A completely new model of the test Hyundai Grandeur can not be called: the Koreans themselves consider this car a restyling of the sixth generation of the sedan. But still, there are at least enough changes compared to its predecessor to call it, if not “completely”, then just “new”. After all, it’s not just about the modified appearance. This Grandeur has increased in size, received new engines (fundamentally different units) and, of course, there is now a completely different interior. And this model becomes even more interesting because it is not officially sold in Ukraine. But, looking ahead, I will say that this is not a problem, because you can still buy such a car from us.
Hyundai Grandeur front view
The Hyundai Grandeur sedan has grown in length by as much as 60 mm (now 4990 mm). Despite the formal affiliation to the E-class, in its meaning it has always been closer to the Toyota Camry. But thanks to the increased 40 mm wheelbase (2885 mm), this Hyundai can be considered a direct competitor to the Lexus ES. By comparison, the Grandeur is larger than the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Appearance
The car looks very juicy, it is interesting to consider. The optics here, of course, are diode, and a matrix head light is also offered for an additional fee. The test car is equipped with a more “simple” option. An unusual design solution is to hide the daytime running lights in the radiator grille. It looks very original: the LEDs even look like some constellations. Turn indicators are also successfully integrated into the grid. The design of the car turned out to be so unusual that you want to linger on it for a long time. And if it weren’t for the brand’s huge logo, it would be difficult to identify this Hyundai sedan.
Hyundai Grandeur optics
In General, the appearance of the car looks non-trivial. The flip side of the coin is that such a bright design is not to everyone’s taste. For example, I find it interesting, but I’m not very excited about it.
But the formal “absence”of the front bumper is slightly puzzling: the radiator grille, along with the built-in DRL and turn indicators, are one. That is, even with small collisions, the entire element will have to be changed in the Assembly. In addition, the edge of the hood is located on the edge of the almost vertical grid, which means that the hood in the event of an accident will necessarily be deformed. It is good, of course, that it is steel, and therefore it can be straightened, but because of the minimum gaps, not every master can perform high-quality repairs.
Hyundai Grandeur tail lights
Intermediate result about the design of the front of the tanks: it certainly looks impressive, but there are questions about practicality. On the other hand, the whole thing may be in our habit of seeing the bumpers taken out in a separate detail. The same story was with the first-generation Peugeot 508. The rear bumper is made flush with the trunk, and many people were surprised by this design idea.
Hyundai Grandeur side view
The rear part of the Hyundai Grandeur is more traditional, but no less expressive. The dynamic, thin and light led strip adds intelligence and charm to the Grandeur look. If I think the” stern ” of the Sonata model is too pretentious, here, as for me, everything turned out quite refined and restrained. But it is not clear why (as in Toyota cars) they decided to install ordinary light bulbs in the rear turn signals.
Hyundai Grandeur rear view
Yes, this” new ” Grandeur impresses both with its dimensions and exterior elements. But still, if you look closely, you begin to notice that some of the details do not differ from those that were installed on the predecessor. In the front doors and rear pillars, direct continuity is read, and the wings, although transformed, are generally very similar. But unlike the restyling of the Elantra model, after which the consumer-balanced car became more like a painted eighth-grader, the Grandeur looks much more organic. I am sure that this car can definitely claim the title of memorable. The only thing missing is more suitable disks. The test car is equipped with 17-inch wheels, but the 19-inch ones will look much more organic in this class of car.
Front row
Grandeur salon welcomes its owner with a pleasant unobtrusive sound of cicadas and birdsong. You can choose from several preset background accompaniments, including the noise of the sea, forest, rainy day and other options. At first it seems that this is not a serious option at all, but in fact this “music of nature” is implemented qualitatively, so it’s nice to listen to it again and again. For example, I did not even want to turn on any music instead of this whistling during the whole day of the test.
Hyundai Grandeur salon
It would be great if the salon, in addition to having interesting multimedia features, was also distinguished by the quality of materials. Here you just need to clarify that I consider this car as a competitor to the Lexus ES model. On the one hand, it uses finishing materials that are superior in quality to the Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Camry. But on the other hand, the “premium”, even by the standards of Japanese cars, is not worth talking about here.
Of course, if all the panels were covered with leather, the impression could have been different, but for now this is an ordinary sedan with a minimalistic interior design. It is noteworthy that all this simplicity in design is combined with solutions that are found in more refined cars in terms of design (like the DS, for example). Behind the usual, unremarkable steering wheel, which could well be installed in the Sportage crossover, hide incredibly beautiful steering wheel switches. On the other hand, the door maps here are boring and completely empty. This “combination” seems strange. But in fairness, it should be noted that there are versions in which the finish can be varied with other materials and colors. But the test car does not differ in design delights inside.
Hyundai Grandeur front seats
Still in this Hyundai there were family flaws in ergonomics. For example, if I move the chair to sit comfortably (my height is 2 m), I can’t reach the multimedia system control buttons. And if you move the chair forward so that you can press buttons without too much effort, there is not enough legroom. So Koreans still need to learn from their German colleagues in terms of an ergonomic fit.
The Japanese from Lexus decided not to play these games at all, so they moved the multimedia system control to the touchpad. However, this decision did not add to the convenience of using it. In any case, each car in this regard, you need to try on yourself, because in Lexus also not everything is perfect.
Hyundai Grandeur wheel
The design of the Grandeur’s front panel reminds me of the solutions in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It seems that Hyundai engineers were inspired by this German model, deciding to take the best from it. What are two large displays worth?
In terms of multimedia, Hyundai is not sprayed on some flashy color chips, counting on the wow effect. They are all strict and concise. In a test Hyundai, this solution looks more appropriate than ever. Digital devices and multimedia system looks great, and even work without comments.
Hyundai Grandeur multimedia
In terms of functionality, it has everything you need: Apple CarPlay, support for various audio formats, and wireless charging. All this works almost perfectly – by this criterion, you can compare the Grandeur with representatives of VAG.
Hyundai engineers did not install a lot of sensors in this car, as the Germans like to do recently. So it is convenient to use the multimedia system here, and it all looks decent. In terms of algorithms and ease of management, this” multimedia ” is probably one of the most convenient that I have seen in 2020. Most of the functions here are assigned to hard buttons, and all secondary ones are assigned to virtual ones.
Hyundai Grandeur climate control unit
The climate control unit deserves even more praise. Yes, it is touch-sensitive, but everything works so clearly and organically, as if you are using real keys. True, animations could be added, but these are small things. It’s more than enough for two 12.3-inch displays each.
Rear row and trunk
The rear row formally offers no less comfort than the front seats. Now it is even more convenient than it was before. This is partly due to the increased wheelbase. The profile and tilt of the back is comfortable, but you can’t change its angle, unlike Lexus. On the back sofa, a person with a height of up to 190 cm (and even a little higher) will sit at ease): the Grandeur has more legroom than the Lexus ES and Audi A6. At the disposal of the rear passengers are 12-volt and USB sockets, which are located in the armrest, heated seats and air deflectors. There is a hatch for transportation of long-distance meters. The conclusion from the back row is that there is enough space to use the Grandeur with a driver.
Hyundai Grandeur rear row seats
The trunk does not differ in record circulation. Traditionally for the class, there is a little more than 500 liters, which will definitely not be enough. But I would like the engineers to pay more attention to the finishing details. Some things are not associated with “premium”in any way. For example, the raised floor of the trunk is very thin and flimsy. Under it is a regular foam tray in which you can put some tools. But there is an electric trunk lid, and covered hinges do not interfere with the placement of cargo.
Hyundai Grandeur trunk
Motor and dynamics
This generation of Grandeur received completely new engines, which Hyundai calls Smartstream (something similar under the name SkyActiv is Mazda). We are talking about high-tech engines, where a whole range of measures has been taken to improve efficiency. In our case, this is a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated engine that produces 198 HP and 248 Nm of torque.
Hyundai Grandeur engine
Now the cylinder block here is aluminum, the intake and exhaust are equipped with a system for changing the valve timing. And if you are not surprised by such systems now, then you can already try the presence of a stepless change in the height of the valve lift. Of course, this engine has direct fuel injection. Korean engineers say that even BMW and VAG lag behind in terms of technology, because the combination of all these technologies is implemented only in Hyundai.
Hyundai Grandeur acceleration to 100
I can agree that the engine is really good. Here it is combined with an eight-speed automatic. This tandem works very smoothly, and in comfort mode is certainly not inferior to Lexus. As for the dynamics, our measurements showed acceleration to the first 100 km / h in 9.6–9.7 seconds, which is exactly the same as the Japanese sedan. For this class, such acceleration is quite normal, but the Germans still give odds to both Koreans and Japanese. We were not able to accurately measure the braking dynamics due to the characteristics of the road surface where we conducted the test. But it feels like the brakes are working quite effectively.
Drive
On the road, the Hyundai Grandeur behaves as a large sedan should: it is smooth and measured. However, in the Lexus chassis provides even more comfort. In General, the behavior of the car is read habits from Sonata. The suspension is nervous about small irregularities, but the opposite is true for large ones: she swallows them with pleasure. Nevertheless, there is no difference in the behavior of the sedan. At the same time, I remind you that the test car is equipped with only 17-inch wheels.
Hyundai Grandeur driving on paving stones
But I didn’t have any complaints about the management at all. The steering wheel is perfectly tuned, the force on it is transparent and predictable. There are no sports notes in the car’s behavior, and the steering wheel seems even lighter than that of the Lexus. Therefore, driving a large Hyundai feels even more airy than driving a “Japanese”. But if you don’t want to drive fast in Lexus, you can indulge in dynamic driving in Grandeur without any internal discomfort.
Hyundai Grandeur riding in the city
Sound insulation in the Korean car is good, which is facilitated by double Windows in the front. True, it is not worth comparing it with the abnormal silence inside the Lexus, but with the Audi A6, the “Korean” is on the same level, which is a very good result.
Hyundai Grandeur behavior on the road
In General, there is nothing unique about the behavior of the Hyundai Grandeur on the road. This is a typical representative of the Korean school of automotive engineering. According to its driving characteristics, it is in the middle between the balanced driving habits of the German representatives of the class and the “Japanese” with their sofa impressiveness. There is no slackness in the behavior of this sedan, but it is also impossible to distinguish something. Undoubtedly, it is large, technological and in many ways competitive. To understand how much, you need to refer to the price.
Prices and conclusions
Obviously, the Hyundai Grandeur can’t be cheap. In the previous body, this model can still be bought officially for 42 thousand dollars. Our car, as I mentioned earlier, is officially sold in Ukraine. “Gray” dealers offer a new model for the same money. Therefore, a very important question arises for the buyer: should I choose an old body, but with an official warranty, or a new one, but without warranty obligations? Since the amount is quite significant, a really balanced decision is required.
The test Korean sedan still did not become a “killer” for Lexus. There are several reasons for this. But the main factor here is the price. The fact is that for a small surcharge, you can officially buy a Lexus ES with a 2.5-liter engine (although in the basic configuration).
Hyundai Grandeur gear shift buttons
On the other hand, given the lack of official Hyundai Grandeur, buying this model can be a good way to stand out from the General grayness in the business sedan class. Yes, this car is better in some ways, and in some points it is inferior to its competitors. But if you like its non-trivial appearance, perhaps it will be the most important factor when buying. Because you won’t find anything like it.
