Everybody loves a winner; or do they?
Also as soon as the Hyundai Genesis won the 2009 “Car of the Year Award” at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, some auto critics griped that the car is too generic in styling and too stiff in performance.
I don’t want to second-guess anyone else’s review, but I found the sedan a high-end, comfortable and intuitive car with unexpected power and agility for something of a budget price in luxury sedans with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price starting at just over $32,000.
Perhaps the Genesis isn’t the most stylish sedan on the road, but it certainly is attractive and has several exterior extras — including canted headlights and a robust silver grille with chrome insets that set it apart from the crowd while boasting luxury at thousands less than some of its big-name competitors.
The styling has been called “masculine” and “assertive,” but it’s certainly a car that suits women as well as men. Think of the classic styling and curves of a Mercedes-Benz or Lexus; that’s the same type of stance the Genesis brings to the game.
High-intensity-discharge headlights with auto-leveling, front fog lights, and rain-sensing windshield wipers also add style with convenience.
The cabin is big and roomy with stylish leather seats more comfy than your favorite living room chair. Headroom and legroom in both front and back is plentiful. The Genesis also boasts all the interior extras you’d expect in a luxury car — keyless start, heated front seats, and dual front automatic temperature controls — plus niceties that include a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, sun visors with extensions and rear coat hangers (which you may not think you need until that first trip to the dry cleaners). A high-tech seven-speaker audio system with a clear, easily readable display, Bluetooth and plenty of other techno-gadgetry are definite pluses.
Many living in the Washington area would likely agree that smooth, powerful acceleration is not only important but almost imperative for those all-important merges onto the Capital Beltway. The Genesis’ six-speed automatic not only performed well but smoothly with nary a hesitation no matter how hard the gas was stomped. Add to that responsive, stable braking and you can understand why it received one of the auto world’s highest honors.
The Genesis has all sorts of extra safety features too, such as an energy absorbing steering column, an anti-theft engine immobilizer, and active head restraints for front seat passengers. The little extras that include adjustable shoulder belt anchors and a traction control system — show that Hyundai put extra thought into what luxury car owners expect.
With an Environmental Protection Agency rating of 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, the Genesis is also fairly gas-friendly for a large luxury car.
The Genesis more than proves that the classic big-name luxury sedans need to keep an eye out for the competition.
