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
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