One of the reasons the world of automobiles never really gets boring is that every now and then something special arrives on the scene, a car that seemingly comes out of nowhere and manages to upstage brands that have been entrenching themselves in a key segment for years.

We had a hint that Hyundai was readying a luxury V8 sedan during the World Soccer Cup in Germany, where the Korean automaker was official vehicle supplier. Word was that some of the sedans supplied to the Cup organizers had V8s under their hoods, but nobody was really sure.

Now, for 2009, the all-new Genesis has arrived at Hyundai dealerships and it’s proved to be a rare example of a product that exceeds all expectations. I imagined that the Genesis would be a decent effort – after all, Hyundai’s mainstream Sonata is surprisingly well-executed and capable for its price range and the smaller products from this automaker are very well done too. But the Genesis is something else altogether. I hesitate to say that it “matches Brand X” for refinement and quality when, in fact, it’s even better than most of its competition – especially when price is considered. This is no mere “almost as good as” automobile.

Like some of its rivals, this rear-wheel drive car has an impressive hunkered-down look with a kind of visual solidity about it. There was no particular effort to create a head-turner here, nor any serious attempt to imitate rivals. It’s simply a very handsome luxury car with cleverly understated lines – the sort of product buyers will like in these “economically challenged” times where displays of obvious wealth can have the worst possible effect on colleagues and employees. Interestingly, nose, grille and fenders have no names or logos of any kind. Possibly, Hyundai skipped the badges so that people who see the car front-end-on don’t go away thinking that this is just another Hyundai (there are logos on the trunk lid, so it’s not THAT anonymous).

When I first drove off in a Genesis, the one factor that impressed me most was its ride and general refinement. It’s so quiet, so silky (even on rough roads), that it felt more like one of the upscale hybrids than anything else. How Hyundai pulled this off with its limited experience in building luxury cars is a mystery, though the company has sold its flagship Grandeur for years in Korea. I drove one some years back in that country and it wasn’t bad, if not in the Genesis‘ class.

The V8 under the hood of the Genesis is Hyundai’s first, but try one of these cars and you might well think they’ve been making them for years. I’ve only tried the V8 version – more thrifty buyers can opt for a V6 if the big engine seems a little over the top. Actually, today’s V8s can be surprisingly economical if the car is driven with a little care and speed limits are heeded. It’s hard to drive the Genesis gently, though, because a dab on the gas pedal produces an exciting surge of acceleration that would shame an awful lot of sports cars. The 32-valve V8 is a 4.6-liter unit that puts out 375-horsepower fed through a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine has dual continuously-variable valve timing, and this probably contributes a great deal to the car’s fuss-free acceleration. It certainly lays down the power with effortless poise and you can be way over the speed limit in a few near-noiseless moments if you don’t keep an eye on the elegant instrument panel. Sound insulation is outstanding – possibly the best I’ve experienced in a sedan this side of a Bentley or a full-size Lexus or German competitor. To get this kind of a feel from a car that’s half the price of some of its close rivals is nothing short of remarkable.

While this is very much a luxury sedan and nobody is pretending it’s a sports car, the Genesis handles very well indeed and certainly has impressively brisk acceleration. A driver who’s had to give up on sportier cars because of family or business needs won’t be very disappointed with switching to a Genesis. It’s worth noting, though, that Hyundai is readying a 2-door version of this car which could well prove a serious low-cost rival to products like the BMW 6-Series.

The interior is a great place to spend trip time with its restrained and tasteful approach to design. The driver is presented with a sensibly-grouped, almost spartan set of controls and instruments – rather than the panorama of gadgetry some cars in this class feature. The fascia incorporates graceful curves and contrasting material tones and many of the functions, including the navigation system, are operated from a large easy-to-grasp knob on the central console. There are certainly fine leathers and burl-wood tones wherever the occupants glance, but it’s all done without flash or flimflam. This relatively plain-jane approach doesn’t mean that the Genesis is scantily equipped. It has just about every convenience you’ll normally find in this class of car. Some reviewers have said that the optional Lexicon 17-speaker sound system in the Genesis is the best they’ve ever heard and I’d find it hard to disagree.

It may not be an easy task for Hyundai to convince potential buyers that they have a real contender in what is a busy vehicle class, but anyone shopping for a mid-sized Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Lexus, Infiniti, Volvo or similar rival should take a close look at the Genesis before they make a final decision.

Source: Automobile.com

The Genesis is Hyundai’s flagship sedan and first foray into the premium luxury sedan segment of the automotive market. The design goal of the Genesis is to deliver equal parts performance and luxury, but with a significantly lower price tag than its targeted rivals. A Hyundai press release states that this car was positioned to compete against cars such as Lexus GS, Infiniti M, Mercedes-Benz E, and BMW 5-series.

Starting at $32,250 for the standard V6 version, Genesis does come with a very competitive amount of luxury and performance. Also available is the 4.6-litre Tau V8 engine, which bumps the starting price to $37,250. The Genesis package encompasses a clean exterior facade, a spacious and highly pleasant interior, and an ample amount of horsepower.

The physical dimensions of the Genesis provide a generous amount of cabin space and a huge trunk. The visibility is superb from inside. The flow of the curve from the front door through the hinges into the front panel is very appealing. I appreciate the modest, unobtrusive design of the CD/DVD unit in the center console. The instrument panel design is conventional and very easy to read. The test vehicle was equipped with the Tech package, which includes a high-end Lexicon speaker system, a navigation system, 6-disc CD/DVD changer, a rear back-up camera, and an advanced multimedia information centre console with iDrive style control dial placed between the center armrest and the gear selector box.

The leather seats are firm and provide good support without being too hard, and with the Technology package, seat cooling is added with the standard heating function. The Technology package model also includes options from the premium package, which includes a power sunroof and 18-inch wheels. Standard amenities include dual-zone climate control, power-adjusted front seats, leather interior, and HomeLink programmable garage door remote, which is built into the rear view mirror.

The 3.8 litre engine produces a maximum of 290 horses at 6,200 rpm, which gives the car good acceleration. With less than 3,100 miles on the odometer, the engine sounded slightly rough when running below 2,000 rpm in the first few gears, and I found the gas consumption to be slightly on the high side in stop-and-go city traffic. However, the sound smoothed out a good deal after a week of driving, I would expect the sound and fuel consumption to improve after putting more mileage on the engine.

Another thing to note is that the Lambda V6 engine only requires standard grade fuel instead of premium, so it’s a bit less costly to fill up the tank. The 6-speed Aisin transmission carries the power to the rear wheels for well-controlled acceleration and the connection feels solid. The Shifttronic transmission allows manual gear selection when the driver wants more control over the gear change. In fully automatic mode, the control logic upshifts at around 2,000 rpm when driving in crowded city traffic. In manual control mode, it seems that for the first couple of gears, the logic will wait until the engine reaches around 3,000 rpm before it upshifts even if you want to change at around 2,000.

The suspension is sport-tuned. For a luxury sedan of this size, the Genesis corners very well. The 18-inch tires and firm suspension hold the car steady on the road when making aggressive turns. I was somewhat surprised by this characteristic, thinking that potential buyers of luxury sedans would be looking for either a softer ride or something firm but with more dampening, rather than a sporty suspension like this; but this design decision gave the Genesis energy and spirit in its ride.

When it comes to stopping, power-assisted 12.6-inch vented-disc brakes in the front and 12.36-inch solid-disc brakes in the rear bring the car to a stop with control and ease. I was impressed by the stopping capability every time I approached a red light.

The Genesis comes with an impressive array of safety features. Besides the great braking performance, the body itself is a high tensile steel unibody with body side reinforcements. Electronic controls include the usual ABS, electronic brake force distribution (EBD), and traction control. In the unfortunate event of a crash, there is a bundle of airbags including front, seat-mounted side-impact, rear outbound, and side-curtain airbags. Another nice touch is the active head restraints on the front seats, which moves forward to reduce/prevent head and neck injury when it senses a rear impact.

The electronic-assisted power steering makes controlling the car’s direction effortless. The handling is quick and responsive, but there is a little bit of ambiguity in the connection between the driver’s hands and the wheels. This and easy steering combined with the superb amount of engine and braking power isolates the driver from feeling the actual weight of this car. It makes driving this vehicle very easy, but under some situations, I wished I had sense of the loading on the tires. This is not a problem when making turns around corners because you can feel the weight being placed on the suspension, but when you come up to a long, constant, curvy stretch of the highway at high speed (sure, we definitely shouldn’t be driving above the legal speed limit, but it does happen), you don’t feel body lean because of the firm suspension. With a lot of weight riding on the tires you don’t have feedback of how well the tires are gripping the road from the steering wheel. According to Hyundai’s official material, the power-assisted steering is engine-rpm-sensing. It would be great if Hyundai engineers would also add a speed-sensing function to the steering so it becomes heavier at faster speeds.

I personally prefer a heavier and more direct steering feel, but other than that, the Genesis delivers plenty of luxury, amenities, safety, and performance with a remarkable price. In the same price range, potential buyers will be weighing the Genesis against the likes of Lexus ES, BMW 3-series, and Infiniti G37. Backed by a 5-year/60,000 mile warranty, it represents a solid entry into the luxury sedan market.

By Titus Hsu
The Epoch Times

Luxury cars run in Simon Smith’s family. His wife drivesan Infiniti, his mom owns a Jaguar, and Smith, who lives near West Palm Beach, Fla., keeps a BMW Z4 in the garage. But the BMW doesn’t get much love these days. Smith, 47, drives another luxury car, which he likens to a classy European sedan. “The workmanship feels solid,” he says, “and you punch the pedal and it goes.” His pride and joy? The 2009 Hyundai Genesis.

Call it a Korean extreme makeover. Hyundai may be known for budget buggies like the Accent and Elantra, but like Japanese carmakers a generation ago, it’s determined to move beyond the econo-box. And the Genesis is its coming-out vehicle. Starting around $33,000, it’s designed to drive alongside the luxury big boys, equipped with a rear-wheel-drive platform, six- or eight-cylinder engine and a cavernous, leather-sheathed cabin. Plus, it’s a ringer for a German or Japanese luxury sedan, as owners like Smith can attest. “People roll down their windows and tell me, ‘Gorgeous car,'” he says.

The Genesis is a bold gamble for Hyundai, which spent $750 million to develop the car and its new eight-cylinder engine–more than on any other model. The Korean firm hopes it will be a “halo” vehicle, whose aura of prestige will lift the whole brand. To help sell it, salesmen have gone to Genesis boot camp, dealerships have received face-lifts, and Hyundai is running a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to convince Americans that a high-performance Korean car isn’t an oxymoron. “This is a very ambitious company,” says John Casesa, an auto-industry consultant. “They want to do in 10 years what it took Toyota and Honda 30 years to do.”

Hyundai has certainly come a long way since its first U.S. model, the $4,995 Excel, trundled onto the market in 1986. The fleet now includes 10 models, from hatchbacks to SUVs. And vehicle quality, once a punch line, is now seriously good. Hyundai scores above average in J.D. Power’s “initial quality” surveys, which measure problems in the first three months of ownership. The Accent and Elantra rank near the top of their categories. And analysts say that Hyundai’s warranty program–10 years or 100,000 miles–has built confidence in the brand. “People are starting to accept that they make good vehicles,” says Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power and Associates.

Yet it’s one thing to sell Sonatas; it’s quite another to muscle in on BMW’s turf. And Hyundai’s timing couldn’t be worse. Car sales are down 13 percent this year, and even luxury brands have begun offering incentives for some models. Hyundai is no longer a wunderkind, either. From 2000 to 2005, its sales nearly doubled, to 455,000, making it the fastest-growing carmaker in the U.S. But since then growth has slowed, and Hyundai has scaled back its goal of selling 1 million vehicles in the U.S. by 2010, aiming now for more than 500,000.

Other challenges abound. Foremost among them: persuading folks to give the car a shot. According to J.D. Power, just 5 percent of new-car test-drivers say they’d consider a Hyundai, let alone a premium model like the Genesis. The road to the luxury-car big leagues is littered with models that earned glowing reviews–and dim sales. (Remember the Volkswagen Phaeton?) Another hurdle for Hyundai is that luxury buyersexpect pampering at the dealership, like massage chairs and black-tie valet service. Indeed, Japanese automakers outgrew their pipsqueak image, in part, by creating separate luxury brands; Lexus and Infiniti lured customers early on by “treating them like a king,” says Tom Gauer, an analyst with J.D. Power. But Hyundai has no spin-off plans, and according to J.D. Power’s 2007 survey of sales satisfaction, its dealerships leave customers feeling somewhat less than royal: The Korean firm scored 22nd out of 36 carmakers for service.

Hyundai National Manager of Product Planning Scott Margason says the “dealer body has gotten stronger” and that the car’s quality and value are what matter–not “a badge and a cappuccino when you’re signing the paperwork.” The Genesis, he points out, rivals the performance of models like the BMW 535i and Mercedes-Benz E350, which cost at least $12,000 more. It’s as spacious as the Mercedes S-Class. It’s quieter, smoother and faster than several higher-end rivals, according to independent track tests conducted by Automotive Marketing Consultants. It’s crammed with standard features like a full leather interior, heated front seats and a hands-free phone system. And it offers a high-end Lexicon audio system similar to one found in the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Hyundai is so confident the car’s a pound-for-pound champ that dealers have installed touch-screen displays so shoppers can compare it with rivals, and ads show it smoking competitors on the test track. But even converts are still self-conscious about the brand. A handful of Genesis owners we contacted say they removed the Hyundai insignias and replaced them with an aftermarket Genesis “wing” to disguise the car’s lineage. For Robert Shelton of San Antonio, it was “a prestige thing.” The car drives beautifully, he says. “I just don’t want to see ‘Hyundai’ on it and wish they’d take it off.”

Source: Smart Money

With the Genesis sedan, automaker makes good first impression in entry-luxury segment

The hotel valet looked at today’s test car and said, “It looks like a Lexus — but it’s a Hyundai!”

That was an astute 10-second assessment, but I wondered how he saw that my Genesis sedan was a Hyundai.

From the front, there is no Hyundai badge on the grille or any company identifier. And the styling, while contemporary, it is also familiar — and so subtle that even I didn’t recognize the car when he pulled it around later in the day after a news conference.

Hyundai is making a big move into the entry-luxury segment with this large-class Genesis. And it can be compared in features and technology with the best luxury marques on sale today. But the company is not just breaking into a new segment, it has to break through a glass ceiling of perception that Hyundai makes economy cars.

Hyundai makes quality vehicles with long warranty coverage through accommodating dealerships. And the company has been gradually moving uplevel with every new generation of its cars and crossovers.

Genesis, like its name, represents the evolution of the company.

If this were the company’s first human son, he’d be facing years of therapy to shoulder the stress of family expectations. But as a car, this one makes a good first impression. Hyundai gave Genesis the budget to be a contender.

This large, rear-wheel-drive sedan is sold in V-6 and V-8 models, with six-speed Shiftronic automatic transmissions. Pricing ranges from $33,000 to $38,000.

The standard equipment is considerable, but the $3,000 Premium Plus package adds desirable extras, including a 14-speaker Lexicon surround sound audio system, leather-wrapped dashboard top (not just a steering wheel), power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, auto-defogging windshield and 18-inch Hyper Silver wheels.

Buyers will surely scrutinize this car, as I did. And they will find attention to refinement in the cabin that some top-tier luxury brands overlook.

It is how quietly the windows glide open and closed. It is in the padded cups of the door grabs and the softly padded armrests. The standard leather upholstery looks like leather, not like extra-thick vinyl. The dark-brown leather in the test car was beginning to show a patina like that of a gently worn bomber jacket. It will age well, while most seat leather doesn’t.

The interior is an environment of fine stitching, tasteful chrome accents, appealing textures and materials. All controls are in place and easy to figure out.

I might have wished for more swagger to the exterior styling, but the architecture has extraordinary interior space: 40.4 inches of headroom and 38.6 inches of rear legroom, with a big, easy-to-access trunk. Visibility is good all around. The doors open wide and seat hip height is comfortable for easy entry and exit.

The driving experience is, like Hyundai, efficient and youthful. The suspension is taut and, perhaps, too firm for those shopping for the Korean Buick. Braking is strong and flat from 12.6-inch discs, which was once the specification size for fast sports cars.

The engines are sophisticated, smooth and all aluminum. The 290-horsepower, 3.8 liter V-6 is plenty powerful while returning 27-plus mpg on the highway using regular unleaded gasoline. The 4.6-liter V-8 has 375-hp on premium fuel or 368-hp on regular. With 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, this engine is just five-tenths of a second faster than the V-6, and still delivers fuel economy of 17/25 mpg.

The car did everything so well in a week of driving more than 300 miles that I had to look deep for complaints, but, of course, found a few. The center back seat is the size of a kindergartner’s chair. The map lights are brilliant white and overwhelming. And now that Suzuki can include a navigation system as standard equipment on its least-expensive car, I expect that type of (standard) differentiator from Hyundai on its most expensive car. Navi with a rearview camera is available in an option package.

The exterior styling is the only vague element to the car. There is some imprint of Lexus — or is it Mercedes-Benz? And the rear quarter has some BMW in it. Hyundai styling is fairly distinct for its mainstream vehicles. You know those Hyundais when you see them. But there needs to be a more distinct DNA for its large and more expensive vehicles, which includes the Veracruz crossover. It is not good enough in today’s market to look a little like this one and a little like that one.

As an entry-level luxury sedan, Genesis may not distract a BMW or Lexus buyer, but it will be an ideal step up for the current Hyundai customer, or those from Honda, Toyota or other imports.

The rear-wheel-drive, large-class Hyundai Genesis sedan is sold in V-6 and V-8 models, with pricing that ranges from $33,000 to $38,000.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8

Body style: large, five-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sedan

Engine: aluminum, 290-horsepower, DOHC 3.8-liter V-6 with continuously variable valve timing

Transmission: six-speed automatic with Shiftronic manual shift mode

Acceleration: 0-60 mph: 6.2 seconds

EPA fuel economy estimates: 18 mpg city, 27 highway; 87 octane recommended

Fuel capacity: 20.3 gallons

DIMENSIONS

Trunk space: 15.9 cubic feet

Front head/leg/shoulder room: 40.4/44.3/58.3 inches

Rear head/leg/shoulder room: 37.3/38.6/57.9 inches

Length/wheelbase: 195.9/115.6 inches

Curb weight: 3,748 pounds

FEATURES

Standard equipment includes: automatic lock/unlock with electric push-button ignition, fog lights, automatic headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, acoustic laminated windshield and front side glass, dual power heated body-colored side mirrors with turn signal indicators, leather seating surfaces with heated front seats, power front seats, cruise control, floor mats, electroluminescent instrument cluster, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio controls, dual zone automatic climate control, electrochromic rear view mirror with HomeLink integrated transceiver and compass, CD audio system with XM satellite radio and iPod-USB input jacks, Bluetooth hands-free phone system

Safety features include: advanced front air bags, front and rear seat-mounted side bags, roof-mounted side curtain bags, electronic active front head restraints, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic stability control with traction control

PRICING

Base: $33,000, including $750 freight charge; price as tested, $36,000

Options on test car: Premium Plus package, $3,000, includes 18-inch Hyper Silver alloy wheels and 235/50 tires; Lexicon 14-speaker surround sound audio system; leather-wrapped dashboard and door trim; power tilt-slide sunroof; power tilt-telescopic steering column; memory presets for seats and mirrors; rain-sensing wipers; auto-defogging windshield

Final assembly: Ulsam, Korea

By Mark Maynard, Wheels editor

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — There’s a new luxury car on the market, but if you saw it, you’d be hard-pressed to figure out who makes it. That’s because the new Genesis is nothing like Hyundai’s more basic models.

This new large sedan definitely gives off a luxury vibe. The front end and grille might remind you of a Mercedes-Benz, while the taillights mimic those of some current BMW models. Inside, the overall look, and even the details, suggest a Lexus.

But it’s none of those upscale cars. This is a Hyundai. The new Genesis sedan breaks new ground for the Korean brand.

“Here you’ve got a vehicle that can give you a lot of those creature comforts and a smooth ride and plenty of power,” said James Bell, Intellichoice.com. “But then also be fiscally much more responsible.”

The Genesis is a true luxury car, with all the ingredients for an upscale driving experience, including an optional V-8 engine.

The one thing you won’t find on or in this car: the word “Hyundai.” Only a simple badge that proclaims it the Genesis model, plus Hyundai’s stylized “H” logo here and there.

It would seem that Hyundai doesn’t necessarily want anyone to think of this premium-class car as a Hyundai.

“Hyundai’s got a big reputation, impression job to build,” said James Bell. “And so by leaving the name off, that might help them out.”

One thing Hyundai is proud to display on the Genesis is the sticker price: from $33,000, to $42,000 with all the options — a downright bargain in the luxury arena.

Will the Genesis attract luxury buyers who may be looking at a Lexus or Mercedes? Well … maybe. But what this new Hyundai is more likely to do is raise the overall image of the entire Hyundai brand.

For example, the mid-size Hyundai Sonata has often been thought of as a bargain-bin alternative to the Accord and Camry, but now it might get some upscale cred.

“To know that you now have a line of vehicles that you can kind of aspire to, that’s something Hyundai has never really had before,” said Bell. “Especially when the Genesis coupe comes out later.”

That coupe debuts next spring, and promises impressive performance, another attribute of upscale luxury brands. It will also be branded as a Genesis to complement the sedan.

If the Genesis line impresses enough people, the words “Hyundai” and “luxury” may end up no longer being mutually exclusive terms.

By Dave Kunz

CHICAGO — When I first saw the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, I thought it looked nice in a nondescript sort of way. There’s no badge embossed on the grille, but its shoulders are wide and there’s a sense of power to it.

But when I parked on the street in Chicago, it seemed everyone walked by it, smiling, nodding in approval, stopping by to tell me how nice the car was. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction.

Standing in the middle of Koreatown on the north side of the Windy City may have had something to do with the reactions, but they were right.

The new top dog for the South Korea-based company takes on the likes of Mercedes and Lexus with considerable aplomb.

It’s a flagship with something even Lincoln lacks: a V-8. However, even Hyundai executives point out that only 20 percent of models sold will carry the beefier engine.

While Hyundai used to carry the reputation as the “less expensive” carmaker, it’s been polishing its reputation with consumers, creating a new image of itself: Genesis could be just the beginning. It’s as if Hyundai has performed well in prep school, won a scholarship to Harvard and graduated at the top of its class.

Here’s why: At $40,000, the Genesis is an exceptional vehicle, but this one starts at $33,000.

For me, entry level luxury cars must do two things extremely well: offer a superior ride and remind me how special I really am. There’s a whole genre of entry level sport luxury that pairs performance and craftsmanship, and many cars such as the Cadillac CTS and BMW 3 Series fit well in that area. Hyundai aimed at a different target. It hit a sweet spot somewhere between a boring Buick and an overcomplicated Acura.

On the highway, it’s quiet and comfortable. Hyundai covers the basics extremely well: cutting wind and engine noise to extremely low levels. The interior is plush, understated and simplified. The brown leather trim across the front of the dash could come from an antique book, and the heated steering wheel could warm up leftovers. Every control is at my fingertips through the center console’s single control knob — similar to the systems offered by German luxury carmakers. Sit, spin, command.

By the time I finished the five-hour trip to Chicago, I still felt fresh and relaxed. The smooth ride stems from the five-link front and rear suspension, 115.6-inch wheelbase and the 18-inch wheels. (The V-6 model comes with 17-inchers.) I crossed all types of pavements along the way — seamed concrete, quiet asphalt and the post-apocalyptic ruins along patches of the Dan Ryan Expressway.

The 4.6-liter V-8 performed phenomenally, especially on the highway near the Loop. Detroiters may complain about traffic, but it’s nothing compared to Chicago’s. There, you need a big car to wedge your way into the express lane and enough power to blast past the driver in the Mercedes on a cell phone.

The 368-horsepower V-8 manhandles the car on the open road and in Chicago’s high-speed tight traffic. (It can hit 375 horsepower with premium fuel, but I’m just too cheap.) It also produces 324-pound-feet torque and moves smoothly through the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

While it can go from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds, the 4,000 pound body seemed a little heavy for tight cornering on city streets, as the body would roll, and electro-hydraulic steering felt a little loose at slower speeds. After all, it’s a big car — stretching 195.9 inches — so I wasn’t expecting a sprinter. But really, it’s a minor complaint. It has the muscle and the underpinnings to perform at exceedingly high levels.

Another area where I thought the Genesis performed poorly was in the snow. The electronic stability control and traction control kicked on at the millisecond of wheel spin. While this is good in most conditions, when stopped on snow, it leaves the rear wheels sputtering for traction. An all-wheel-drive model might help it in weather conditions tougher than Southern California’s extreme sunshine, but there are no plans for such a model.

I’m even more curious to test the 3.8-liter V-6 model, which touts 290-horsepower and 264-pound-feet torque, with a body weight 250 pounds lighter than its V-8 brother. The heavy body may cut into the car’s fuel performance: 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway for the V-8, and 18/27 for the V-6.

The Genesis really shines inside. There is more than 44 inches of legroom in the front and 38 inches of legroom in the back. Fill it up with five adults and every one has enough leg and elbow room to sit comfortably. The 15.9 cubic feet of truck space also offers ample room to hold everything from four sets of golf clubs to luggage.

The dash carries a graceful curve across the middle and then narrows out on the edges. A metallic U envelopes the 8-inch digital display screen that is neatly pushed into the canted dash to cut down on glare from the sun.

The Lexicon 14-speaker stereo can play your iPod, connect any other music device, satellite radio and anything you can cram onto an USB thumb drive.

Hyundai also uses a cool blue lighting scheme at night that works well with the black-faced instruments. It’s easy on the eyes and lets you adjust to the Xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps, which feature an auto leveling feature that keeps the lights on the road, no matter how the sedan is loaded.

As for the car’s profile, the back looks slightly higher than the front, giving it that sporty wedge look, though its sheer size and gracious roofline provide luxury sedan appeal.

The front wheel is pushed forward while the back allows for some overhang. The front end is powerful with its horizontal grille and black intake below the bumper.

My feeling is that as Hyundai was taking a big risk entering the rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan market already, it wasn’t going to take too much of a risk with the exterior. It’s conservative. Then again, so are the people who will buy it.

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