Hyundai Azera 2012: Redesigned sedan set for LA debut

The redesigned 2012 Hyundai Azera, the poorest-selling of the hot-selling manufacturer’s models which will be available early next year, will be unveiled in November at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

“We’re in the final stages of ride/handling tuning for the 2012 Azera, and it’s dialing in nicely,” said John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, on the company’s Twitter account.

Hyundai Azera Specs Not Available

Hyundai has not released details of the new design, but a company spokesperson to the automotive site Inside Line that the Azera will get get the “fluidic design language of the Hyundai Sonata, Elantra and Accent.”

Some automotive websites have reported the Azera may get a new 3.3-liter direct-injection V6 producing around 300 horsepower.

The base 2011 Hyundai Azera is equipped with a 260-hp 3.3-liter V6 linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. The Hyundai Azera Limited has 3.8-liter V6.

A fuel-economy improvement is also likely in the 2012 Hyundai Azera, since Hyundai has become a crusader for better gas mileage. The EPA says the base 2011 Azera with the 3.3-liter V6 returns 20 mpg in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway. The 2011 Azera with the 3.8-liter V6 returns 19 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway.

The 2011 Hyundai Azera starts at $26,270, including a $775 destination charge.

Hyundai Azera sales in the first half of this year were down 31 percent from the same period in 2010 to 1,095, according to the manufacturer’s newsletter.

Read the review of the 2006 Hyundai Azera

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