Refreshed 2015 Hyundai Azera Adds More Technology

2014 Hyundai Azera Limited Premium Package Diamond White Pearl Front Quarter Right ・ Photo by Christian Wardlaw

With yet another wave of upgrades, the 2015 Hyundai Azera will enter the new model year as an increasingly credible alternative to more well-established players in the near-premium sedan segments.

After all, the 2015 Hyundai Azera now offers a full range of electronic driver-assistance measures, with Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist as standard equipment, and lane departure warning, forward collision warning and automatic high beams are all on the options list. Engineers also have updated the infotainment system for the 2015 Hyundai Azera, which will offer new compatibility with Siri Eyes Free (for select iPhones), Pandora and HD Radio capability, Hyundai's next-gen Blue Link telematics, and enhanced navigation functionality. For the latter, owners of the 2015 Hyundai Azera will welcome Google-powered point-of-interest searches, a more robust suite of features for SiriusXM Travel Link, and a split-screen setup able to display both nav and music info at the same time.

All that is nestled into a redesigned center stack and then complemented by illuminated door-sill plates, now standard, as well as some new styling cues at the front and rear. The highlight here is a revised and chrome-winged grille that can be set off by LED fog lights for the new selling season.

Also redesigned are the standard 18-inch alloy wheels for the 2015 Hyundai Azera, and the changes are capped off by a "Smart Trunk" keyless opening system.

Unchanged for 2015 yet still providing key benefits for owners are a spacious standard-leather cabin, an Infinity Logic-7 Surround Sound audio system with 550 watts of power and 14 speakers, and an enthusiastic V6 engine that delivers more power per liter of displacement than any other unit in its class. The tale of the tape: 293 hp (and 255 lb.-ft. of torque) from 3.3 liters worth of engine. The power is served up through a six-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic technology for manual gear changes, and the result is a responsible measure of fuel economy backed by an EPA line of 19 mpg city/29 mpg highway/23 mpg combined.

Pricing for the 2015 Hyundai Azera starts from $34,000, representing a $3,000 jump from the previous model year.