Hyundai Grandeur Limited 2006 Review

7-day Test

Luxury and prestige are often words that are serially abused when it comes to automotive applications. Carmakers' spin doctors and marketing hypesters are all too enthusiastic about applying the tags to everything that has a hint of leather, a dash of chrome and more often than not, big dimensions.

And for its latest effort at a large sedan, Hyundai has applied the "luxury" PR brush with vigour. A quick perusal of the blurb delivered upon the launch of the new Grandeur in February 2006, highlights the "Euro-internationalist styling" of the "large luxury sedan" and points to the Grandeur as a "full-size prestige saloon" with a "full suite of luxury appointments".

And on first impressions, you could be persuaded into thinking that Hyundai does indeed have a new player in the prestige market.

From the outside, the car is a marked improvement on the unloved XG Grandeur that was sold here a few years ago and from some angles, it is positively attractive -- in a large car sort of way. Everything is nicely in proportion and thankfully, the chrome appliqués so favoured by the Koreans have been kept to a minimum.

Likewise, inside, the car offers a spacious and well put together interior that without being radical in design, is certainly aesthetically pleasing. There is also an extraordinary amount of standard equipment, especially in the Limited top-spec car CarPoint tested for the week.

On top of the obvious leather and power seats, windows, mirrors and sunroof, there is also power four-way adjustment for the steering column, an electric rear sunblind that automatically drops when reverse is engaged, heated front seats and mirrors and automatic xenon headlights and auto windscreen wipers.

As you slip into the driver's seat, there is a definite impression of plushness with the soft leather continuing the luxury ambience. But beneath the soft leather is a very soft seat and after a few hundred kays behind the wheel, you are wishing for a lot more support.

The six-disc MP3 compatible audio system is a quality Infinity sourced unit as well and while the sound was delivered at a standard expected of a high end unit, it did set up some particularly unpleasant resonances with something in the car - possibly the rear sunblind - that shuddered uncontrollably in concert with some deep bass lines.

So far so good. You and I both might be thinking that perhaps Hyundai has produced a car that is an authentic contender for a prestige tag.

Turn the key and the 194kW/348Nm 3.8-litre V6 fires into action. A gentle squeeze on the drive-by-wire accelerator pedal produces a smooth and responsive delivery of power to the front wheels that feels strong and refined. Easy cruising around suburban streets also reveals a five-speed automatic transmission that changes with little fuss and in a timely fashion.

But, should you drive in anyway more than a very conservative manner, the big Hyundai's shortcomings quickly become apparent.

A decent prod of the right foot easily induces noticeable torque steer and plenty of squealing from the inadequate 235/55 17-inch Kumho tyres.

Despite the standard fitment of traction control and ESP stability control, it doesn't take much to get the tyres scrabbling for grip with the electronic nannies seemingly only prepared to intervene when traction is totally lost on wet roads.

Head off on a quality smooth freeway, and there is a pleasant aura of calm and quiet but once again, as soon as you head off the freeway and drive a little bit more enthusiastically, things start to go awry.

The suspension feels like it has been tuned with a comfort bias in mind being quite soft but over lumpy tarmac or broken roads, it is hardly what we would call comfortable. There is a tendency for the car to float over undulating surfaces and while it soaks up small road irregularities, bigger ruts and bumps become far more obvious, being felt and heard.

This lack of stability and control becomes even more obvious should you find yourself on a winding country road. Even at moderate speeds, cornering induces a fair degree of body roll and cut up corners send kickback, shudders and jolts through the vague steering. Without any support in the seats, you also need a firm grip on the steering wheel to stay in place.

Push on even harder -- and the engine is more than willing to provide the urge -- and the car becomes unwieldy, losing traction and body control to the point where you have to back off.

While we recognise that few owners are likely to drive really hard in this car, Hyundai points to its competitors as vehicles such as Holden Berlina, Mitsubishi 380, Honda Accord, Peugeot 407, Nissan Maxima and even Chrysler's 300C. The majority of these vehicles tend to be bought by men aged between about 40 and 60 and in that bracket, there is no doubt that there are certainly more than a few who do enjoy a decent drive.

And unfortunately, the dynamics of the Grandeur certainly don't inspire any confidence or deliver a decent driving experience.

So is it a luxury car? It looks and feels the part with a quality finish and long list of kit but for our money, competent driving manners should be part of the equation.

If all you do is tootle conservatively around the suburbs or cruise quietly on the freeway, then you might be convinced but in our opinion, the Grandeur's dynamic flaws tarnish the prestige tag.