Hyundai Azera, Santa Fe LWB spied testing in Australia

The undisguised Azera and camouflaged Santa Fe LWB were snapped by a CarAdvice reader on Epping Rd in Sydney, not far from Hyundai Australia’s Macquarie Park headquarters.

It’s likely the two vehicles – neither of which are currently sold in Australia – were undergoing hot-weather testing as part of the South Korean manufacturer’s continued development of the models, both of which were recently released overseas.

Hyundai Australia insists neither vehicle is on its radar for a local introduction despite both cars appearing on Sydney’s streets.

The Hyundai Azera – as it is widely known, although also called the Grandeur in some markets – is a large car similar in size to the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. It fits between the i40/i45 and the Genesis in Hyundai’s global product portfolio.

Hyundai Australia sold small numbers of the previous two generations of the Grandeur between 1999 and 2011, but chose not to introduce the latest model when it launched overseas two years ago, electing to instead focus on its (now-discontinued) i45 medium sedan.

The Hyundai Santa Fe LWB was unveiled at last year’s New York motor show and has recently gone on sale in North America. The full-size SUV is currently manufactured only in left-hand drive and was designed primarily for the US market, where it is sold as a seven-seater and marketed as the Santa Fe, while the smaller vehicle that we call Santa Fe in Australia is offered with only five seats and is called the Santa Fe Sport.

The Santa Fe LWB replaced the Hyundai Veracruz, another large SUV that was offered only in left-hand-drive markets.

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