2009 Hyundai Genesis
by Jim Prueter -02/2009

All-new Genesis makes huge impression

It was 1986 when South Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai first started importing vehicles to the U.S., beginning with the dreadful Excel at a base price of $4,995.

Since then, Hyundai has kept chipping away, improving its name and image, and now making some of the best-built vehicles in the world, according to quality experts like J.D. Powers & Associates. Really. It’s quite astounding how far they’ve come in such a short period of time. So much so, that their newest product offering, Genesis, was just named 2009 North American Car of the Year.

Genesis is Hyundai’s most expensive automobile yet, aimed at what is known as the “near-luxury” segment. That is, vehicles priced between $30,000 to about $42,000.

Genesis is a big, rear-wheel-drive premium sedan that audaciously compares itself to Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti. While the Hyundai name doesn’t carry the panache of those brands, our weeklong test drive left us with the impression it’s easily “as good as.”

Better yet, with a base price starting at $33,000, it’s an astonishing amount of car for the money.

Genesis is offered in a choice of a 3.8-liter, 290-horsepower V-6 or a 4.6-liter V-8 that delivers 375 horsepower. A smooth shifting six-speed automatic transmission is standard on both models. The V-8 is just $38,000, adds considerably more standard equipment and undercuts luxury brands by a lot. Of course, you won’t get prestige of the special hood badging associated owning one of those brands. In fact, Hyundai doesn’t even put its flying H emblem on the vehicle.

A Genesis coupe will be available this spring in GS, GT or top line SE trims. The GS will get a 212-horsepower turbo four cylinder, the GT a 306-horsepower V-6 and the SE, a choice of either. With a base price expected to be in the range of $20,000 to $26,000, we don’t expect it to be in the same class as the Genesis sedan.

We tested the 3.8 Genesis and, in my opinion, it had plenty of power. The engine was smooth and quiet upon acceleration; it goes from zero to 60 mph at about six seconds.

Inside, heated leather seats are standard. The 4.6 gets premium leather and cooled seats. Seats are comfortable with ample adjustment options, but taller drivers like me will wish that the seat would travel a bit farther back. Rear seat legroom is more than plentiful, but a third passenger has to straddle the drivetrain hump in the floor and taller passengers could use a bit more headroom.

Dash and door panel trim was finished in an optional rich-looking hand-stitched leather wrap as part of the $3000 optional Premium Plus Package that includes 18-inch alloy wheels, surround sound audio system, power sunroof, power tilt and telescoping steering column, memory seats, rain-sensing wipers and auto-defogging windshield. A power rear sunshade is standard and unusual in this price of vehicle.

There’s a long list of standard safety features including eight airbags, electronically enabled head restraints in the front seat, electronic stability and traction control, and antilock braking system. Genesis earned the highest government safety rating of 5 stars in front, side and rollover crash tests.

But as good as Genesis is and as much as we were impressed with Hyundai’s first attempt at an upscale vehicle, we thought the ride was bouncy. Every pavement imperfection resonated back into the cabin and was felt by the driver and passengers.

The ride became so distracting and annoying, we thought it a deal breaker for purchase consideration. It’s too bad, because every other execution with the vehicle is simply outstanding. Maybe the ride just got into my head so much so that I simply couldn’t stop thinking about it. Other auto reviewers who have tested the vehicle didn’t have the same complaint, so we’ll leave it to you to decide.