The Hyundai Group is now pointing its arrows to the world’s biggest auto market with the unveiling of two new models for China at this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, the Elantra Yuedong compact sedan and the mid-size Azera, which is badged as Grandeur in some markets.

If the Elantra Yuedong looks familiar, that’s because it is a facelifted version of the fourth generation model sold in the States until 2010. The most prominent change on the outside concerns the revised front that draws on the Azera’s styling.

According to Hyundai, the interior has also been upgraded with higher quality materials and new convenience and safety features such as a smart key / button start, front side airbag, Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS), Navigation, USB2.0 port and eco-driving guide system.

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After registering record sales in 2010, Hyundai seems committed to an all-out offensive with the company reportedly planning to launch a coupe version of the 2011 Elantra and the new Azera sedan in the U.S. within the next year or so. According to an Autoweek report, the news was broken at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in San Francisco, where the Korean automaker also showed its dealers a photo of the upcoming coupe.

“They showed us a photo of it and it's gorgeous,” said Doug Fox, a Hyundai dealer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “We weren't expecting that.”

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Hyundai has been advertising the all-new generation of its Grandeur for quite some time now, but today, the automaker officially launched the large sedan in its home market. The new Grandeur, which will be badged as the 2012 Azera in the States, arrives in the Korean market six years after its predecessor’s launch in May 2005.

Codenamed HG, the 2012 Grandeur is result of three-and-a-half years and 450 billion won (about US$415 million) of research, development and testing. Positioned between the Sonata and the Genesis sedan, the new Grandeur measures 4,910mm (193.3") long, 1,860mm (73.2") wide and 1,470mm (57.9") tall. It rides on a 2,845mm-long (112") wheelbase, which is 65mm (2.6") longer than the outgoing model.

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Hyundai is banking on the latest film technologies to promote its new Azera sedan, at least on its home turf. The automaker released a new advertisement for the mid-size saloon, which is named Grandeur in its home market, in select 4-D and 3-D movie theaters in South Korea. Read more »

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We recently got our first official sneak peak at the upcoming 2012 Hyundai Azera, but the South Korean automaker keeps dropping new information and pictures on its mid-size sedan that will take its place between the Sonata and the Genesis. This time we have details on the engine options for the KDM version, which will continue to use the Grandeur nameplate.

In South Korea, the Azera will be offered with a choice of two naturally aspirated engines, both featuring direct-injection technology. The base model will be powered by the same 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder gasoline unit found on the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, while the flagship version will be motivated by a 3.0-liter GDi V6 delivering 270HP and 31.6 kg/m of peak torque.

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Having wow'd us with teaser renderings at first followed shortly after by official real-life photographs, Hyundai continues to build hype around its all-new-2012 Azera before the full reveal by giving the car a promotional role in a South Korean TV drama called "The Fugitive Plan B".

While official information around the new Azera, which will be sold as the Grandeur in its home market, remains scarce, one of our South Korean readers, Jinhwan H. claims that word around local news sites is that the car will be offered locally with a choice of three engines. These include the Sonata's 2.4-liter GDI with 200hp and 184.4lb-ft torque, a 3.0-liter V6 GDI delivering 263hp and 225.7lb-ft torque plus a 3.0-liter LPI running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas with 230hp, 204.7lb-ft torque.

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Shortly after releasing some teaser renderings of the all-new Azera or Grandeur in South Korea and other markets, Hyundai today dropped the first real life photos of its full size sedan that slots between the Sonata and the Genesis. The pictures were escorted by a South Korean-language press release, but aside from a recap of the car's design features, Hyundai did not reveal any other details on the Azera.

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You probably have noticed that Hyundai is on a roll lately. Whereas the newly-wed Fiat and Chrysler couple are trying to tidy up the mess left by Daimler -for the most part- with makeovers and tweaks, the South Korean automaker, which also owns Kia, is churning out one new model after the other.

More recently and following a barrage of presentations such as the new Equus, Genesis Sedan and Coupe, Sonata, Tucson, Accent (South Korea and Russia for now) and Elantra, Hyundai gave out the first renderings of its next brand new offering, the 2012 Azera. The family sedan, which will be sold as the Grandeur in certain markets, will slot between the Sonata and the Genesis in Hyundai's NA lineup.

While the official release didn't reveal much, Hyundai's North American boss and always eager to share info on the firm's future plans with the press, John Krafcik, spoke with Autonews on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Auto Show.

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Hyundai is getting ready to lift the wraps of its fully redesigned Azera large sedan that will slot between the front-wheel drive Sonata and the rear-wheel drive Genesis when it arrives in dealerships. The automaker released the first teaser sketches of the 2012 Azera, which will be badged as the Grandeur in South Korea and other markets. The styling reflects Hyundai's 'fluidic sculpture' design language taking cues from both the smaller Sonata and larger Genesis with a hint of Equus at the rear with the pronounced rear wheel arches.

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