2009 Hyundai Grandeur Review
October 30, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
With a $3000 price drop, revised specification and the option of a diesel engine Hyundai has just made its luxury orientated Grandeur and lot more appealing to drivers wanting a big car.
-by David Twomey
The 2009 model Grandeur, still based on the Sonata platform, has received minor revisions to the styling and trim both inside and out but the really significant changes are a below $40,000 base price for the V6 petrol engine car and the introduction of a new 2.2-litre CRDi turbo-diesel, first seen in the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.
Hyundai is certainly hoping the price drop will help it shift the Grandeur at a better rate than has been the case to date.
Having opened sales in 2006 with 541 leaving dealers, by last year this figure was back to 267 and up to September this year just 90 Grandeurs had been sold.
The problem is that any large car is a hard prospect to shift in the current economic climate, and that’s even harder when you are a company that has made a name by selling small cars cheaply.
The Grandeur has always been a good value proposition but not one that has been sufficiently appealing to make a mark on Australian buyers.
Hyundai hopes the reposition of its price and simplifying the model to just one specification with a choice of engines will make it more appealing to buyers.
In addition to the 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine, which has been the standard fare in the Grandeur to date, the 2009 model will be offered with a 2.2-litre CRDi turbo-diesel engine. The diesel engine develops 114kW of power at 4000rpm and 343Nm of torque between 1800rpm and 2500rpm.
Both engines use a five-speed automatic gearbox with Selectronic manual shifting and claimed fuel consumption for the diesel is a reasonable, for a large car, 7.9 litres per 100km, while the petrol car claims 10.8 litres per 100km. There is no change in the performance specifications of the 3.8-litre V6 with 194kW of power at 6000rpm and 348Nm of torque at 4500rpm.
The petrol engined car has been reduced in price from $42,990 to $39,990, while the diesel powered Grandeur is priced at $41,990. The only option is metallic/mica paint at $375. Changes to the exterior include a new radiator grille, chrome inserts in the front and rear bumpers, indicators in the door mirrors and new style 17-inch alloy wheels.
On the inside there is an upgraded eight-speaker, including subwoofer, ‘JBL’ audio system that incorporates USB audio input with iPod® compatibility, USB memory stick, blue interior illumination and a supply of latex-free vinyl gloves is included with the CRDi model variant.
2009 Grandeur also incorporates Hyundai’s Active Locking Operation (HALO), which prevents unwanted entry. HALO features a speed sensing central locking system, which automatically locks all doors when the vehicle reaches 45 km/h. The doors automatically unlock upon key removal from the ignition. Front seat occupants can override the system to easily exit the car.
Standard safety equipment includes ESP Stability Control incorporating Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-skid Brake System (ABS) + Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), active head restraints for driver and front passenger, child seat anchor points with ISO Fix points and 8 airbags including dual front airbags, dual side airbags and curtain airbags.
Other luxury features include power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, IMS (Integrated Memory System for power driver’s seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors), electro chromatic interior mirror, rain-sensing wipers, auto dusk-sensing headlights, powered folding outside mirrors with three-mode auto-dipping in reverse. 2009 Grandeur offers a range of colours that are matched to either a new black or beige leather interior.
We had a relatively brief drive of the Grandeur through Sydney traffic and in freeway conditions, which while not challenging did indicate that the diesel powered car has adequate get-up-and-go for most drivers.
It’s no rocket ship but then the buyer of this car is not looking for a sporty drive. Handling and ride were also up to par and the Grandeur felt sure-footed and steady on the road.
One thing we were interested to note was the change in steering feel, as the previous Grandeur was somewhat vague in steering feel. The revised Grandeur seems to have had some attention paid to this area and the feel is much better with some ‘weight’ in the steering, it’s not the sharpest tack on the block but it is definitely an improvement.
Driving in traffic and on the freeway the car has quite adequate engine response and the five-speed auto provides a good spread of gears and the engine has enough response to make overtaking a confident manoeuvre.
As we said the driving experience was not extensive so our full impressions will have to wait until we can subject the 2009 Hyundai Grandeur to the full rigours of a CarAdvice extended road test.
Pricing:
- Grandeur 3.8 V6 petrol 5 speed auto $39,990 (RRP)
- Grandeur 2.2 CRDi turbo Diesel 5 speed auto $41,990 (RRP)
- Metallic Paint $375 (RRP)
Looks like a nice car and all, but i mean, 40,000? I would struggle to differentiate it on the street from a sonata. Thats alot of money for something no one really knows what it is.
Hyundai make brilliant cars these days, its just the name just doesn’t sound as appealing as driving a SV6 or XR6 for that type of money.
Unforunately when you line this car up against any other $40K rivals… VE, FG, Aurion, Accord, Mondeo ect it just looks bland and a generation or two behind in styling. No wonder nobody wants to buy one.
“2009 Grandeur also incorporates Hyundai’s Active Locking Operation (HALO), which prevents unwanted entry. HALO features a speed sensing central locking system, which automatically locks all doors when the vehicle reaches 45 km/h”
Whooop deeee doooo. HALO, hahaha, great marketing Hyundai. This is nothing new, but activating at 45km/h is an absolute joke. If Hyundai had brains, they would’ve set this feature to activate at 5km/h, like VWs and other manufacturers do.
exactly DLR. I mean, come on Hyundai, how dated does this look? I thought it was a review of a 2nd hand vehicle. Dead boring…..next!
Look at the front of it, good grief! How old are those headlamp sets? Straight out of a 2000 camry, and the bad news is they were dead boring back then.
Looks like an old camry from the front!
So this is a specification upgrade and a price cut. Add in the drop in value of the Aussie dollar, and this is a large cut in profit margin for Hyundai.
Still, if this had a MASSIVE advertising budget and T badge on the front, it would be selling a FEW more (and be called an Aurion).
this car would fit perfect in the 90’s
Dlr1 – I agree, looks like the v6 accord of 2 generations ago. Looks like they must be skimping on the design department.
A HARD SELL.TAKE OUT THE AUTO SEATS AND WIPERS AND SUB,AND THERE IS THE 60TH ANNIVERSERY VE AT $32990.PLUS YOU GET A REAR DIFF,18″ALLOYS AND BLUETOOTH.
Gee you blokes are hard,
I have recomended Grandeurs to plenty of Friends……..
Mind you they were the early 2000>02 models second hand at under 10k with leather, sunroof all the electrics etc etc.. bloody good buying when they get old, it’s just that these ones will get older quicker
Very uninspiring looking. But lets be honest, whats the average age of the target market …..50+?
Fair point about the Aurion too. Bland city. Simply a front/rear end restyle of the Camry with the same dull dynamics and an overly powerful motor for the front driven wheels.
Funny cause I have a hired grandeur out the front at the moment, the 3.8 V6 and wish I’d had the sense to ask hertz for something else when I was in a hurry this morning! the glare off the silver around the gear stick, the tacky cheap feel of the steering wheel, the auto box that doesn’t know what it’s trying to do, the list is endless, as if anyone would want to buy this thing after driving it for a couple of hours, oh well only 8 days of it left for me :P
Why would the doors automatically lock at 45kmh? They unlock above 45? Is that so you can exit the car doing 45kmh?
My commodore has that ingenious feature, its called if you want the doors locked, push down the drivers button, the car magically stays locked. Also it doesn’t matter if its doing 1kmh or 100kmh, genius.
And the aurion is a brilliant car, stop ragging on it, not everyone wants a sports car, the larger v6 gets better highway economy then the camry and actually has some overtaking power.
For 40k you would get a honda euro luxury edition or a mazda 6, maxima or Aurion. The Hyundai should be prices at $33990 – $34990 to have any impact in the sales volume.
Jason Says:
October 30th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
NO Sorry Wrong………
look at the personalised plates on it average age 73 ;-)
This update will do absolutely zip for Grandeur. Even the name is a turn off.
Gents,
I think that I will get the flares out or acid jeans for the drive in this thing. It is certainly something you wouldn’t use for the first date?
Gee, they should have called it the “Retro”.
Cheers
If you want a big car like this, buy a Honda Accord or Volkswagen Passat or even wait for the Skoda Superb. They are much better vehicles and look as though they are designed for this century.
This is the biggest pile of turd car ever.
That door locking function is just plain annoying. My dad’s car has the feature, and every time you want to get out, you forget the doors are locked and it just gets frustrating.
Luckily we found out how to disable that good for nothing feature.
I agree with Tom. If you’re afraid of getting carjacked, then lock the doors yourself! not all of us live in Compton.
Victory, it depends on how the auto door locking is engineered. Obviously the Hyundai’s is crap. My wife’s Golf GTI has it (programmable btw) and will lock itself at anything above a couple of km/h. As soon as we pull the key from the ignition, the doors unlock. And if the vehicle’s running and you want to open a door, it’s just a second pull of the handle to open, and will lock itself again once you take off.
Your pathetic comment about living in Compton is a joke, as there’s plenty of morons everywhere out and about in society no doubt wanting to try and carjack or jump in ppl’s vehicles at stop signs or traffic lights. Did you stop and think for a moment about young girls out on their own at night in the car? The autolock feature is a convenience for them, and gives extra security.
Man that’s a dud of a car. The grandeur makes the old horse drawn wagon look very appealing. I’ll take the wagon.. way better to look at.
If Australians could get over the badge envy, this would be the number one selling family car.
Rising Asia, perhaps it would, if it was still 1996, and 10K cheaper.
You can get a Ford Mondeo XR5 for that money, no? And as I remember CA wrote, and they were right, the XR5 drives as well as a 3 Series. And of course, like other people have mentioned, would you really get this over the still quite large Sonata? I wouldn’t.
Because young girls don’t have the ability to lock the door on their own? I see your point.
Of course it’s a joke. After all, Compton is in California.
As for plenty of morons, that’s a bit optimistic. I have been driving for about 10 years now and have never seen a carjacker… where are they?
However, when I do drive through a bad area, I simply press the door lock button 20cm to the right of the steering wheel. What an effort that can be. Which brings me back to my original point, those auto locking features are a weak attempt at bragging about how secure a car is.
Victory, its about as much effort as any of the modern conveniences they are trying to put in cars.
I know we are trying to advance, but i can live without a dash that tells me if the traffic light ahead will turn red or green in time. Stuff like that strikes me as a real waste.
oh automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, how about just use half a second and flick the switch infront of you?
Proximity detectors do the job that a shoulder check has been very effective for many years.
I would honestly rather manufacturers spend that money on light weight materials or getting the car’s cost down.
Radar guided cruise control is something i will welcome when it becomes mainstream, not because i can’t be bothered accelerating and decelerating, but because it will make for a smooth economical ride.
The lazyness features, they can keep them.
Why on earth would anyone buy the diesel? The petrol V6 has the same power, is smoother, quieter and costs $3,000 less. It would probably take you over 10 years to break even on the cost of a diesel. Diesel is one of the biggest scams in motoring history.
I agree Tom,
Lot of the modern gimmicks are a bit too lame, i would even be embarrassed to have some of them in my car.
For example whats up with replacing the old school car keys with a little plastic blocks, and push start buttons?? The process of starting up a car then ends up taking a bit more effort, and is overcomplicated with technology?! Also whats up with power adjustable seats? Are people really that lazy that they need electrical motors to adjust their seats?
I have the same motor/gearbox combo in my Grand Carnival(lame name again)and it is a pearler and I cannot fault the gear changes and have never caught it out in the wrong gear.
If its a scam, Mark – then dont buy one – you have a choice! I drive a diesel passenger car and I will never go fo a petrol again – unless I wanted a sports car. I dont care about the break even point or whatever, the effortless torque and low revs are a winner for me. People want a choice. Hyundai are gaining fast but this car is an artefact from the late 90’s – get rid of it Hyundai its holding you back in the last century.
Summation of the styling is a bit harsh.LOL.
These things look better in the flesh and about on par with an Aurion in the looks department.
Someone mentioned the driveaway VE special and arguably one of the best looking sedans on the road at the moment but I cannot get my head around the low spec engine/trans combo on offer.
Liked the Mondeo look at first but the hatch is the only looker in my opinion.
Tomas79, i agree about the seats, those electric motors are just a waste of weight. I particularly hate the ones that actually move the seat backwards and forwards, they are so slow and irritating, i bet they cost a fortune if they break too.
I actually rather like the starter buttons, but i know why, they arn’t a lazy thing, they actually make the car more effort to start. They are only car in a car that makes a loud bark when you start it, no one’s going to be very excited pressing a starter button in a fiesta.
The big thing i can tell in a few years is keys that the car sense you are coming close, and locks/unlocks for you. I’m all for keyless entry, its something i like its a safety feature if you need to get in your car quickly, but i mean, we are too lazy to press a button now?
Ipod connectivity and bluetooth – what use will that be to the septuagenarians on their way to a game of lawn bowls. They’d think an ipod was somewhere to store your reading glasses.
Yeah Robin you go and enjoy your torquey disel, meanwhile I’ll enjoy my nice clean smelling hands when I fill up my car, my extra 2 grand (or more) saved, and the ability to wind down my window on a nice quiet peaceful Sunday drive without hearing a constant rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
They should call it a Sonata something and price it at $29,999.
Even then I think it is a dud.
Mark Greenburg, why bother commenting on a story that has quite alot to do with diesel if your just going to be negative about something that the majority have no problem with? No point. The fact is that Diesel engines are getting very good to the point where there can be no rattles and they are incredibly smooth if you buy a good one. Thats why they are starting to put them in sports cars. And no, a good one doesn’t have to start at $100,000.
I post because I aim to inform the uninformed. Obviously I’m not going to change the opinion of those who already have diesels, or are diesel loyalists. I want to sway those people who might go either way towards petrol.
They may have a new multi-million $ (apparently) green HQ but they obviously still make boring cars.
The new HQ and current product line up is like having a $30m harbourside mansion and filling it with ikea stuff!
this auto locking feature reminds me of a really funny story my mate told me,who works in a g.m. dealership.
one day he was moving a ve which had a dead flat battery,and the auto locking feature was on when the car was out of park.after jump starting it he moved it,didn’t put it back in park,and turned it off…guess what,he has locked IN.remotes don’t work,inside locks don’t work,power windows don’t work,centre console unlock switch don’t work.his only escape..out the boot via the emergency latch near the back of the centre rear seat.
goes of show that techonology ain’t always perfect…
My god !!!! how old does this car look ?? about as old and ugly as the Toyota Avalon that Toyota tried to sell as a “NEW” car……..
It looks like an oversized 2002 Elantra sedan.
Man this looks awesome.
I’ve have this over the R35 GTR no question, even if they cost the same.
Where can I get a poster of this car and stick it in my room?
Gents,
I think that this thing was designed by the North Koreans.
Hiundae, don’t get too excited about this. At least, you have something to discuss at tonight’s bridge evening. Did you remember to make cucumber sandwiches and add lemon to the water? Hope your Excel is performing well!
Cheers.
PS Anti-spam word: HSV!
Hyundai Japan sold 60 cars in July last year. (Worst record of last year. but they sold only 985 cars from Jan. to July last year anyway. Ha ha ha)
By the way, in 2006 they sold 1651 cars in Japan. (not a month, whole year.)
On the other hand, Korean buy more than 1000 Honda every month in Korea.
June 2008, Korean Government officially criticized and pressured for Japanese Gov. to sale more Korean car in Japan.
Japanese Gov. answer was \”tough luck\”.
Hyundai make good car these days, but not good enough.
They should stick with small car and light SUV.
As someone said, this car should be good option for second hand.
But who will pay nearly 40K for this.
Don’t underestimate Australian market, Hyundai !!!
The grandeur is actually quite a nice car, even though it looks a bit dated. The build quality i think is a step up from the maxima, aurion, falcon and commodore. For the price, you have just as many features if not more than its competitors. But its just a pity that the looks are quite old and dated. The interior quality may be good, but the design falls short of interesting. The grandeur is a very underated car though. But like many have said, for the money, there are a lot more attractive options out there. I say ditch the grandeur and bring on the Genesis.
We bought a 2000 Grandeur brand new and we loved it so much we brought it back to NZ with us. Yes we still drive it and it has proved itself very reliable and still drives very smoothly. We did a lot of long distance Aussie trips in it and we always commented after driving 7-8 hours that we could easily do another 6 hrs. I’m disappointed with the exterior styling of this latest model. IMO the earlier grandeur models were great looking cars with a Jaguar-esque look to them. This model looks pretty nondescript. I guess we’d still consider a grandeur again as we’ve really enjoyed the model we have as long as the interior and engine was also the same quality of what we got the first time round.
Australian market is one of the most conservative to have any new openings in a large car segment. To give us an idea, Grandeur has been doing quite well in US. The buyers of Grandeur seem to know what they want; stylish design in both exterior and interior, quiet engine and smooth ride. This car is surprisingly quick (7.2 sec to 100km/h) and the general opinion in the us among critics is that this is better car than Toyota Aurion but not Lexus ES(unsurprisingly). To be successful in Australia though, I think Hyundai needs to improve its performance image overall. Perhaps a perfomance version in sonata and grandeur would siginificantly improve the image. They’re quite capable of this as seen in Genesis in US. Now that car’s going to put a lot of overpriced cars to shame.
Just to reply to Tack’s comment on Hyundai’s failure in Japanese market…
Generally speaking, Japanese cars are better than Korean cars. However in markets around the world, because Korean cars are cheaper than Japanese cars, this makes them competitive. However in Japanese domestic market, due to no tax on Japanese cars, Japanese cars are the cheapest to buy for ordinary Japanese. Due to taxes on imported cars, Korean cars like Hyundai are priced around the same as Honda and Toyota. That’s the reason for Hyundai’s failure there. On the other hand, when the Korean companies first put their hands on automotive industry, they borrowed and bought outdated Japanese engines before they could develop their own. Because of this, Koreans have a lot of respect for japanese cars. You wouldn’t believe how expensive Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are there!!! Around the same price as the BMW 3 series. But they sell well.
So, context of market plays more important role than the car itself.
> Due to taxes on imported cars, Korean cars like Hyundai
> are priced around the same as Honda and Toyota.
Care to elaborate on this? I thought Japan didn’t have any tariffs (taxes) on imported vehicles.
Hello. As far as I know, Japan does have tariffs on foreign vehicles unless a free trade agreement has been made between the two countries which I am not aware of. In this case however, I’m quite sure Japan does tax Korean cars because in return Korea taxes Japanese cars quite heavily.
According to the sixth paragraph of the report below, Japan has no tariffs on cars.
http://edition.cnn.com/2002/BU.....index.html