.

IS-SV

Time will tell, and the story will be not enough customers to matter, more like a few dozen customers or so. The interest in this car is dieing faster than the actual sales (nearly dead already).

The facts are Sonata sales are up in a huge way over prior gen Sonata, a successful redo by any automaker's standards. Obviously they knew what they were doing when the launched the new Sonata.

Vin1971

http://auto.ocregister.com/2010/09/2...teering/42826/

http://auto.ocregister.com/2010/09/0...re-risk/41445/



IMO, Hyundai see the demands for more Sonata and forgot about the safety. They got greedy.

TRDFantasy

GM exists in its home market in the US. This is not Korea, and Hyundai will never have huge market share here. Home market is always a big advantage for market share.

It has also been well-documented how various GM brands have cannibalized sales from each other over the years, instead of from the competition.

These are consequences that are starting to appear due to Hyundai's overly aggressive corporate philosophy. You cannot continue to expand at the rate Hyundai wants to without quality declining.

Toyota has already learned about the consequences of aggressive expansion, and one can only hope that Hyundai might learn from this as well.

Lexuslvr91

The Azera has become something of an odd fit within the Hyundai lineup. It slots above the Sonata but below the Genesis sedan and utilizes front-wheel-drive architecture. Think of it as a sort of Toyota Avalon competitor, a larger, comfortable cruiser for more traditional buyers. Nevertheless, Hyundai is committed to offering the Azera here in the United States, and the automaker has just confirmed via Twitter that next-generation 2012 model will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this year.

It's probably safe to assume that the 2012 Azera will take a shape very similar to the Grandeur sedan seen here. The Grandeur has design elements of both the Sonata and Genesis, keeping in line with the automaker's "fluidic styling" language. As for powertrains, Hyundai hasn't said a peep, but our best guess is that the automaker's 333-hp 3.8-liter V6 will be found underhood, or perhaps a variant of its 274-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four. We'll have the full details later this year.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/26/2...-la-auto-show/

venom21

Love the design of this.

mmarshall

Well, the Avalon was (and is) the Azera's closest competitor (with the Buick Lucerne probably in the same lap). I remarked, in my original Azera and Avalon reviews several years ago (not the recent 2011 Avalon review a few months ago), how similiar the two cars were in size, layout, styling, powertrain, driving manners, and equipment, though the Avalon did (and continues to have) a slightly quieter ride, with less road-noise.

I8ABMR

I am surprised they are still making this car. There is no real room for it in the line up for Hyundai anymore . I have always liked the Azera but I honestly thought it was dead