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2009 Hyundai Genesis Preview

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of the word “genesis” is

This is Korea's ultimate car. (Photo: Hyundai)

as follows: the origin or coming into being of something. There couldn't be a better name or a more apt description of Hyundai's new flagship vehicle than Genesis. For years Hyundai has upped its game, focusing on quality, durability and reliability, and has succeeded. Now it's confident enough in its progress to charge into previously uncharted territory. This brand, which wasn't even much more than a bottom feeder in North America some twenty years ago, is now a major threat to the biggest and most established players in the industry. So, it's going to be a very important occasion when this brand launches its flagship car, a vehicle that will no doubt set the standard for affordable luxury.

The image that Hyundai has been building up recently has been more refined and sophisticated, and for its flagship? The styling, well, it's easy on the eyes, but it isn't exactly distinctive. From the front, there's a lot of Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the grille and quite a bit of Lexus LS 460 in the headlamps. From the side, it sort of looks like an Infiniti G, and from the rear there are hints of BMW 5- and 7-Series. Mind you, the fact that Hyundai

Although it looks classy and handsome, there isn't much character to the Genesis' design. (Photo: Hyundai)

is drawing from some of the best-known brands in the luxury sector is no bad thing, it's just that the car doesn't have much Hyundai design character to it. To be fair, however, after about 20 years of sales success, Toyota's Lexus division only just started offering cars with unique styling, with its initial cars paying much homage to Mercedes-Benz. Still, at least Lexus made it possible to distinguish its brand identity when an ES or LS was traveling toward you. To further confuse onlookers as to what the Genesis is, you probably have noticed that it's completely unbadged from the front. This is sure to raise questions. As one of our staff pointed out, what sort of flagship is too embarrassed to wear the company logo? This is the equivalent to a famous painter intentionally not signing his or her masterpiece, a mistake Hyundai previously made with its XG300 and 350, corrected with the Azera. A small, discreet badge centered on the grille's topmost chrome strip would be enough, and help change Hyundai's image on the street when pedestrians catch sight of the car while walking by.

A different tone is set by the Genesis' interior, and a much more impressive one at that. The first thing that will catch most people's eyes is something that isn't found on any other Hyundai – a navigation screen. This will be the first Hyundai offered here in North America to get one, and bodes well for other Hyundai models that are currently lacking this feature. A series of controls sits below the screen, a similar layout to what can be found in the Infiniti G and M, although these controls do not operate the hi-fi system and navigation. To control these, Hyundai has conjured up its own version of iDrive, which is mounted behind the shifter. We'll have

Hyundai's recent interiors are good, but we've never seen anything like this before. (Photo: Hyundai)

to wait to test it in order to judge how easy the system is to use. Next up, you'll find that there's a lot of quality material in the car. Hyundai has escalated its fit and finish and materials over the years, but this is set to be the finest car that they've made. The dashboard, door panels and other areas of trim are covered in leather, and stitched to create a first-class impression, and yes, there's plenty of authentic wood and aluminum trim too.

Alhough Hyundai will compete against the Pontiac G8 and Chrysler 300 when it comes to pricing, it's got Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in its targets, and has engineered the Genesis to be competitive even though it will be priced tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than its rivals. The Genesis is Hyundai's first rear wheel drive car for North America, so they've developed it completely from scratch. Its body structure, constructed from high tensile steel, is reportedly more rigid yet lighter than a 5-Series or an E-Class, despite the fact that it's physically a much bigger car. Besides being rear wheel drive, the Genesis also features a five-link, multi-link rear

Tau-series V8 makes plenty of premium-grade but runs on regular-grade gas. (Photo: Hyundai)

suspension and will be available with adaptive damping to deliver a supple yet sporty ride. How sporty? According to Hyundai Director, Product Planning Wayne Killen, discussing the car on the show floor with our exec editor Trevor Hofmann, the Genesis fits right in between the 5-Series and E-Class, with tighter handling that would be more appreciated by BMW drivers, adding, it's more Infiniti M than Lexus GS, if the Euro comparo wasn't enough. This certainly will have to be experienced first hand. The Genesis comes standard with 17-inch wheels, while 18-inchers are an option.

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