Hyundai XG350 looks the part of a near-luxury car, blending fresh styling cues with lines familiar in this class.Before its introduction two years ago, Hyundai stripped the badges off of an XG and asked focus groups to rate its desirability. In those anonymous appearances, the big Hyundai bested the Oldsmobile Intrigue and Nissan Maxima, and gave the upscale Acura TL a run for its money. When the XG appeared with a Hyundai logo, the focus groups deep-sixed it. This would seem to indicate that the XG is a competitively handsome near-luxury car, but Hyundai hasn't established a credible reputation in this upscale market. Hyundai has been hard at work on improving the quality of its products for the past several years, and it shows.
A softly sculpted front end showcases an upright grille, flanked by clear-lens, multi-element headlights. A smoothly integrated, monochromatic bumper houses nicely Frenched foglamps. The side view presents a modestly crisp beltline blending into gently rounded shoulders at the rear. The boot proffers the only clear Hyundai indicia: taillights reminiscent of the Sonata and a bold, horizontal strip of brightwork beneath the trademark Hyundai logo.