Auto News 5

The Azera went away for a while, and it's hard to image that many people missed it. With the Sonata very ably serving in the midsize sedan segment and the Genesis sedan providing a premium, rear-wheel-drive move-up option, it looked as though the Azera had been squeezed out of its place in the Hyundai lineup. Hyundai product planners, however, saw a sliver of space between the Sonata and the Genesis -- or maybe they were just hewing to the company's secret decree to have a direct competitor for every Toyota model (the Avalon, in this case). Regardless of why, a new Azera bowed last year, and it turns out that the Azera makes a case for itself by delivering traditional Hyundai virtues.