(AOL Autos) — Autoblog recently spent time in Korea driving pre-production versions of the new Hyundai Genesis. This is the car that, according to Hyundai, will usher in a new era of luxury.

Those are big words, and we only got a limited amount of time to figure out how true — or not — they were.

But the main thing you need to know about the Genesis is this: unless they pull a bait and switch on the price range they mentioned, the car will be worth every penny Hyundai charges.

The parking lot statistics are these: the Genesis is a big car with a fair bit of horsepower. The car is longer, wider, and has a longer wheelbase than the BMW 530i, Mercedes E350, and Lexus ES350.

It’s also good looking — massive and curved without being bulbous — although it’s not designed to be controversial or, frankly, beyond the grille, that memorable. All you’ll be left with a few hours later is, probably, “It was a good looking car.”

That’s not a bad thing, since most people wouldn’t remember exactly what an ES350 looks like, either, and this slice of the mass-market segment is not where you’re trying to compete with Gaudi or Scaglietti or Bangle.

But if you’re really worried about the price of gas, you’ll be happy to know it is also more aerodynamic than those other cars, too.

Under the hood you get your choice of a 4.6-liter V8 or 3.8-liter V6. The bigger lump corrals 375 horses when sipping premium, and 368 with regular gas.

Torque numbers are 333 lb.-ft. and 324 with premium and regular, respectively. Those numbers put it in the mix of luxury offerings from Infiniti, BMW, and Mercedes, the Lexus GS460, along with the Chrysler 300C, and Pontiac G8, with slightly more horsepower than all but the E550, and slightly less torque than any of them.

Hyundai’s first in-house V8 also gets high-zoot tech like a two-step variable induction system and dual continuously variable valve timing. The 3.8-liter Lambda V6 gets 270 hp and twists 233 lb.-ft., which keeps it in good company as well.

It also provided quite the surprise when we got behind the wheel, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Through the six-speed automatic transmission, your mileage will be 17/25 in the V8, and 18/27 in the V6.

Inside, the Hyundai Genesis is nice. No, we mean nice. We admit that we’re suckers for a cockpit that looks like mission control, but that’s until we’re actually driving at speed and have to figure out where the button is to stop cold air from blowing in our face. Then we hate it.

Credit goes to Hyundai for creating an IP interface that we like almost as much as the Jaguar XF’s, which has just the right amount of buttons to get crucial functions handled quickly.

The difference is that the Hyundai doesn’t have a touchscreen, which would have been wonderful, but hey, this is only round one, and that Jag screen will cost you quite a few Korean won more…

Seating, driving position adjustability, and the view from inside are all top notch. The back seat, however, was our favorite place. That had nothing to do with not wanting to drive the car — it’s simply an enormous back seat area.

With the cars exceptional length and wheelbase, there is enough room for people in front and back to stretch out at the same time. If you don’t get too rowdy, you could probably even have a game of ring-around-the-rosy back there. And swing a few cats. It’s that roomy.

Fit and finish, stitching, touch, materials, and integration are all very good. Now, before anyone goes scanning pictures through an electron microscope and saying “Well, it kinda looks like…”, remember, we’re talking about a car that will probably come in well under $40,000 — and that’s for the V8.

And while we don’t want to hit the price refrain too often, this isn’t about making excuses, it’s about keeping in mind what the competition is. Is it as nice as a BMW interior? In absolute terms, no — if the BMW is a 10, the Hyundai is 9-and-change.

But for practical purposes, yes, because that extra percent will cost you at least $7K more to access, and it’s not that much nicer. Sit in a Genesis and see what you think. In fact, sit in a BMW 530, sit in a Genesis, and then sit in a fully kitted out V6 Honda Accord, and you’ll see where the Genesis is playing.

BMW can take credit, however, for Hyundai’s Driver Information System (DIS). BMW, having pioneered that type of interface, has had to watch as other companies got it (more) right.

And the DIS is a pretty straightforward and simple to use, incorporating HDD nav, voice recognition, Bluetooth handsfree, multimedia, climate control, and vehicle dynamics.

But let’s get to the driving. We only had a day with the Genesis, and that was on a proving ground, so we can’t really talk about the finer points of long distance driving and handling.

Things like day-long comfort and suspension capabilities will have to wait until we can spend a week with the car next month. For now, know that the V8 car has a weight balance of 54:46, the V6 posts a 52:48.

We were told there was about a 400-pound weight difference up front between the V6 and V8, factoring in both the engine and associated components.

The car gets a five-line suspension front and rear with some aluminum components like knuckles, links, and brackets. The shocks have amplitude selective damping.

The power steering motor and pump unit have been isolated from the engine to improve steering feel, and that feature also improves fuel economy.

The body is 74-percent high-tensile steel, with an ultra-high-strength steel cage around the cabin that is laser welded to form a continuous seam and provide appreciably more stiffness and rigidity and less flexing than the luxury competitors.

We tried increasing speeds through the slalom, and the car handles admirably, with almost no wallow. Irretrievable pendulum action didn’t occur until we got to toward the end of the six cones at speeds a little higher than those we were advised to drive at, having accelerated through. Let off the throttle in the middle of a screeching tire turn, and the car settles right down.

The car isn’t begging to be driven like that — you won’t race through a slalom and be itching to turn around and do it again — but the car’s capabilities are more than enough when emergencies dictate sawing at the wheel.

Take the car up to 70 mph and hit the brakes, and you’ll find yourself back at zero in just over 160 feet. Among its luxury competitors, that beats everything but the BMW 535i by almost ten feet or more.

On the handling course, the V8 has a rewarding, linear curve. Again, it’s not the kind of car that you’re going to throw into Eau Rouge at top speed — and that’s not the point. But you know what the car is doing, and you can walk it toward its limit without worrying that you’ll go beyond it first.

It’s a big car, so there’s quite a bit of weight, so while the car is taut, you’re going to feel it shifting and settling when you’re blazing through sweepers.

But the Genesis didn’t need a few moments to decide what it was going to do around the corner, and didn’t complain. You set your speed, turn the wheel, and the Genesis sorts it out.

Get frisky through hairpins and the sedan — specifically its integrated ESC system — will have something to say about it. Throttle control kicks in first, and if matters out back are still too loose, the rear outside brake clamps down for a fraction of a moment.

However, none of the intrusions are abrupt, there are no shrieking chimes or strobing lights, you’re not suddenly out of power in the middle of a turn, and you know where the car is the entire time.

It was on the high speed oval that we began to wonder about the V6 versus V8 question. The V6 at top speed, (130 mph) in the highest lane, was rock solid, while the V8 at about 145-MPH suffered some suspension squash and wandering.

In the middle lane, at 100 mph, the V8 was solid as granite, with the V6 just a fraction behind it in solidity. All of this is mainly due to heft of the engine.

The important things to take from this are: 1. We drove a Hyundai at 145 mph and didn’t have any concerns about it; 2. we drove a Hyundai at 130 mph and 100 mph and described the experience as rock solid;

3. Nearly all Genesis drivers will never have to worry about how the Genesis handles on a high-speed oval; 4. Nearly all Genesis drivers will be pleasantly shocked that a Hyundai handles superbly past the century mark.

And the final thing to take away is this: we couldn’t understand why we should buy the V8 over the V6. They perform nearly identically. The V6 is almost as fast. The interiors are the same.

They look almost identical, with nothing other than a small badge on the rear valance to differentiate the two. Even the tailpipes are identical. And the V6 gets better gas mileage. We’re high-horsepower guys … but if we were going to buy a Genesis, we’d buy the V6.

Is there anything wrong with the Genesis? Sure, there are certain luxury trimmings they didn’t include: the turn signals don’t click three times (and even Volkswagen cars have that). You need to use the key or the button inside to open the trunk — there’s no release on the lid.

And there are some places, such as the trunk, where the trim isn’t quite finished. But again, this is round one.

The real question: who will this car compete with? It’s being pitched as a competitor for the 5-series et al. Let’s not look at this as a luxury lifestyle proposition yet, where brand-brand-brand rules the day.

Let’s look at this as a financial proposition, because, really, that’s what it is for the time being. We all know that Hyundai doesn’t have the brand equity to stand toe-to-toe with BMW. Yet. And we’re not saying they will — that’s up to them. But remember, at one time, even BMW didn’t have the brand equity to compete with today’s BMW.

If the Genesis is reliable and Hyundai stands behind it until can make an impact with the brand-conscious, it is going to sell. That is not in question. Based on what we know of the Genesis so far, anyone in the market to spend $35K on a luxury sedan must at least give the car a chance.

After that, the question any potential buyer should ask is: Do I want to score a 9.5 out of ten on the European luxury scale and save myself $10,000 or more while doing it? We can only believe there are a lot of people out there who will answer “Yes” to that question.

By Jonathon Ramsey
© 2009 AOL, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Hyundai has come a long way.

It was 1985, while I was serving as editor of the Phoenix Business Journal, that a representative from the South Korean automaker came into my office to introduce his company, which was just arriving in the U.S. market.

“It’s pronounced ‘hun-day,'” he said. “It rhymes with Sunday.”

I was reminded of that while watching this year’s Super Bowl, during which Hyundai ran a few commercials.

One of them, touting the all-new Genesis luxury car, has a Hyundai representative repeating that “Hyundai rhymes with Sunday” line.

After nearly 14 years in the United States, Hyundai still struggles to get people to pronounce the company’s name correctly, and the Super Bowl ad took aim at that.

The ad had a bigger message: With all of the recent great Hyundai vehicles, and especially now with the Genesis in its lineup, this automaker has finally arrived.

But it’s still amazing to me how many people can’t pronounce the name, though — even people in the auto industry who should have known how to say “Hyundai” a long time ago. Even some Hyundai salespeople and dealers can’t seem to get it right.

And during a conference call earlier this month with a knowledgeable auto industry analyst, who was discussing January’s mostly dismal vehicle sales reports, the man kept referring to the company as “hun-die,” rather than “hun-day.” And this man’s office is just a few miles from Hyundai’s U.S. headquarters in Fountain Valley, Calif.

The analyst did note that Hyundai’s January sales were up 14 percent over the same month last year, making the automaker one of only two to show sales gains for the month. The other was Subaru, up 8 percent.

Hyundai’s gain was the result of its great product line, its value-pricing strategy, and, perhaps most of all, its new “Hyundai Assurance” plan, under which the automaker pledges to buy back any new Hyundai during the first year of ownership if the buyer becomes unemployed or can’t work because of health problems.

The Super Bowl ads were intended to boost the company’s once very low public image in the U.S. market, touting such things as the choice of the new Genesis as the “North American Car of the Year” in conjunction with the recent Detroit auto show.

This new luxury car — without a luxury nameplate, but a luxury car nonetheless — also received recognition from the Web site About.com as the “Best New Car of 2009.”

It also was named a “Top 5 Luxury Car for 2009” by NADAguides.com, the consumer Web site operated by the National Automobile Dealers Association.

This full-size sedan also earned five-star safety ratings for both front and side impacts in crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Michael Deitz, Hyundai Motor America’s product planning manager, suggests that the Genesis “has the technology and features comparable to the world’s leading premium sports sedans at a value Mercedes and BMW can’t beat.”

The car has the look and feel of a large, premium European sedan, but with a much lower starting price: just $33,000 (including $750 freight) for a very well-equipped 290-horsepower 3.8-liter V-6 model, and $38,000 for the 4.6-liter V-8 model with an impressive 375 horsepower.

Hyundai said it expects the Genesis to “compete for customers with cars like Lexus ES, Chrysler 300 and Cadillac CTS,” but added that it has performance capabilities and luxury features are “comparable to sedans costing tens of thousands of dollars more.”

The Genesis rides on a new rear-wheel-drive vehicle platform that Hyundai developed specifically for a luxury car, and it has an advanced five-link suspension at all four corners to give it both the ride and handling that consumers expect in a premium sedan.

Both engines come with six-speed automatic transmissions, although the gearboxes are different for each model.

With premium fuel, the V-8 has the 375 horsepower, but it’s also designed to run on regular gas. The horsepower drops just slightly, to 368, with regular, but Hyundai says the car still outperforms “all competitors in specific output,” which is the amount of horsepower per liter of engine displacement.

The Genesis has impressive EPA fuel economy numbers for a car with this much power — 17 mpg city/25 highway for the V-8 and 18/27 for the V-6. Hyundai notes that this is better than many V-6 engines in smaller, midsize cars.

High-tech features abound in the Genesis, as one would expect in a premium vehicle. Available are such items as XM NavTraffic, adaptive headlights, Lexicon audio systems and electronic active head restraints.

Standard on the V-6 model are electronic stability control with traction control, antilock brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear seat-mounted side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags, the electronic front head restraints, fog lights, automatic headlights, dual power/heated outside mirrors with turn signal indicators, heated leather seats with power adjustment up front, cruise control, white and blue interior lighting, keyless entry with pushbutton start, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio controls, dual front fully automatic climate control, auto-dimming rearview mirror with universal garage opener and compass, AM/FM/CD/MP3/XM audio system with iPod/USB and auxiliary input jacks, Bluetooth and floor mats.

The V-8 models come with most of the features of the V-6, plus 18-inch silver alloy wheels, chrome lower body side moldings, upgraded leather seats, leather-wrapped dash and door trim inserts, power glass sunroof with tilt and slide, power tilt-and-telescopic steering column, integrated memory system, Lexicon surround -sound audio system, six-disc CD changer, illuminated scuff plates, wood-trimmed leather steering wheel, power rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers with auto-defogger windshield.

Options include a navigation system, backup camera and ultrasonic parking assist. The Lexicon audio system, which also comes in the Rolls Royce Phantom, has 15 speakers, 500 watts of power and an HD digital radio.

The car seats five, and as a full-size sedan, it’s quite roomy for both front and rear passengers, with lots of rear legroom even when the front bucket seats are pushed all the way back on their tracks.

The car comes with Hyundai’s great warranty, which includes five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper protection, along with 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain coverage, seven-year/unlimited mileage anti-perforation protection, and 24-hour roadside assistance for five years with no mileage limit.

Towing, lockout service and trip-interruption expenses are included.

G. Chambers Williams III
Special to the Star-Telegram
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995.

If you can’t build a great car, build a car with a lot of great stuff in it.

That strategy has served Hyundai well. The South Korean automaker has grown from a bargain-basement brand into a global player by packing its vehicles with more features and selling them at a lower price than the competition.

That “if not better, more” philosophy is on display in the 2009 Genesis, the biggest, most powerful and best-equipped car the automaker has ever offered in the United States.

The rear-wheel-drive Genesis raises Hyundai’s game with a long list of features and a beautifully designed and carefully trimmed interior. Luxury brands such as BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz would be proud to offer the Genesis’ lovely and spacious passenger compartment.

On all those fronts, the Genesis constitutes a major leap for Hyundai, but the big car still lands in the middle of the pack of large sedans priced from the upper $20s to low $40s.

The look and feel of the interior is the Genesis’ only clear win as it competes with models ranging from the sporty Chrysler 300C and Pontiac G8 to the practical Ford Taurus and Toyota Avalon.

The Genesis is Hyundai’s first heavyweight contender, but it fails to throw a knockout punch because of unexceptional fuel economy, derivative styling and cumbersome controls.

Genesis prices, like its upscale interior and rear-drive layout, set a new standard for Hyundai. A base 2009 Genesis 3.8 powered by a 290-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 costs $32,250. The top-of-the-line $37,250 Genesis 4.6 offers the first V-8 Hyundai has sold in the United States, a powerful 4.6-liter, 368-horsepower engine. Both models come with standard six-speed automatic transmissions. The V-6 gets an Aisin gearbox, while the V-8 comes with a ZF transmission.

I tested nicely equipped versions of both cars: a $35,250 3.8 and $41,250 4.6. I had more time to drive the 4.6, so this review focuses on that model. All prices exclude destination charges.

While most automakers have turned to rear-wheel-drive platforms to produce sporty performance sedans with precise handling, Hyundai harked back to the soft-riding days of Buick and Lexus for the Genesis’ handling. The suspension cushions bumps as the Genesis floats down the road in old-style comfort other brands have abandoned as they chase BMW-style performance chic. The downside is a tendency to body roll that discourages enthusiastic driving.

The interior is remarkably quiet, free of vibration, wind and road noise. The Genesis’ cab offers a level of isolation that matches the silence of a Lexus LS.

The powertrains are tuned for confident passing and highway cruising. Acceleration is less invigorating than the horsepower figures might lead you to expect, because the engines produce less torque or peak at higher rpm than the Chrysler 300 or Pontiac G8.

The EPA rated the Genesis’ fuel economy at 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway for the V-6 and 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway for the V-8. The EPA used premium fuel when it tested the V-8. Drivers who choose to run regular can probably expect some deterioration in fuel economy. That usually happens in engines that are tuned for maximum performance with premium gasoline.

For comparison, the 300, G8, Taurus and Avalon all passed EPA muster with regular gas. The front-drive Taurus and Avalon V-6 models got EPA ratings of 18 mpg city/28 highway and 19 city/28 highway, respectively.

V-8 models of the 300 and G8 achieved EPA ratings of 16 city/25 highway and 15 city/24 highway, respectively.

The net effect is that running premium fuel in a V-8 Genesis will add $131 to $213 to your annual fuel bill compared with driving a 300C or G8 GT, according to the EPA’s calculations.

The look and feel of the big Hyundai’s interior is first-class all the way.

Every surface is either padded soft-touch trim or tastefully applied wood or brightwork. A strip of warm chocolate brown leather across the center of the instrument panel — where most automakers would place a strip of wood — in the V-8 I tested was especially appealing.

Passenger room is a generous 109.4 cubic feet. The trunk checks in at 15.9 cubic feet. The passenger compartment tops the 300, Avalon, G8 and Taurus. The Genesis’ trunk size trails the G8 and Taurus, but is larger than the 300 and Avalon.

I found the Genesis’ exterior styling to be derivative. From its Mercedes-style grille and Lexus-like fenders to a BMW-type C-roofline and trunk, the car does not make a visual statement to support its aspirations to change Hyundai’s image.

The Genesis follows Hyundai’s successful pattern of offering a lot — a lot of room, and a lot of features. However, it lacks the clear-cut price advantage that’s been the other half of Hyundai’s formula for success, unless you compare it with luxury models such as the Lexus LS and GS.

I used Edmunds.com to price a Chrysler 300C equipped similarly to the Genesis V-8 I tested. The 300C totaled $42,315 — or $1,065 more than the Hyundai. The Genesis had some features you can’t get on the 300.

By Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press

Hyundai has introduced the latest in automotive cubic zirconia: the Hyundai Genesis.

This sedan has all the hallmarks of a car that costs twice as much, but is it the real deal or a good fake?

The Genesis, the South Korean company’s first rear-wheel-drive car, is the company’s largest at more than 16 feet long. It boasts a roomy cabin for four; five if someone rides atop the rear seat’s hard center section.

The interior decor is striking. The instrument panel and doors are wrapped in leather trim, a touch that costs Hyundai an extra $125 a car. The seats are soft and comfortable, yet prove supportive enough for long hauls. Everything works well, except the software that controls the radio and navigation.

The Genesis has the usual standard luxury gear: heated front seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a push-button starter, a power rear sunshade and a 14-speaker Lexicon audio system.

The test vehicle had a single option, a $4,000 technology package that included an air-conditioned driver’s seat, upgraded 17-speaker audio system, satellite radio, navigation system, rear back-up camera and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

The Genesis offers two engines: a 290-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 or a new, velvety-smooth, 375-horsepower, 4.6-liter V8. Both hitch to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 3.8-liter motor, which allows for 0-to-60-mph acceleration in 6.2 seconds, will provide more than enough power for most drivers.

The car’s true colors are revealed when traveling the third-world road surface of most interstates.

The suspension crashes firmly over bumps, recovering with a compliant motion that doesn’t possess the unruffled smoothness of the finest in its class.

Overall, the Genesis sparkles like a gem.

Larry Printz – MCT News Service
lansingstatejournal.com

If any street in America personifies luxury, it is the aptly named Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Fla. It’s a shopping street for the elite, yet one of the oldest jewelry stores on this rarefied retail strip sells _ gasp! — costume jewelry.

Hoping to mine a similar formula in the car market, Hyundai has introduced the latest in automotive cubic zirconia: the Hyundai Genesis.

This sedan has all the hallmarks of a car that costs twice as much, but is it the real deal or a good fake?

The Genesis, Hyundai’s first rear-wheel-drive car, is the company’s largest at more than 16 feet long. It boasts a roomy cabin for four; five if someone rides atop the rear seat’s hard center section.

The interior decor is striking. The instrument panel and doors are wrapped in leather trim, a touch that costs Hyundai an extra $125 a car. The seats are soft and comfortable, yet prove supportive enough for long hauls.

Everything works well, except for the software that control s the radio and navigation. It seems that Hyundai used BMW’s frustrating I-Drive system as a template, and the result is equally frustrating.

The Genesis has the usual standard luxury gear: heated front seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a push-button starter, a power rear sunshade and a 14-speaker Lexicon audio system.

The test vehicle had a single option, a $4,000 Technology Package that included an air-conditioned driver’s seat, upgraded 17-speaker audio system, satellite radio, navigation system, rear back-up camera and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

But any automaker can dump a load of gear into a car. What separates the gems from the phonies is the experience behind the wheel.

The Genesis offers two engines: a 290-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 or a new, velvety-smooth, 375-horsepower, 4.6-liter V8. Both hitch to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The 3.8-liter motor, which allows for 0-to-60-mph acceleration in 6.2 seconds, will provide more than enough power for most drivers. But true aficionados will want the sublime 4.6. Its effortless acceleration _ from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds _ and muted growl endow this car with the proper attitude for a luxury conveyance. Road, tire and wind noise are well- suppressed.

So far, so good. If the Genesis is a fake, it’s hiding it well.

But the car’s true colors are revealed when traveling the third-world road surface of most Interstates.

The suspension crashes firmly over bumps, recovering with a compliant motion that doesn’t possess the unruffled smoothness of the finest in its class. It’s almost as though the Genesis can’t decide whether to be a German car or a Japanese car.

The car’s styling plays it safe by pirating cues from so many makes that it ensures total anonymity.

Overall, the Genesis sparkles like a gem, and only those who recognize the “H” symbol on the trunk lid will know that it didn’t come from Tokyo or Stuttgart.

Those who will cherish the Genesis are realists who will appreciate the value the car represents. For them, the calculated craft matters more than the resulting image. It’s like buying a Louis Vuitton wallet for $40 from a Manhattan street vendor. Who can tell it’s not real?

But for those automotive romantics who see value in heritage and the racing provenance that underlies such names as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Jaguar, the Genesis will always be the poseur at the party.

What we say:

Automotive cubic zirconia

Pro: Boatloads of luxury

Con: The Hyundai badge

Stats

Engine: 4.6-liter DOHC V8

Wheelbase: 115.6 inches

Length: 195.9 inches

Weight: 4,012 pounds

Cargo space: 15.9 cubic feet

EPA rating (city/highway): 17/25 mpg

Fuel economy: 24.4 mpg

Fuel type: Premium recommended, regular acceptable

Base price: $37,250

As tested: $42,000

Larry Printz, The Virginian-Pilot
GrandForksHerald.com