2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8
One of the blessings of being an auto journalist is the exposure to six-figure cars. Along with that come inevitable questions from neighbors about my thoughts on the various rides they see parked in the building’s communal garage. But I was genuinely puzzled when one resident asked how I’d liked the new Bentley I’d just had for a week. I scratched my head, as there’d been no Crewe-built car for me of late. After inquiring about the color of said machine, I realized my neighbor was referring to the new Genesis sedan that I’d just spent a week enjoying.
The second generation of Hyundai’s upscale sedan certainly looks expensive, what with its large-and-in-charge grill (with nothing but a winged, Genesis logo above it), expansive size, clean surfacing and beautiful, matt-finished trim. But a Bentley?
While that may be a less than common assumption from onlookers, it wasn’t too far off in terms of Hyundai’s ambitions. I can remember, way back in the TwenCen, when the company said they’d be the fifth largest car company in the world soon. And it happened. Now, they’ve hired Lotus, another legendary English company, to tune the Genesis’ ride, handling, steering feel and other driver control interfaces. The results are tangible: the car has a very British feel in the way it deals with broken pavement, turns and steers—even the throttle tip-in is polished and precise. While it’s no sports sedan, the Genesis certainly has the air of a European luxury sedan.
The Hyundai’s interior does nothing to detract from the premium vibe; its clean design, extremely high quality materials (at least in the as tested, top trim level), very comfy front and rear seats, open pore wood and thick carpeting all bespeak careful development. It’s also extremely quiet and refined.
One area where the Genesis trails the best is in its infotainment interface, which is a bad copy of the systems in all the German manufacturers’ cars, with a wheel-type controller and large central screen. Where it beats most everyone is in the content and clarity of its head up display; not only does it tell you how fast you’re going, music and nav info, but also the speed limit, lane departure warning symbols and telltales from the blind spot monitors, meaning you almost never need take your eyes off what’s in front of you. It’s really quite amazing that no one else has done this before.
The test Genesis was powered by the 3.8-liter, corporate V6. In the new model, torque is up a nominal couple pound-feet at slightly lower RPM, while horsepower is actually down 22 horses to 311hp. Regardless, the powerplant is pleasing to use, especially in the way power burgeons as the revs rise. Ably abetting it is the company’s own, in house eight-speed automatic, whose perfect shifts really show how seriously Hyundai’s powertrain software engineers take their duties. This engine is available with rear- or all-wheel drive, while the larger V8 only comes with the first option. The Genesis runs 0-60mph in about six seconds, which is class-competitive if not compelling. Likewise its real-world fuel economy of roughly 19-20mpg in mixed use is about right for this size and power of automobile.
Perhaps the real question is how many folk will drop almost 50 grand on a car from a company that doesn’t yet really command premium car status. Yet looked at as a BMW 5-series for 3-series money—with the look of a six-figure car—the Genesis starts to make a lot of sense.
EPA ratings: 18/29mpg; 22mpg combined
Price as tested: $49,950
Here is what Hyundai has to say.
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