Hyundai’s home branch in South Korea has been a good source of early information about the company’s lineup in the United States. New models are introduced there first and that is often where the first spy shots and renderings come from.

That has been the case with the new Azera, called the Grandeur in the South Korean market. The company is readying a new replacement to its full-size model, and what was formerly its flagship. The Azera is set to move upscale, positioned as an upscale alternative to the rear-wheel drive Genesis.

As Hyundai has moved forward with its luxury models like the Genesis and Equus, it has been easy to forget about the Azera. The new model should change that significantly, with a elegant design that provides more drama than the Genesis Sedan.

The real question though is the interior, which has been a bit of a sore spot with the current Azera. Also, how would Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design translate to a luxury vehicle? The answer is pretty well, actually.

The design is dramatic with a tall and wide center stack – it is huge, no doubt about it. The car also looks to debut ambient interior lighting, a feature of many new interiors that we much welcome.

It is an area Hyundai hasn’t really explored before so it is good to see that happening. In Korea the car will come with your option of a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder from the Sonata or a 3.0-liter V-6.

Expect the car to only be offered with V-6 engines here. As for an official introduction date, the latest is that the car could see a U.S debut at the New York Auto Show in April 2011.

Since then, the car has gotten an official name for production – Cadenza. At least it is different, right? Some production images of the car have been shown before, but these new ones are so far the first “live” images (not in the studio) to turn up. Also, they give us our first glimpse at the rear view of the production car.

The good news is that the Cadenza’s looks have remained true to the VG preview concept. While breaking no new ground, it ups the ante for Kia considerably. So far it looks to be a credible entry in the segment – we’ll have to wait to see interior pictures and a full specifications list to be sure though.

It goes to show you how far Hyundai-Kia has progressed in just a short time. The Kia Cadenza is actually based on the Hyundai Azera, not the Genesis sedan that most think. A Kia based on the Genesis is being developed right now though, under code name “CH”. That car will be a replacement for current flagship the Kia Amanti.

Image Credits: K7 Club, Club-VG, VG Club

The next leap is set to come with the Equus full-size luxury sedan. For now though, Hyundai is turning to it’s mid-size sedan, a crucially important segment for any volume manufacturer.

Mercedes-Benz CLS, is that you? No, it’s the Hyundai Sonata – but that’s what Hyundai wants you to think of when you see the Sonata. There is a clear “inspiration” here from that car, and it’s never a bad thing to be compared with the CLS. The CLS started this whole “4-door coupe” trend that has produced cars like the Panamera, Rapide and maybe even the Estoque from Lamborghini.

Originally the images were leaked out on the internet (some have been floating around for a while) but then Hyundai decided to release sketches along with a press release announcing the company has began taking orders for the Sonata in the car’s home Korean market.

The pictures released appear to be from an advertisement, with the side shot, a view of the front end, rear angle close up and the car’s gauges. For more, images check out the original site (translated from Korean) that they were found on, Bobaedream. Hyundai’s official sketches can be found below.

Well, the VG debuted at the Seoul Auto Show in South Korea, and it looks like a great first step.  This concept will supposedly be quite close to the production version, and it is to replace the aging (and awful) Amanti pseudo-luxury barge.  This fully modern near-luxury offering has the kind of sharp, clean lines you just wouldn’t expect from Kia, but this here is progress- and progress is good.

Power is supplied by a 3.5L derivative of the Lambda V6, producing an entirely adequate 277 horsepower.  Power is sent to the front wheels through a new six-speed automatic with manual shifting capabilities.  That’s more power and more gears than the Avalon, which will be the VG’s biggest competitor – so it’s off on the right foot.

Don’t expect the concept’s blingy 20″ chrome wheels (obligatory for show cars) to come on the production vehicle, but otherwise this is what we’ll soon be seeing on American roads.  The VG will go on sale in Korea first, this September.

The styling borrows heavily from other brands – and to great effect.  I think it’s a surprisingly handsome car, with hints of Audi in the back and some Honda and Ford of Europe in the front.  Also, the drooping body line on the side screams Vauxhall Insignia.  I’d imagine this car would look great in dark red.

Inside, the interior follows the smooth flowing lines of the exterior, with a rich-looking ambience, touch-screen controls, and an odd centrally-located starter button.  Take a look at the CG rendering Kia released:

Rather nice for a Kia!  This car’s yet another sign that not taking the Koreans seriously would be a grave error for American, Japanese and German car companies.  Very nice, Kia.  Very nice.

They’re the only volume automaker other then Subaru to see sales increases in a falling market. A large part is due to the Assurance Program, but also to customer’s recognition of the impressive new vehicles they’ve been putting out.  Let’s get to the news here though.

That’s the Kia “VG” Concept, codenamed KND-5. It’s based on the Hyundai Azera, and in my opinion is a big improvement on the car. While nice, the Azera is clearly a generation behind in the company’s styling evolution. The Kia VG Concept illustrates this very well.

It’s very modern, with an sleek and upscale look. It’s interesting to see how Hyundai will position Kia, like if they’ll infringe on each other’s territory.

The VG is an new entry, slotting above the Optima but below the flagship Amanti sedan. The Amanti replacement is being developed on the Genesis platform and is codenamed CH.

While report say it’s a “luxury sedan” and it certainly looks the part, they also include information of the base engine being a 4-cylinder Theta. That would lead me to believe Kia is going to position this car as their true mid-size competitor. The current lackluster Optima hasn’t done a great job of doing that for the company.

You might have noticed the Concept moniker following the Kia VG. Like has been the case with a lot of introductions lately, it will be a concept in name only. It a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) kind of a deal.

As always, we’ll know more soon when the official information comes out. I’m keen to see how they position this car, and also what the Amanti-replacement holds. I know Kia is supposed to have a bit more of a sport-oriented slant then Hyundai so we’ll see.