Badge cachet counts for a lot -n the moneyed market segment and one feels far higher up the social pecking order driving a car built in Stuttgart than in Seoul.
Which is why, when launching its new flagship in South Africa in March, Hyundai SA went to great pains to describe the Azera sedan as a car for drivers with nothing to prove, those more interested in driving comfort than an ego-boosting badge on their key ring.
They're not wrong. Like wearing slippers with socks, the Hyundai Azera is comfortable but rates way down on the cool-o-meter.
This 300 grand Korean limo has all the charisma of a kitchen appliance but gives comfort-seeking executives the leather-lined, push-button luxury they'd normally expect from a R400 000 car.
It's a direct rival to the Toyota Camry, which has a similar grey-suit character.
Hyundai reckons you're saving money without sacrificing anything except a badge and indeed, for the price, you're getting a lot of car in the Azera.
The imported Korean is as quiet and smooth as today's best washing machines, it handles cleanly and it wields a powerful 3.3-litre V6 engine.
Its posh cabin is equipped with all the necessary niceties, including electrically adjustable and leather-covered seats and a none-too-shabby sound system.
There's a jumping castle's worth of crash bags, the headlights and windscreen wipers come on automatically when it respectively gets dark or wet, and there's a rear parking radar.
The interior is bland and functional in the time-honoured Korean tradition, devoid of any verve or pizazz, but it's very well put-together and feels nearly as neatly finished and solid as a German luxury car.
And - stop the presses - there's real wood on the fascia and the steering wheel, not the plastic lookalike stuff the Koreans seem to love so much.
The Azera covers a large chunk of real estate with its length of 4.9m; that's slightly longer than rivals such as the Camry, Chevrolet Lumina and BMW 5 Series.
The result is space, with loads of rear legroom even if the front passengers aren't feeling too charitable about moving their seats forward. Passengers are well pampered in comfy seats and the rear armrest has built-in cupholders.
The positions of the front seats can be memory stored and the steering wheel pulls into the dash when the ignition's switched off to ease the driver's exit - a handy feature if there's a boep involved.
Impressive quietness
What the Azera doesn't do is connect with the driver in any intimate way but that's not what this car is about. It's quiet and sophisticated and has all bases covered in terms of handling, braking and pace.
The car cuts through the airstream with impressive quietness, thanks to double door seals and extensive sound-deadening material. The ride is super-smooth and the handling's safe and undramatic. The steering feels vague but the car's not wallowy.
There's plenty of traction and if your enthusiasm ever does get the better of your talent there's an electronic stability system to bail you out of trouble.
What saves the Azera from being entirely character-bereft is its powerful V6 engine, which has an agreeable burst of muscle lurking beneath its plastic cam cover. With 173kW on tap the automatic car hauls ass when you want it to.
Lusty and lively
From a standing start it's one of the most responsive two-pedalled cars I've driven; in fact, if you don't treat the throttle gently during pull-off, the tyres will squeal in a way most unbecoming for such a big car.
Cruising is lusty and lively and, because the car is so smooth and you can't feel the speed, the cruise control is frequently called into play to prevent inadvertently shattering the speed limit. The car's capable of 230km/h.
The tiptronic transmission snicks through its gears with particular finesse. It's one of the smoothest and quickest gearshifts in the business - so good that the manual override tends to get left alone.
The innocuous styling perfectly suits the car's grey-suited character and, emphasising the point, it's only available in white, silver or grey.
Up front the Azera looks modernly inoffensive but that ugly "stepped" boot has me puzzled. Why did Hyundai chose to copy the worst design feature of the BMW 7 Series?
Summary
Hyundai's come a long way. This is no cheap Korean knock-off of a luxury car but a refined and sophisticated family sedan that comes with all the luxury bells and whistles and great build quality.
It gets two out of 10 for charisma but nine out of 10 for value for money. A German car with similar power and spec will cost at least 100 grand more.