Is the six as impressive as the eight?

We’ve walked away suitably impressed from the Genesis before – but that was when it was suitably kitted up in its top spec with a big ol’ Korean V-8 under the hood. While the V-8 car may be enough to run with the big dogs, we were curious what the six-cylinder 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8-which Hyundai expects will be the best-seller-had to offer.

The list is long

Given today’s gas prices, buyers might be looking to the V-6 for its economy, but its EPA ratings are only 1 or 2 mpg better than the V-8. At nearly $5000 less than the V-8 model, the 3.8 is poised to offer the best bang for the buck. Starting at $33,000, the base Genesis already carries an encyclopedic amount of standard equipment. Features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, traction and stability control, side- and side-curtain airbags, Bluetooth, and keyless ignition are all standard.

Shoppers can opt for one of two Premium Packages. Our test car was equipped with the Premium Package Plus, which adds a surround-sound audio system, leather-trimmed dash- and door panels, 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, and a power sunroof.

Ticking this option box costs $3000; a significant figure, certainly, but it renders the Genesis virtually loaded at just under $36,000. In fact, the only way we could have packed any more content would have been to tick the box for the Technology Package, which adds a more powerful surround-sound system, DVD-based navigation, HID headlamps, parking sensors, and an extra $4000 to the sticker price.

Haven’t we seen this before?

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Lexus must be blushing. The long, smooth forms of the Genesis might not ape those of any one particular Lexus, but try and discern the Hyundai’s front fascia from that of a recent ES or LS-it’s no easy task.

Although the design language may be derivative, the Genesis presents a shape that’s smooth, well-proportioned, and easy on the eyes. All except perhaps the waterfall grille. Although intended to give the car a ritzy look, it comes off as an awkward afterthought.

Interior

What carries a genuinely upscale feel, however, is the interior. The designers did a terrific job of crafting a contemporary and attractive interior that blows away any preconceptions of what a Hyundai can be (the aforementioned leather dash trim really helps in this regard). Open the doors, and you feel like you’re stepping into the interior of a $60,000 vehicle. Fit and finish of interior panels is consistently tight, although some switchgear could stand some refinement.

If there was any complaint we had about the Genesis’ cabin, it was the front two bucket seats. Although they were certainly comfortable (and as soft as a microwaved marshmallow), they were a little too flat. One tester noted you sit on them – not in them – and consequently they weren’t supportive in spirited driving. But a car like this isn’t only about those in front. Rear-seat passengers are treated to some of the best accommodations we’ve seen in car under $40,000.

Smooth but unhurried

Though the V-8 is an all-new engine (the 4.6-liter “Tau” DOHC V-8), the Genesis 3.8’s V-6 is a carryover from other Hyundais. The “Lambda” engine, a 3.8-liter DOHC unit, produces 290 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. That’s down from the 375 ponies and 333 lb-ft of the V-8, but it proves more than capable of moving the 3700-lb Genesis without strain.

Helping the V-6 considerably is a standard six-speed automatic transmission. Shifts, for the most part, are smooth, if not deliberate. Hyundai lets drivers row their own gears with a requisite manumatic provision, but there’s no sport mode. That’s a shame, as we’d welcome quicker-shifting sport mode, given that the transmission doesn’t like to be hurried into selecting a gear.

More luxe than sport

Though some cars in this comparison sliced through corners with ease, the Genesis was decidedly less sporty. Although Hyundai often compares the car’s handling to a Lexus GS or Infiniti M, the ride is tuned more towards luxury.

Over back-roads flogging, some found the car too soft, but the independent suspension (a five-link setup at each wheel) kept things from turning to Jell-O in the corners. The Genesis exhibits some oversteer at its limits, but the stability control, which is always on guard, helps reign in the back end.

The soft suspension pays dividends with a comfortable low-speed ride. Unfortunately, some of that comfort disappears in highway driving, where the Genesis can be too stiff. Even moderate imperfections in the road surface are telegraphed through the steering column, making the car feel busy.

Will Six Get You Eight?

We’d argue the biggest question surrounding the Genesis V-6 is not how it fares against its immediate competition (quite favorably, thank you), but against itself. The V-8 car is an outstanding bargain for what it offers, but is it worth an extra $5000 over the six?

No, it probably isn’t. Although those with a V-8 fixation will spring for the 4.6-liter (and love it), the rest of the world-especially those looking for a lavish lifestyle on a bohemian budget-will be more than content with the V-6.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8

Base Price: $33,000
As Tested: $36,000

Powertrain
Engine: 3.8-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6
Horsepower: 290 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 264 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Drive: Rear-wheel

Measurements
L x W x H: 195.9 x 74.4 x 58.3 in
Legroom F/R: 44.3/38.6 in
Headroom F/R: 38.1/37.7 in
Cargo capacity: 15.9 cu ft
Curb Weight: 3748 lb
EPA Rating (city/highway): 18/27 mpg

By Evan McCausland

A billboard near a Hudson Valley enclave urges people to “drive prestige.” It is an unabashed pitch to egos in pursuit of sales of expensive European and Japanese automobiles — BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Lexus. But times are tough. Prestige no longer gets an automatic nod. Prestige without value, or encumbered by suspect worth, nowadays gets the boot. Into that environment comes Hyundai Motor America with its most expensive automobile to date, the rear-wheel-drive 2009 Hyundai Genesis sedan. It’s aimed at what the car industry calls the “near-luxury segment” — that part of the market priced from about $30,000 to $50,000.

Going for the gold

Conventional wisdom suggests that Hyundai is making a mistake. It is a Korean-owned company that made its mark in America, a poorly formed scratch that eventually became a strong product signature, selling economy automobiles and wagons. What is Hyundai doing trying to sell cars priced from $33,000 to $42,000?

The short answer is that Hyundai, like its competitors, is going for the gold. If successful, Hyundai could reshape popular notions of prestige. In the process, it could elevate the meaning of “value.”

Style without sticker shock

Its styling is attractive inside and out. And the car is loaded with amenities, including touches such as a power rear sunshade.

What the Genesis lacks is an astronomically high price. Depending on the model, the Genesis can cost from $200 to $22,000 less than competitive European and Asian automobiles.

In that regard, the Genesis is a celebration of luxury without hyperbole, luxury with a deal, including one of the best automobile warranties in the business — five years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper protection and a 10-year/100,000-mile limited warranty on engine and transmission.

Complaints: The steering in the Genesis 4.6 takes some getting used to. Initially, it feels a bit heavy and off-center, as if it wants to move slightly opposite of your intended turn. But you soon learn to let it do its thing, which turns out to be wonderfully precise. By comparison, the steering in the Genesis 3.8 is remarkably compliant to driver input.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Both the Genesis 4.6 and 3.8 move with agility, speed, power. My favorite is the Genesis 3.8, which feels lighter and quicker and gets 27 miles per gallon on the highway vs. 25 mpg for the Genesis 4.6.

Head-turning quotient: To all of you who asked: Yes, Hyundai designed, developed and manufactured the Genesis, which rolls out of a Hyundai assembly plant in Ulsan, Korea. It’s an attractive piece of work that proves no one has a corner on automotive talent.

Body style/layout: The Genesis is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, full-size, entry-level luxury sedan. It is offered in two basic formats, 4.6 and 3.8, with three trim levels — “premium,” “premium plus” and “technology.”

Engines/transmission: There is a 4.6-liter V-8 that, using premium gasoline, develops 375 horsepower at 6,500 revolutions per minute and 333 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 rpm. The available V-6, which produces 290 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 264 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 rpm, runs on regular gasoline. Both engines are mated to a six-speed transmission that can be shifted automatically or manually.

Capacities: There are seats for five people. Luggage capacity is 15.9 cubic feet. The fuel tank holds 19.3 gallons and takes unleaded gasoline.

Mileage: I averaged 16 mpg in urban traffic and 24 mpg on the highway with the V-8. In the V-6, I did two to three mpg better all around.

Safety: There are eight air bags, including head and side bags front and rear. Body construction is rigid. Electronic head restraints, stability and traction control are standard along with anti-lock brakes.

Price: Start at $33,000 for the 3.8, including a $750 shipping charge. The Genesis 3.8 can be optioned out to about $40,000. Prices for the Genesis 4.6 start at $38,000, including the $750 transportation charge. The 4.6 can be optioned out to $42,000. Prices are sourced from Hyundai.

By Warren Brown, Washington Post

With fewer than three months remaining in 2008, it’s been a quite a year: The last games were played at Shea and Yankee stadiums, Merrill Lynch almost went broke and Hyundai – Hyundai! – introduced a $38,000 car that can become a $40,000 car with options.

Why? For the same reason Willie Sutton said he robbed banks instead of five-and- dimes: That’s where the money is. There’s more profit to be made on higher-priced models than in the inexpensive small cars for which Hyundai is best known.

And so we have the big 2009 Genesis sedan, available with a V-8 at $38,000 to start, or a V-6 starting at $33,000. It’s a strong entry in what carmakers call the “near luxury” arena – $30,000 to $40,000. Hyundai nibbled at the low end of that range with the Azera, a front-drive large sedan that can run into the low $30,000s with options.

But the Genesis presses the attack further and only time will tell whether it’s a bridge too far. Hyundai dealers have no experience selling and servicing luxury cars and Hyundai’s name still says “economy,” – not “cache.” True, they said the same thing about Toyota, but when it entered this part of the market in 1990 it created the Lexus brand and a separate dealer group (as did Honda with Acura and Nissan with Infiniti). Hyundai says it’s not ready for that yet.

The Genesis’ timing might be unfortunate. It arrived at dealerships this summer amid darkening recession clouds that have made consumers skittish about major purchases.

Quality, though, shouldn’t be a concern. Hyundai’s early problems in that area seem to be history; Consumer Reports recommends several of its models for which it has reader feedback about reliability. Hyundai has scored above average in J.D. Power and Associates’ two most recent buyer surveys, measuring dependability and customer satisfaction.

And Hyundai backs the Genesis with an impressive warranty. It’s good for five years or 60,000 miles – 10 years and 100,000 miles on the powertrain.

On paper, then, the Genesis looks like it’s worth considering. Its styling is unremarkable – classically simple, if you prefer. Its dashboard is as ugly as it is ergonomically friendly; the protrusion from its lower center of a pod with audio and climate controls makes the dash look like it’s sticking out its tongue at the car’s passengers. But the interior is richly finished, in leather.

On the road, the Genesis rides firmly but comfortably, handles confidently and is delightfully quiet over just about any surface. Rear seat legroom is generous. Some might find the steering a bit heavy during parking.

Most drivers will deem the 290-hp. V-6 more than adequate. The EPA estimates fuel economy at 18 mpg city and 27 highway, and I averaged in the low 20s in mostly highway driving. The government numbers for the V-8 are 17 and 25. Hyundai specifies regular gas for the V-6 but says the V-8 will need premium to deliver the 375 hp., of which it is capable.

Hyundai says the V-8 gets the Genesis to 60 mph a half-second faster than the six, or in 5.7 seconds.

The Genesis has the government’s topmost, five-star, safety rating for its front, side and rollover protection.

The Genesis has a lot going for it but, as Hyundai’s spearhead into new territory, it carries risk for buyers if it fails: poor resale value. This might be a car better leased than purchased.

Vehicle Tested: 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8

Engine: 3.8-liter V-6, 290 hp.

Fuel: Regular

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

Safety: Dual front and curtain-type air bags; seat-mounted front and rear side-impact air bags; four-wheel disc brakes w/anti-lock, stability control and brake assist; heated side mirrors with turn signals; fog lamps

Place of Assembly: Ulsan, South Korea

Trunk: 15.9 cubic feet

EPA Fuel Economy

Estimates: 18 mpg city, 27 highway

Price as Driven: $36,000

Tom Incantalupo | ROAD TEST

If you ever wanted to know what three quarters of a billion dollars looks like, take a gander at the 2009 Hyundai Genesis.

That’s how much the Korean automaker spent developing its first luxury car for the American market, and it can be yours for the low, low price of $33,000.

If that sounds like a lot to you for a Hyundai, join the club. The perennial value brand has its work cut out for it convincing buyers that it can seriously be considered an alternative to the luxury offerings from Japan and Germany, not to mention Detroit, even at a bargain price.

After spending a day driving several models of the car on the winding roads paralleling the Hudson River in New York City’s northern suburbs, I’ll venture to guess that getting high-end shoppers in the doors of its dealerships will be the second hardest challenge Hyundai has ahead of it.

Keeping the Genesis in stock will be the really tough part.

At the press drive introduction, Hyundai made no excuses for the Genesis, nor did they need to. Unlike some past offerings from the brand, there is very little “you get what you pay for” about the car. It is just plain good.

The Genesis is a large vehicle, with exterior dimensions that fall between most mid- and full-size sedans. Considering it’s priced like a compact, that’s an achievement unto itself. The exterior – an amalgam of Mercedes, Lexus and BMW themes – breaks no new ground, but there is also nothing about it that is wrong. The design is clean and well-proportioned without any notable missteps, which is more than many of the cars it will compete against it can say.

The grille was the last feature finalized, and what Hyundai went with kind of looks like a barista drew an S-Class grille with chocolate sauce on the top of a cappuccino, then ran a coffee stirrer down the center.

The only thing missing is a Hyundai logo, but that is intentional. The company is trying to establish Genesis as a sort of pseudo-luxury brand without going to the trouble and expense of starting a separate sales channel like the Japanese did with Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. It probably isn’t special enough to hang all of that on to it, but it will do the trick for now, and is definitely more attractive than your standard Hyundai front end.

One of those fancy proximity keys unlocks the door as you approach, and there’s a button on the dash to start the engine with. Genesis is available with either V-6 or a V-8, and you won’t find yourself wanting much with either. The six cylinder churns 290 horsepower through the rear wheels and manages 27 mpg on the highway, which is very good for a car of this size with that much power. Give the gas pedal a nice prod and you’ll feel a strong shove into the seat.

Do that with the eight cylinder and you might end up in the back row. The 375 horsepower is all you need to know about it, but a 25 mpg highway rating is a nice surprise, and as much as you’ll find in just about any car it competes with. Starting price for a Genesis with the big motor is just $38,000.

Always watching out for your bottom line, Hyundai makes a point to tell you that while premium gasoline is recommended for the V-8, it’ll run just fine on regular. In fact, they are the only automaker I know that gives you the horsepower rating for the lesser grade fuel, and at 368 horsepower, you might as well save the money.

Underway you’ll notice something is missing that is found in most of its sister products. Noise. Hyundai says the Genesis is as quiet as a BMW 750i or Lexus LS460, automobiles that cost twice as much. I can’t vouch for that claim, but it is astonishingly quiet inside. Even under full throttle you hear little more than a murmur from the engine bay, virtually no tire roar and just a whisper of wind through the laminated glass.

Hyundai showed us diagrams of all the sound insulation it stuffed into the car, and I doubt that Bob Villa could have done more with your chilly garage.

The interior of the Genesis is anything but cold, with leather that could be straight from an Infiniti, and lots of glossy real wood that looks the part. There’s some plastic and vinyl, but it’s all soft to the touch, even the stuff way down low on the transmission tunnel, where it’s easy to cheap out with the hard stuff.

The seats are more comfortable than sporting, and a little too flat when the roads start to turn. A shame because with a suspension that automatically adapts to the way you drive, the car can put on a pretty good show, even if it doesn’t go out of its way to encourage that kind of driving.

The shape of the dashboard is Mercedes channeled through Lexus, with a big bulge in the center that houses the multimedia system. On V-8 models, you can opt for a technology package that has navigation with live traffic and a 17-speaker stereo designed by Lexicon, the same company that provides the audio setup for the Rolls Royce Phantom.

With 7.1 surround sound, it is as good as any, and much better than even the 14-speaker system that is also available. You can control most of the functions with a console mounted dial, but there are auxiliary controls scattered about for more immediate adjustments like volume.

The screen is a good size, with up to date graphics, but its a little high on the dashboard and not shaded well, the top half of it often disappearing in direct sunlight just as you are approaching the next right turn.

If it weren’t for the humdrum instrument panel and a steering wheel with too many large square buttons on it, from the driver’s seat you’d have a hard time telling the difference between the Genesis and a dozen cars that cost much more than it does. There’s also a lot of room: as much interior space as a Mercedes S-Class. Much of that must go to headroom, though, because space for legs doesn’t quite top the charts.

That’s not to say back seat passengers will complain. I was easily able to fit behind the driver’s seat, even with it adjusted to fit my 6-foot-1 frame. Unfortunately the cars that Hyundai benchmarked for rear seat comfort don’t seem to have considered hydration very important. The only two cupholders are in the fold-down armrest, which means if three people are back there, they will all need free hands for their Diet Cokes. A lot of carmakers are guilty of this oversight, but that doesn’t mean Hyundai gets a pass.

It doesn’t need one on fit and finish. All of the parts go together like a jigsaw puzzle, with every line and seam matching up perfectly, and there wasn’t a rattle or hum to be heard in any of the cars that I drove. Cruising through the ritzy towns that straddle Route 9 through Westchester County, I felt right at home, and didn’t want for anything.

Sure, if a BMW M5 came along I’d be toast, but only if I were foolish enough to engage him in battle. According to Hyundai, Genesis buyers are mostly male, mostly married, with a little less than half making more than $100,000. These are not hoons looking for trouble. They are people who used to own Sonatas and Azeras. If they were interested in 0 to 60 mph times, they would’ve been driving a different brand and would have never checked out the Genesis in the first place.

Hyundai should have little trouble finding the 20,000 or so of these buyers they’re figuring on for the first year, though they are ready to build a lot more than that if needed.

Give them credit for not getting ahead of themselves, but they may want to think about adding a few shifts at the plant.

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2009 HYUNDAI GENESIS

Base Price: $33,000 (V-6)/$38,000 (V-8)

Type: Front-engine, rear-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

Engine: 3.8L V-6/4.6L V-8

Power: 290 hp, 268 lb-ft torque/375 hp, 333 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

MPG: 27/18 (V-6) 25/17 (V-8)

By Gary Gastelu