2007 Hyundai Azera review, wallpapers, picture gallery and prices!

The 2007 Hyundai Azera is an all-new, full-size sedan and it is a remarkable car. The powertrain is state of the art. The 3.8-liter V6 engine features variable valve timing for low emissions and a broad power curve, while the five-speed automatic gives the driver the option of shifting semi-manually, all very competitive with Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. While there's nothing especially striking in design or styling, take off the Hyundai badge, and it'll pass as family to any one of those Pacific Rim nameplates.

Azera marks a new venture for the South Korea-based carmaker. It's a move upmarket, to compete with the likes of the Toyota Avalon, the Nissan Maxima, the Buick LaCrosse, and the Mercury Milan. Rumors abound that it's the proverbial toe in the water as Hyundai contemplates joining Honda, Nissan and Toyota in creating a stand-alone luxury brand, along the lines of Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. If the Azera is what Hyundai can do with an entry-level luxury car, imagine what it could do with a car costing half again as much.

Hyundai Azera's interior delivers comfortable, near-elegant transport. Materials are top notch, and more than just the upholstery, dash covering and carpet, reaching as well to fabric headliner (instead of what's dismissively known in the industry as mouse fur) and fully flocked glovebox and other storage cubbies. Tolerances, those worrisome gaps between the bits and pieces of plastic and other materials comprising the interior, are impressively tight, earning high marks for fit and finish. All hinged fixtures, from glove box door to roof-mounted grab handles, are damped for smooth, quiet operation.