Replacing Front Passenger Seat on the Genesis

[cw_353128]

My wife and I do a lot of traveling and we split the driving 50/50. I have read much about the Hyundai Genesis and went for a test drive today with high hopes of purchasing one at our local dealship. We came away from our visit very disappointed with the front passenger seat. We could not believe that for a vehicle as nice as the Genesis, Hyundai did not have an option to add the same controls found on the driver seat to the passenger seat. Basically, the passenger seat base moves forward and backward. Most luxury sedans give you an option to have the same seat controls on the driver and passenger seats.

Question: Is it possible to install with controls a driver seat on the passenger side of the Genesis? Has anyone ever tried this?

I know, I know! What a crazy idea! Not if two people plan to put 100,000 miles on the car over the next 4-5 years.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Dimitry]

I'm sure the KDM version has the full movement features - but it would be a hefty price to find and import it and install it here

 

[Mark_888]

When you say the passenger seat moves forward and backward only, I assume you understand that the seat back angle is also adjustable. Are these really not sufficient enough for a passenger?

 

[flyboy2]

My wife and I do a lot of traveling and we split the driving 50/50. I have read much about the Hyundai Genesis and went for a test drive today with high hopes of purchasing one at our local dealship. We came away from our visit very disappointed with the front passenger seat. We could not believe that for a vehicle as nice as the Genesis, Hyundai did not have an option to add the same controls found on the driver seat to the passenger seat. Basically, the passenger seat base moves forward and backward. Most luxury sedans give you an option to have the same seat controls on the driver and passenger seats.

Question: Is it possible to install with controls a driver seat on the passenger side of the Genesis? Has anyone ever tried this?

I know, I know! What a crazy idea! Not if two people plan to put 100,000 miles on the car over the next 4-5 years.

Thanks for your help.

CW for you to bring up something so trite deserves a trite response. Go spend $25K more and get a Mercedes. I personally think the passenger seat is more comfortable then the drivers seat-- 110K miles? Put a queen bed in the trunk. It's big enough.

 

[DavidNJ]

Hardly trite. It was a BIG complaint about the original M35/45 Infiniti and corrected in the third year of production. It is was a key distinguishing feature of family sedans to near-luxury/luxury sedans, although now many family sedans have it.

Tilting the passenger cushion is a necessary to adjustment to get adequate thigh support. Lumbar adjustment is available in many cars for the passenger.

Let's see what the 2011 is like. This would be a big issue for me also.

 

[GripperDon]

It telling someone their comment is trite, necessary?

 

[tjc78]

It is a big deal for some. It was also a big complaint on the 2005+ Avalon and Toyota did the right thing in 08 offering a fully adjustable passenger seat as an option.

 

[nearwater]

Lack of height adjustment and the cooling feature on the passenger seat is disappointing, no doubt.
Heck, even a Buick LaCrosse/Lucerne have cooled seats on both fronts.
My better half is just as important, if not more, to me.

Dan

 

[flyboy2]

It telling someone their comment is trite, necessary?

Yes. I can't stand winers, looky loos and stupid posts. The car is gathering excitement for "value and its looks". For someone to come on this site and say this and that is missing obviously doesn't realize that if these items were added then the car would lose that "value" because of an increased price. Then you're back to your Lexus, MB.

I admire the people that have purchased this car because they're leaders and innovators. There are three types of people in this World- Those that "make" things happen, those that "watch" things happen and those that say "what happened"?

 

[jwaters943]

I can't think of any easy/affordable way to add this feature so you might be better off looking elsewhere if it's a deal breaker for you.

FWIW, many manufacturers do this (Acura comes readily to mind).

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[Sayantsi]

Assuming the wiring harness is capable of supporting such a seat, you'd need to have a seat bottom at least shipped over from Korea, or a whole seat if they don't come apart. From there its just a matter of installing the seat and powering it properly. There also may be an issue with the airbag system, since the passenger seat has pressure sensors that control the airbag, you'd need to see if they will work, or if you care.

Assuming Korean cars have 8-way adjustable passenger seats, its doable, you'd just need to cover the cost of shipping and installation.

 

[DavidNJ]

Yes. I can't stand winers, looky loos and stupid posts. The car is gathering excitement for "value and its looks". For someone to come on this site and say this and that is missing obviously doesn't realize that if these items were added then the car would lose that "value" because of an increased price. Then you're back to your Lexus, MB.

I admire the people that have purchased this car because they're leaders and innovators. There are three types of people in this World- Those that "make" things happen, those that "watch" things happen and those that say "what happened"?

We just thought you were rude. Now we know you are also uninformed.

This is a feature that was not on family sedans, bitterly complained about to many manufacturers when they send cars without it to the US, and corrected by Toyota, Nissan, etc.

That it is missing here is just an indication that someone in the product planning department didn't have an understanding of the market. A Honda Accord buyer stepping up wouldn't notice. Anyone who who buys luxury cars would...immediately.

Note, Hyundai isn't totally oblivious. They have Mercedes style power seat controls on the door for the Equus.

 

[ctrcbob]

Lack of height adjustment and the cooling feature on the passenger seat is disappointing, no doubt.
Heck, even a Buick LaCrosse/Lucerne have cooled seats on both fronts.
My better half is just as important, if not more, to me.

Dan

Ditto!

It is important to me. Lucky for me, my wife mostly sits in the passenger seat. When I first had her drive, and I sat in the passenger seat, my first thought was WTF?

 

[oreipa]

You cannot simply use a driver's seat as the seat airbag would then be on the inside of the car between the driver and passenger. Now a seat bottom mixed with a passenger seat back might be possible, but I've looked into buying OEM seats for other cars, and it's generally cost prohibitive.

 

[tjc78]

Pure speculation here, however, I would assume that the power seat assembly can be removed from the seat bottom. That means you would be on the hook for the tracks/motors/ and switch assembly. You still wouldn't have the power lumber but would be able to have all 8 adjustments.

Having said that, quite a few years back on my 93 Taurus they had to replace the power seat assembly on the passenger side and IIRC the bill was over $1400 thank God I had an extended warranty on that car.

So as others have mentioned most likely the cost wouldn't be worth it. The parts alone have to be over $1000.

 

[Sayantsi]

Even $2500 is less money than $25000 to get into a Mercedes of Lexus.

If Korean cars have the seat already, there's a high chance the seat would be plug and play. For all we know, the motor assembly is the same for both seats and in the US you'd just need to install that.

 

[nearwater]

Having said that, quite a few years back on my 93 Taurus they had to replace the power seat assembly on the passenger side and IIRC the bill was over $1400 thank God I had an extended warranty on that car.

So as others have mentioned most likely the cost wouldn't be worth it. The parts alone have to be over $1000.

That's exactly what disappoints me.
For the customers to add this feature, it'll run more than $1k.
I bet my paycheck that the manufacturing cost difference between the 4-way and an 8-way power seat is less than $100.
Why not raise the MSRP $100~$120 more and include this feature?

I understand they have to think about cost savings and decided to not offer the front camera, motorized/heated rear seats, rear monitors, air suspension, motorized trunk, electronically folding side mirrors, etc.,
but why skim on such a basic lux feature like the passenger's seat?

Dan

 

[GripperDon]

Yes. I can't stand winers, looky loos and stupid posts. The car is gathering excitement for "value and its looks". For someone to come on this site and say this and that is missing obviously doesn't realize that if these items were added then the car would lose that "value" because of an increased price. Then you're back to your Lexus, MB.

I admire the people that have purchased this car because they're leaders and innovators. There are three types of people in this World- Those that "make" things happen, those that "watch" things happen and those that say "what happened"?

Not going to get a fight going, so O.K. You very definitely have a right to your personal opinions and the right to state them.
I would personally not say something like that so that is my right also and since I have over 100 granted patents I think I do make things happen.

So I apologize for questioning you.

 

[dataguy]

I understand why it's important for some. It's certainly a "nice to have" at minimum. But it's clear that Hyundai cut corners to try to contain costs, and it's also clear that some of the features and options that Genesis owners desire will be offered first on the Equus and then probably in the mid-cycle refresh of the Genesis, probably at increased sticker price.

That's probably going to be disappointing for those who are buying the Genesis based primarily on price point (i.e. getting near lux without having to pay lux). Those who could afford a luxury sedan probably don't care whether it's a few thousand more. You can afford a several "few thousand more"s before you're in the price range of the segment leaders.

Even if it was feasible to supply chain lots of options on a low volume vehicle at a low price point, I'm not sure that it's advantageous to move toward a Mini model -- unless you like stripped base models. I'm amused that after you run through the configurator on a Mini, you have a customized car at nearly twice the MSRP that you started with.

 

[flyboy2]

Not going to get a fight going, so O.K. You very definitely have a right to your personal opinions and the right to state them.
I would personally not say something like that so that is my right also and since I have over 100 granted patents I think I do make things happen.

So I apologize for questioning you.

Gripper no need to apologize. I wasn't offended. I'm glad you "make things happen". The country needs more of you-- instead of people living off the government. Uupps- didn't mean to get into politics.