The Hyundai group is moving forward at a frantic pace these days, with the Koreans now readying a replacement for the Azera sedan, also known as the Grandeur in markets outside North America.
Captured here by a member of Bobaedream forums, is a prototype of what we believe to be the redesigned Korean market Azera. While one could be tempted to think it’s the KDM Hyundai Genesis that was re-launched in Detroit as the Genesis G80, there are several c(l)ues that say otherwise.
Among these are the headlamps (notice the shape of the light fixtures) on the fascia, and the different tail lamps, exhaust tips and bumper detailing on the tail.
From what we can decipher, the new Azera will have a more dynamic appearance than the current car, especially up front, though, we must say, it doesn’t sound like a wise choice for Hyundai to continue sharing similar faces and grilles with their Genesis lineup.
Last year, Autonews reported that Hyundai will discontinue the Azera in the USA because of low sales and the fact that the gap between the Sonata and the then, Hyundai-branded, Genesis sedan was “awfully small”. While the sales factor remains, there’s clearly room for the Azera in their lineup now that the Koreans reassigned the Genesis sedan to their newly launched standalone luxury brand, as the G80, so we’ll have to wait and see if it will get another chance in life in the States.
In its current form, the 2016 Azera uses a 293hp 3.3-liter V6, but its replacement may employ one of Hyundai’s newer V6s with over 300hp paired to an 8-speed automatic.
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