Replacing the XG350 — a puppet-dictator's parade car if ever we've seen one — Hyundai officially introduced its Azera (the Era from A to Z — we kid you not). It's the latest issue of the company's We're Going Upmarket scheme, with a more powerful V6 and a sweep-the-leg attitude toward pricing that could put competitors like the Toyota Avalon in jeopardy. It rides on a stretched version of the Sonata platform, whose double-wishbone / multilink suspension setup recently garnered two stars in the ride category by the Farago Report. It goes on sale next month. [Update: I blew the first headline. The Azera is most definitely a front-driver.]

Hyundai's new Azera apes Avalon looks, not price, as automaker turns to big sedan market [AutoWeek]

Related:
New York Auto Show: Hyundai Azera; Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Hyundai Sonata, Part 1 [internal]

Contact information for this author is not available.