2015 Hyundai Sonata Jeopardizes Azera's Future in US

The Hyundai Azera may get the axe in the U.S. because of its own stablemate.

According to a recent report from Autoblog, the Hyundai Azera’s fate in the U.S. is uncertain due to poor sales and the newly updated 2015 Sonata. The Sonata got a makeover for 2015 but kept its starting price tag of $21,960, making it significantly less than the 2014 Azera which is priced from $31,895 after getting a price cut this year. Even with the price cut, the Azera’s sales have been lacking with just 4,191 units moved through June.

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The biggest problem for the Azera is the Sonata’s upscale design, refined interior and available options. Designed to bridge the gap between the Sonata and the Hyundai Genesis sedan, the Azera is considered a “customer-loyalty” product for the brand, according to Hyundai’s manager of product planning, John Shon. “When we look at who is buying the product, over half the buyers are previous Sonata owners, so it’s the move-up vehicle.”

Still, the differences between the Azera and the 2015 Sonata might not be worth the nearly $10,000 price difference in the eyes of the consumer. Interior space and cargo space difference are negligible between the two and the Sonata wins the fuel economy battle hands down.

The 2015 Azera will arrive this fall, but the big question is whether or not the third-generation Azera will make its way to the U.S. Shon noted that the Azera is still a hot seller in Korea, with over 100,000 units moved annually. “So the vehicle will be built, engineered,” he noted in regards to a third-generation Azera model. “Whether we import it into the US is still to be determined.”