Along with the new 2011 Sonata, Hyundai has also refreshed its Azera (also known as Grandeur) luxurious saloon for the new year with revised styling, upgraded engines and improved equipments. AS for the looks, while the whole shape remains the same, thanks to a few changes it now seems much sleeker and elegant than the old model.

2011 Azera gets new headlights, tail lights and fog lights, modified front and rear fascias with new bumpers, new grille and trunk lid as well as newly designed alloy wheels. The interior is also upgraded with finer quality materials and new features which varies based on the trim level, but is very rich even in the most basic model.

New Hyundai Azera can be had with either a 3.3 liter or a 3.8 liter Lambda V6 engine. The first develops 260 hp and the latter 283, both optimized for fuel efficiency. Hyundai reckons 20 mpg city / 28 mpg highway with 3.3-liter engine and 19 mpg city / 27 mpg highway with 3.8-liter. The car also gets an all-new six-speed automatic transmission.

Azera comes in two trim levels and a premium package. Here’s the full list of equipments for both models:

AZERA GLS

Key standard equipment:

* 3.3L MPI-DOHC V6 with 260HP (estimated), variable intake system
* Six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC®
* 16-inch alloy wheels
* Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
* Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
* Traction Control System (TCS)
* Tire pressure monitoring system
* Active front head restraints
* Advanced front airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags and side-curtain airbags
* Power driver seat with power lumbar support
* Bodycolor heated dual power mirrors
* Automatic headlights
* Front fog lights
* Dual exhaust
* Remote keyless entry system with alarm
* Engine immobilizer
* Power windows, locks, heated mirrors
* Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
* Steering wheel audio controls
* AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio with iPod®/USB auxiliary input jacks
* Solar control glass
* Cruise control
* EZ lane change assist
* Eco Indicator

AZERA GLS with PREMIUM PACKAGE

* Leather seating surfaces
* Heated front seats
* Power tilt-and-slide glass sunroof
* Leather-wrapped steering wheel & shift knob

AZERA LIMITED
GLS equipment plus:

* 3.8L MPI-DOHC V6 with 283HP (estimated), variable intake system
* 17-inch hyper silver alloy wheels
* Power tilt-and-slide glass sunroof
* Power folding side mirrors with turn signal indicators
* Bumper, bodyside and door handles with chrome inserts
* Leather seating surfaces
* Heated front seats
* Dual automatic temperature control
* In-dash 6-disc CD Changer with 10 Infinity® speakers, iPod®/USB auxiliary input jacks, subwoofer and amplifier
* Integrated Memory System (IMS)
* Power rear sunshade
* Woodgrain-trimmed leather steering wheel and door pulls.
* Power adjustable tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
* Brushed stainless steel door scuff plates
* EC auto-dimming mirror with compass and Homelink®

AZERA LIMTED with ULTIMATE NAVIGATION PACKAGE

* LG DVD Navigation system with touch-screen display (replaces in-dash six-disc CD changer and iPod/USB auxiliary input jacks) 12-speaker Infinity® Logic 7® surround sound audio system