Lots of car for your coin; great looks inside and out; obvious quality; nice drive
A bit harsh on poor roads
Back in 1986 when Hyundai launched in Australia with a budget-busting small car a couple of other brands were kicking-off – that would be Lexus and Infiniti, the upscale, up-market sub-brands of Toyota and Nissan. Hyundai is now the world’s number seven-ranked automotive brand and is worth around $8.0 billion.
And now, with the second-generation model being built in right-hand-drive, Hyundai Australia has decided the time is right to introduce ‘Downunder’ its own upscale, up-market model called Genesis. The Genesis continues to sell in massive numbers in North America, dominating its market segment, and in many ways you really don’t need to drive it – just a cursory glance at these photos shows the handsome styling inside and out and it’s a fair assumption the 3.8-litre V6 engine and eight-speed auto will be powerful and refined.
But, more to the point, we could skip the test drive and order a Genesis over the telephone because such is the phenomenal progress of Hyundai since 1986, we can take it as ‘given’ that the Genesis will be state-of-the-art for technology and features, beautifully-screwed together and very competent when the road gets curvy. And in terms of safety, the Hyundai Genesis recorded 36.88 out of a possible 37 to post the highest score so far achieved in local ANCAP barrier testing.
Hyundai Genesis Overview
Hyundai says the Genesis represents a shift in its brand and says of its premium mid-size sedan: ‘This Is New Thinking’. That’s true - as we’ve seen by the astonishing sales success of Hyundai’s premium mid-sizer in North America (winner of North American ‘Car Of The Year’ and at one stage commanding 46 per-cent of sales in the ‘Mid Luxury’ segment).
Launch of the all-new Genesis locally culminates five years work by Hyundai Australia – the company was captivated by the model’s massive U.S. sales and lobbied hard get the replacement version made in right-hand-drive. Indeed in North America you can buy a V8-powered Hyundai Genesis and a coupe version, but at this stage these vehicles are only slated for left-hand-drive production.
In a nutshell, the Hyundai Genesis is roughly the same size as a Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5-Series but with a wheelbase which is actually longer than a Holden Caprice.
Hyundai Australia has launched its mid-size luxury sedan in three models – the standard version is priced at $60,000, mid-grade ‘Sensory Pack’ is stickered at $71,000 while the range-topping ‘Ultimate Pack’ will set you back $82,000.
While all are massively equipped and have the same driveline, the ‘Sensory Pack’ adds high-tech items like Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist, Head-Up Display, Around-View Monitor, upscale leather interior, power bolster for the drivers’ seat, electric tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, auto-dipping exterior mirrors, interior C02 sensor and LED front fog-lights.
The ‘Ultimate pack’ gets all that and goes further with extras such as a panoramic glass roof, automatic soft-closing doors, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, electric bootlid closing, seven-inch LCD ‘Supervision’ instrument cluster, 19-inch alloy wheels with high-performance Dunlop tyres, illuminated front scuff plate sand rear window curtains.
Hyundai Genesis Engine
The rear-wheel-drive Genesis debuts in Australia Hyundai’s ‘Lambda II’ 3.8-litre direct-injection naturally-aspirated V6 engine. Maximum power is 232kW at 6,000rpm and peak torque of 397Nm at 5,000rpm (90 per-cent of that peak torque is available between 2,000rpm and 6,000rpm).
Zero to 100km/h can be achieved in 6.5 seconds and fuel consumption is rated at 11.2l/100kms.
By way of comparison – for the V6-pwered Holden Calais you’re looking at 210kW/350Nm and zero to 100km/h in about the same time.
The Genesis exclusively drives via Hyundai’s own eight-speed automatic transmission with ‘Shiftronic’ manual function.
Hyundai Genesis The Interior
Hyundai Genesis stamps its mark as a genuine luxury sedan with a very classy interior – lots of real aluminium trim highlights, soft-touch surfaces and, in ‘Sensory’ and ‘Ultimate’ packs, beautiful leather trim. Even the centre console analogue clock bristles with high-tech – it’s a 3D look with automatic GPS-based time correction.
The steering wheel is a beautiful design, leather wrapped and in ‘Sensory’ and ‘Ultimate’ has electronic adjustment for rake/reach (manual adjustment for the regular model) which combines with lots of seat adjustment for a top-shelf driving position. Instruments are housed in a nicely-shaped binnacle (seven-inch LCD ‘Supervision’ cluster in ‘Ultimate’, there’s a head-up display in ‘Sensory’ and ‘Ultimate’ and clever design minimizes reflections on the windscreen.
Centre dashboard is a massive 9.2-inch capacitive touchscreen for the satellite navigation, climate control and audio. The latter is an excellent 17-speaker system from the Grammy Award winning Lexicon company.
It’s all very spacious too (the 3010mm wheelbase is 1.0mm longer than a Holden Caprice) and Hyundai says front seat legroom is greater than both BMW 5-Series and Holden Commodore. Rear seat space too is very good and the seat itself is nicely supportive.
For cargo space, you can chalk-up 493-litres in the boot (520-litres for the BMW 5-Series).
Hyundai Genesis Exterior & Styling
Hyundai Genesis is from the new school of Hyundai styling called ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0’. This adopts a cleaner, simpler look than the original ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ philosophy which debuted back in 2010 with the iX35 compact SUV.
Viewed from the side, the Hyundai Genesis highlights the classic rear-wheel-drive proportions of a long bonnet and sleek silhouette. It’s low and wide with short overhangs front and rear for a sporty touch.
The tale of the tape sees an overall length of 4990mm (91mm longer than a BMW 5-Series and 43mm longer than a Holden Commodore) and width of 1890mm (30mm wider than a 5-Series or 8mm narrower than the Commodore).
We’re very keen on the powerful-looking front-end highlighted by that gorgeous one-piece hexagonal grille, dynamic HID headlights, LED indicators and DRLs. Same for the rear - also a powerful look with an aero-shaped bootlid and sweeping tail-lights.
Hyundai Genesis On The Road
Hyundai tasked us with a couple of circuits of some familiar roads from the nation’s capital through southern NSW and back to Canberra Airport. Hmmm…nice mid-size rear-drive V6 sedan, a sunny day and roads we know offer some terrific bends – not too bad all things considered!
We were immediately impressed by the refinement of the Hyundai Genesis – in this department Hyundai’s mid-size sedan genuinely belongs in the luxury end of the spectrum. That shouldn’t surprise with an additional engine bay bulkhead, some 38kgs of sound-deadening materials and, in the ‘Ultimate’ (the first model we drove) acoustic glass.
Another factor may be the extensive use of ultra high tensile steel (Hyundai has not followed others using aluminium body components to save weight) which accounts for 51 per-cent of the body.
Hyundai also called in the experts for suspension tuning. Initial tuning in North America was assisted by British sports car specialists Lotus and then in Australia some 40 different combinations of hardware and countless different tuning set-ups were trialed before the final ‘Downunder’ suspension specification was finalized.
Genesis runs a slick multi-link suspension system front and rear with variable drive modes (‘Sport’ firms things up and shortens shift times in the transmission).
On the twisty stuff the Hyundai Genesis again impressed with its refinement and we really liked the direct response of the motor-driven power steering system and the reaction from the front end on turn-in – very precise.
We also liked the 3.8-litre V6 which was responsive and refined across the range although ‘kick-downs’ in the eight-speed automatic transmission were sometimes a tad abrupt.
Hyundai Genesis Issues
Coming out of a harsh winter, some of those rural roads in Southern NSW and the ACT were at their worst with loose broken surfaces and pot holes. Over those rubbish conditions we reckon the local suspension tune for the Hyundai Genesis had a bit too much rebound which can make for a little harshness in the rear-end (exaggerated with the 18-inch alloy wheels on the ‘Ultimate’ model).
Hyundai Genesis Verdict
Wow! No wonder North American buyers have fallen in love with the Hyundai Genesis…and this new-generation model will no doubt be a hot-seller there as well.
Only time will tell if the Genesis does in fact shift perceptions of the Hyundai brand overall in Australia. What we can say right here and now is - in a pure product sense - the Genesis is indeed a very fine mid-size sedan.
As I haven’t driven the Korean specification Hyundai Genesis I can’t make direct comparisons on subsequent suspension tune. But there’s no doubt the 232kW/397Nm V6 and eight-speed automatic transmission are slick operators and, notwithstanding that poor road rear-end harshness, the chassis is refined and pointy.
Combine that with the handsome styling, massive equipment levels (which underpins that great value-for-money) and comprehensive after-sales support and the overall package is very alluring. Yep, the Hyundai Genesis is a car we would happily have permanently in the www.carshowroom.com.au garage.
Hyundai Genesis The Competition
Hyundai makes direct comparisons with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series and in that realm (with prices starting at $80,400) it’s true that the Genesis does come fully loaded with lots of luxury and technology at very sharp prices.
You’d have to look at Lexus GS 250 from $77,000. Making direct comparisons with the Hyundai Genesis’ equipment levels will be an exacting science.
We’d throw-in the Infiniti Q70 ($75,900 to $87,900 for non-hybrid models) and yes, again the Hyundai Genesis again stacks-up very well in direct specification comparisons.
