Hyundai’s all-new Genesis is unlike any car the Korean automaker has brought to the U.S. before. It’s a rear-wheel-drive full-size sedan that’s available with Hyundai’s first V-8 engine in a passenger car. After driving the car extensively in and around Santa Barbara, Calif., it’s clear to me that Hyundai got most of the important elements right: The driving experience and the cabin’s ambience and amenities are all there.

What’s less certain is whether buyers will be accepting of a Hyundai — a brand better known for small, affordable cars — with a starting price of $32,250, even though that price includes a number of standard safety and convenience features. It’s going to be difficult, but it helps that Hyundai has a remarkable first effort on its hands in the Genesis.

Styling
Most of Hyundai’s models fall on the bland side of things where styling is concerned, but the automaker has taken a couple chances with its new flagship sedan. The first of these is the lack of Hyundai’s “H” badge on the grille, which instead features a winged design not seen on other Hyundais in the U.S. Though the symbol’s absence here (there is one on the trunklid) misses an opportunity to tell onlookers that the Genesis is a Hyundai, the flip side is that it might intrigue large-sedan shoppers and prompt them to take a closer look. Based on the car’s sleek, stylish appearance overall, I suspect many who investigate further will be impressed with what they see.

Though the Genesis doesn’t blaze any new trails in terms of design, it does possess an athletic look for a large car, and it’s also well-proportioned, which seems like one of those basic design qualities that can get left behind sometimes. The Genesis has a timeless elegance.

Ride & Handling
Hyundai positions the Genesis as a performance sedan, and I admit I was skeptical as to whether or not the automaker was willing to do what it takes to truly deliver a sport-sedan experience. Having driven the sedan on a variety of roads, I’m now able to report that Hyundai has backed up its talk with a true performer.

Giving the Genesis a rear-wheel-drive platform — as opposed to a front-wheel-drive one like the full-size Hyundai Azera and Toyota Avalon — was one of the first right moves Hyundai made; the superior dynamics afforded by RWD were eminently apparent on winding mountain roads. The Genesis navigates tight corners like a much smaller car — body roll is well checked and the balanced chassis encourages you to push it harder. The Azera, in comparison, offers softer responses when traveling on undulating roads; it’s more of a cruiser, whereas the Genesis is a carver.

Along with this sporty performance comes a ride that’s definitely more taut than most Hyundais. The four-wheel independent suspension, which features a five-link setup in front and back, is sensitive to pavement imperfections, transmitting the pockmarks of the road up to the cabin. This was on mostly smooth California roads, too, which were in much better shape than the ones I normally drive in Chicago.

Where the Genesis differs from a number of other performance sedans is that its steering effort is fairly light; it doesn’t take much exertion to turn the wheel. It spins with impressive smoothness and has a consistency across its range of motion that lets you follow a curve with precision. Personally, I would have liked a little less power assistance in the steering, but many people will buy the Genesis more for its value-oriented luxury than for its handling prowess, so I can understand why Hyundai tuned it the way it did.

V-8 Performance
Hyundai’s first production V-8, which goes in Genesis 4.6 trim levels, is a powerful engine, much like the 380-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 in the Lexus LS 460. It has the same displacement as that Lexus V-8 and makes nearly as much power: 375 hp when using premium gas (368 hp on regular). The V-8 powers effortlessly up hills and allows the car to build speed quickly; I looked down at the speedometer one time and was surprised to find I was going almost 90 mph. All this power wouldn’t be worth much if accompanied by any harshness or vibration, but the V-8 is impressively smooth and refined, just like the Lexus V-8.

Joining Hyundai’s V-8 is an equally good six-speed automatic transmission. It’s manufactured by ZF, which also supplies BMW, and includes a clutchless-manual mode for driver-controlled shifts.

The automatic shifts smoothly and feels well-matched to the V-8. It’s also easy to control downshifts using your right foot — depressing the gas pedal will make the transmission kick down for a quick pass around a slower-moving car.

V-6 Performance
Though the new V-8 is big news for Hyundai, the automaker expects 80 percent of Genesis sedans sold to have the standard 3.8-liter V-6, which goes in 3.8 models. This V-6 isn’t new (it’s optional in the Azera), but it produces more power in the Genesis than it does in other Hyundais: 290 hp.

The V-6 feels plenty strong, if not quite as powerful as the potent V-8, and like the larger engine it can power the sedan to excessive speeds before you know it. The V-6 also works with a six-speed automatic, though this one is manufactured by Aisin. Like the automatic in the V-8 sedan, it’s responsive and smooth.

When it comes to gas mileage, the V-6 has a slight advantage over the V-8; it’s rated at 18/27 mpg city/highway while the V-8 gets 17/25 mpg.

The Inside
Genesis occupants are treated to an upscale cabin that features premium materials, like an optional leather dashboard, and a high level of fit and finish. I prefer the look of the base dashboard and its simulated wood trim, but regardless of which way you go it’s clear Hyundai looked to the standard in the luxury segment — the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The similarities between the dashboards are undeniable. When cruising, it’s also very quiet inside.

Like the S-Class, the Genesis is available with a multifunction control knob that operates the audio and navigation systems. BMW started this trend with its iDrive system, and Audi and Mercedes latched onto the concept, introducing their own systems. Even though they offer varying degrees of user-friendliness — with BMW’s iDrive near the bottom and Mercedes’ Comand near the top — all of them are supplied by Harman/Becker, according to Roger Shively, a chief engineer with the supplier. Fortunately, Hyundai’s system is like Mercedes’ in that its menus are more intuitive. The graphics are also very crisp.

The Genesis’ front bucket seats are finished in standard leather upholstery, and I found them to be quite comfortable for a day of driving. They offer good thigh support and enough side bolstering to keep you situated during aggressive driving without being restrictive. Three-stage heated front seats are standard, and a cooled driver’s seat is optional. Backseat passengers also enjoy spacious accommodations, particularly when it comes to legroom. Even taller adults might be pleasantly surprised by how much room there is.

Cargo
The Genesis’ trunk measures 15.9 cubic feet. This is slightly smaller than the Hyundai Sonata’s 16.3-cubic-foot trunk, but it’s larger than the Avalon’s 14.4-cubic-foot trunk and the Chrysler 300’s 15.6-cubic-foot cargo area. Unlike the 300, the Genesis doesn’t have a split-folding backseat, but it does come with a trunk pass-thru for carrying long items inside the car.

Safety
The long list of standard safety features includes antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front and outboard rear seats, side curtain airbags, an electronic stability system and active front head restraints.

Crash-test results for the Genesis weren’t available at time of publication but will be added here when the sedan has been tested.

Features
The base 3.8 trim is priced at $32,250 and features 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, cruise control, power front seats, keyless entry and starting, a leather-covered steering wheel, and a seven-speaker audio system with both a USB port for controlling an iPod through the system as well as an auxiliary input jack for plugging in any type of portable music player.

Besides the V-8 engine, 4.6 models, which are listed at $37,250, gain 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, a leather-covered dash, a power rear sunshade, a moonroof, a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a memory feature for the driver, higher-grade leather seats and a six-CD Lexicon stereo with 14 speakers.

Greater levels of content are available in option packages. For $2,000, the Premium Package for the 3.8 trim level adds all of the 4.6 features mentioned above except the upgraded leather seats and 18-inch wheels. For $3,000, the Premium Package Plus builds on the Premium Package by adding 18-inch wheels to the list of features.

The Technology Package is a $4,000 option that’s available for both models, though it requires the selection of the Premium Package Plus group with the 3.8. It includes a Lexicon surround-sound system with 17 speakers, a knob-controlled navigation system, a backup camera, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive xenon headlights and a cooled driver’s seat.

Genesis in the Market
You’ll pay a little more for the Genesis, but it outpaces mainstream competitors like the 300 and Avalon in many respects. However, it should also put more expensive competitors like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series — models Hyundai said it benchmarked when developing the Genesis — on notice because it can keep up with them in some areas, too. In the end, the Genesis is yet another example of Hyundai doing what it does best: bringing value to a segment of the market, in this case the luxury sedan segment.

By Mike Hanley
Cars.com

Hyundai (rhymes with Sunday, by the way) is all about building cars in a given segment with the quality and content of its competitors but with a lower price. They’ve not always managed to match that quality and content, particularly in their early days in the US market. But with each new model in each segment they get a little better at it.

Introducing the new Hyundai Genesis. We had our first good look and test drive this afternoon from Ann Arbor out into the countryside along the beautiful ridge of end moraines that define the area around the little settlement known as Hell, Michigan. These glacial hills make for some very nice driving roads, though Livingston County has badly neglected Patterson Lake road making it a good test of the Genesis’ rough-road manners. We were impressed on just about all levels.

The confident folks at Hyundai have the audacity to compare the Genesis with the likes of Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS and LS 460 and Infiniti M. Pretty auspicious company, eh?

The new Genesis, at dealers now in the V6 version and within a few months in V8 form, is a rear-wheel drive, premium luxury, or perhaps sport, sedan. A remarkably sexy coupe version, revealed at the New York Auto Show, will follow in the first quarter of ’09 and will offer a 2-liter turbo 4-cylinder. The Genesis’ size is comparable to the listed competitors and, I must say, the appearance, performance and overall ambiance is damn close as well.

While our Hyundai hosts insist that the styling and design are conservative and non-polarizing yet distinctive and unlike the competitors, I must disagree. Conservative and non-polarizing – yes, and I might add quite attractive. But it would be hard to not see a distinct resemblance from the front to the Mercedes and an unmistakable hint of BMW’s rear deck treatment commonly referred to as “Bangle-butt” in reference to BMW design chief Chris Bangle’s bold rear look.

Inside we find an interior with seats softer than the German competitors but clad in high-quality brown leather. A wide strip of matching leather gracefully crosses the stylish dash giving an unusual and luxurious feel. Technology and electronics are up to par for this class of automobile including connectivity for your electronic devises and the tactile qualities of all the touchy parts are excellent. The styling of the interior is less conservative than the exterior and I found it intriguing and artful.

My driving partner and I drove the V8 version this afternoon and we were both impressed. They spent more than half the $500 million development costs for the vehicle on this 4.6-liter, 375-horsepower high content engine using premium fuel – a tad less if you choose regular. At higher rpms it sings like a diva with all the sophisticated sounds of the best of its competitors. Zero-to-60 times are impressive at 5.7 seconds. Mated to a slick, quick-shifting ZF 6-speed automatic transmission it still gets 17-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway.

The V6 version of this car pumps out 290 horsepower with a 6-speed Aisin B600 transmission – plenty for most of us – while getting just one-mpg better than the V8. It will cost about 6-grand less to buy in the first place but the car includes a bit less content.

Hyundai thinks of this car as “efficient” in all its qualities. Aerodynamically it’s at the top of its class at 0.27 coefficient of drag. That’s better than most sports cars. Interior dimensions and packaging contribute to the efficiency claim as well. No dispute here. The rear seat feels generous and the trunk is plenty big.

On the road we immediately notice a distinct on-center feel to the firm electro-hydrolic steering. The suspension, 5-link systems front and rear, is firm but not harsh – perhaps more compliant than the German competitors but about the same as the Japanese. We hear only the quiet whoosh of cruising down the road – no wind noise, no tire echo, no unpleasant noise of any kind. Along the rough sections of Patterson Lake Road the Genesis felt balanced, stable and unflustered.

Safety is top notch with 8 airbags, standard electronic stability control, electronically controlled active head restraint system and full 5-Star NHTSA crash test ratings.

The V6 starts at $36,000 and the V8 at $42,000. Only a few options and packages will boost that price. You’re looking at about $46,000 for a top-of-the-line V8 model.

After spending an afternoon with the Genesis I’m impressed. We’ll have a more thorough test report once we’ve been able to score one for a bit more time.

So, in the meantime, if you’re thinking about one of the premium German or Japanese sedans at 55-grand and up, you might want to put the Genesis on your shopping list.

© Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions
TheAutoChannel.com
Detroit Bureau

Hyundai first made a name for itself in the U.S. in 1986 with a subcompact $4,995 Excel. After some fits and starts, Hyundai is ready to go upscale with a full-size $40,000 Genesis flagship for 2009.

Genesis was to be a separate division, like Toyota has Lexus, but economics dictated keeping all Hyundais in one showroom.

Besides, says Michael Deitz, manager of product development for Hyundai this is a “rational progression.”

“The midsize Azera has done well at $30,000,” he said. “We felt a Genesis starting at $33,000 to $35,000 wouldn’t be asking buyers to make a huge leap.”

Especially, considering Hyundai is positioning Genesis against the BMW 750i, which costs some $40,000 more, and a Mercedes-Benz S550, at $54,000 more. That $40,000 to $54,000, Deitz points out, “Is at least another car—or two.”

Genesis is Hyundai’s first rear-wheel-drive, V-8 powered sedan. A two-door comes out in the first quarter of next year.

The sedan offers a choice of a 3.8-liter, 290-horsepower V-6 or a 4.6-liter V-8 that delivers 375 h.p. with premium lead-free fuel or 368 h.p. with regular unleaded. Premium provides optimum performance, but regular gives those who gripe about spending a dime more a gallon one less reason to whine.

We tested Genesis with both engines, but spent the most time with the V-8. Both are smooth and quiet, but the V-8 takes off like Road Runner in the cartoon, with zero-to-60 m.p.h. acceleration in 5.7 seconds versus 6.2 with the V-6.

Yet Genesis doesn’t wiggle as speed builds and follows whatever line you draw for it without wobble over uneven roads. With the V-8, pedal response is immediate; the V-6 needs a nudge. The V-8 is rated at 17 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway, the V-6 at 18/27, nothing to encourage conservationists.

Ride is luxury smooth. Handling benefits from the sports-tuned suspension. Wide-profile, 18-inch radials cushion the cabin from road blemishes while gripping tight in corners. Steering response is speed-sensitive to sharpen handling.

Deitz says standard electronic stability control along with traction control should provide secure motoring for the RWD sedan in the Snow Belt. AWD is under consideration, but not until Gen II since the current version wasn’t designed for it.

“Remember the Chrysler 300 was initially launched without AWD,” Deitz said.

The cabin is roomy and spacious. Non-slip perforated leather seats are like easy chairs for the long haul. But why does the driver get an optional heated and cooled seat, the passenger heated only?

The windshield and side windows have an acoustic laminated cover while the roof is treated with anti-vibration material to reduce noise filtering back into the cabin.

A textured finish for the dash, instrument panel and door trim, along with the seat stitching, give the cabin a rich look. Other nice touches include release buttons for the spacious trunk and gas cap in the driver’s door, visors with mirrors and parking pass or gas credit card holders, power plug in the dash as well as a power plug/USB outlet and coin holder under the center armrest, power sun shade for the rear window and a ski pass-through from trunk to cabin.

A few gripes, however, one being that the rear seat holds three but the one in the middle has to straddle the drivetrain hump in the floor. Plus, headroom back there can be tight for 6 footers. And the battery is under the trunk floor, a sign the engine compartment is crammed and a challenge for the mechanic.

The Genesis V-8 starts at $37,250 and includes anti-lock brakes, side-curtain air bags, power sunroof, power window/door/seat/mirrors and rain-sensing wipers. Only option on the V-8 is a $4,000 technology package with navigation system, backup camera, Bluetooth phone system, automatic leveling headlamps, front and rear park-assist beepers, cooled driver seat and adaptive lighting in which the headlamps move in the direction of the turn. With that package and $750 for freight, Genesis tops out at $42,000. The V-6 starts at $32,250 and with three option packages totaling $7,000, plus freight, tops out at $40,000.

Deitz said Genesis will be joined by an ’09 Elantra Touring (wagon) in the first quarter of next year, the ’10 Genesis coupe in the spring, an new crossover in the fourth quarter of next year, a new more crossover like Tucson for ’10, the next-generation Sonata in the second quarter of ’10 as an ’11 and the next-generation Accent in early ’11 as a ’12.

Jim Mateja

There was a time when South Korean carmaker Hyundai was considered absurdly precocious in challenging Toyota in the U.S. That was more than 3 million sales ago.

Now, they’re taking on Lexus.

The world’s fifth largest automaker, Hyundai — yes, Hyundai — sees its first rear-drive luxury car, the Genesis, as a worthy rival to the Lexus ES 350. And no one’s laughing.

There’s no laughter at BMW or Mercedes-Benz, either, when Hyundai compares the Genesis to the 5-Series and E-Class respectively. And at much lower cost.

Hyundai began selling the Genesis in July with a 3.8-liter, 290 horsepower V6 bearing a price tag of $33,000, which is $340 less than BMW commands for the compact 328i and only $200 higher than the average price of a new car in the U.S. this year.

Now comes the 4.6-liter V8 with 368 horses that propel the rear-drive sedan from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds.

With a base price of $38,000, the V8 is expected to secure a place for Hyundai on the wishlists of people shopping the Lexus ES 350, Chrysler 300C, Pontiac G8 and the Cadillac CTS, among others.

“We’re aware there’s a segment out there that won’t consider a luxury vehicle unless it has a V8,” said Michael Deitz, manager of product development for Hyundai Motor America. “It’s not just about horsepower today, it’s about efficiency.”

Hyundai has always done a magnificent job in the styling department, borrowing cues from the best in the business. So it was not surprising that Genesis fit the fashion scene of Miami Beach and Coral Gables, where the V8 cruised quietly in a recent demo tour, loaded to the gills with luxury features.

The nicely proportioned body rides on a 115.6 inch wheelbase that is more than 3 inches longer than that of the Lexus GS and more than an inch longer than the Infiniti M’s.

The Genesis face is predatory, with a tapered aluminum hood framed by backswept high-intensity headlamps resembling the eyes of a raptor. A trapezoidal grille with winglike vanes accentuates the curvature of the snout above a low-to-the-ground air scoop that represents the predator’s mouth.

The aerodynamic roofline flows back onto a short deck and a blunt rear end tightly tucked and decorated with wraparound tail lamps.

To achieve instant credibility in the premium market, Hyundai had to provide more of everything at an unbeatable price: More horsepower than a Lexus GS and Infiniti M, better longitudinal balance than a Lexus ES 350, bigger disc brakes than a Mercedes-Benz E550, better aerodynamics than a BMW 5-Series and Cadillac CTS, and faster acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (5.7 seconds) than the BMW 750i (6 seconds) or the Lexus LX 460 (5.9).

The new Tau V8 has more horsepower per liter than any of its V8 competitors and outperforms all V8 performance sedans with an EPA fuel economy estimate of 17 city miles per gallon and 25 highway, according to Hyundai research.

But where Genesis really exceeds expectations is in its load of standard equipment. A $36,000 Genesis 3.8 with the Premium Package Plus is $8,000 less than a comparably equipped Infiniti M35 and $22,000 less than a comparable BMW 535i.

Standard on the 3.8 models are 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, automatic headlights, dual power heated side mirrors with turn signal indicators, leather upholstery with heated power seats, proximity entry with electric push button start, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio controls, dual automatic climate control, AM/FM/CD stereo with auxiliary input jacks and Bluetooth.

When you move up to the 4.6, you get 18-inch hyper-silver alloy wheels, chrome lower bodyside moldings, power glass sunroof with tilt and slide, power tilt and telescopic steering column, integrated memory system, Lexicon 15-speaker surround sound audio system, six-disc CD changer, illuminated scuff plates, wood-trimmed leather steering wheel, electrochromic auto-dimming interior rearview mirror with Homelink and compass, power rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers with auto defogger windshield.

In another extreme measure to challenge the luxury market, Genesis has even matched the Rolls Royce Phantom as the only other car to offer a Lexicon-branded audio system featuring Logic 7 technology. The surround sound audio system includes an 11-channel digital amplifier and 17 speakers producing more than 500 watts of sound in 7.1 discrete audio. Hyundai also claims to be the first popular brand to offer digital HD Radio from the factory.

Navigation-equipped Genesis models also include a 40-gigabyte hard drive and XM NavTraffic. Genesis also comes standard with XM Satellite Radio with a three-month free subscription.

Continuing the coverage that helped overcome early doubts about Hyundai quality, the Genesis warranty includes five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper protection, 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, and seven-year/unlimited mileage anti-perforation coverage. Buyers also get free 24-hour roadside assistance for five years.

While Hyundai cannot match the prestige of names like Infiniti, Lexus and Acura, it can grab a piece of the market that wants luxury at a more affordable price. Hyundai at one time considered creating a luxury brand for models such as the Genesis but decided the cost was too high for the rewards.

Hyundai was wise in moving gradually up-market from its current position, avoiding the marketing boondoggle of Volkswagen’s exotically priced Phaeton.

In the first full month of sales, Hyundai delivered 1,177 units of Genesis in August.

“Consumers are showing their vote of confidence and that they will step up for a Hyundai,” Deitz said.

WHAT’S NEW: First rear-drive, V8-powered, luxury Hyundai.

PLUSES: Value, standard features, comfort, performance, safety.

MINUSES: Less prestigious nameplate than luxury brands.

BOTTOM LINE: Stunning luxury debut at unbeatable price.

By RICHARD WILLIAMSON, Scripps Howard News Service