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By Mike Hanley
Cars.com
July 29, 2008
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.
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