Genesis delivers real bang for the buck
As far as I’m concerned, Hyundai cemented its reputation as a serious automobile company — one that could go toe to toe with the established players — when its surprisingly good Genesis sedan took Canadian Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year honours in 2009.
Here was a full-sized fourdoor sedan with sophisticated driving dynamics and comfort that mimicked upscale German and Japanese makes, at a price that was many thousands of dollars less. Much like Lexus — and, to a lesser extent, Infiniti and Acura — did a couple of decades previously, the Genesis upset the order of things in the luxury sedan segment.
But, much like nature abhors a vacuum, the biggerbucks segment abhors status quo, and today’s must-have can easily become tomorrow’s recycling as rivals come up with newer and better. Last year, Hyundai gave the rear-wheel-drive Genesis a thorough goingover, with a few cosmetic exterior improvements and far more substantial technical upgrades, such as new direct-injected engines and standard eight-speed automatic transmission.
Hyundai also created a new topline, quasi-performance Genesis model — the 5.0 R-Spec — with a 5.0-litre Tau V-8. The Tau is the company’s most potent power plant, producing 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque when using premium unleaded. The V-8 is bolted to a Shiftronic eight-speed manumatic transmission.
Also subjected to improvement was the R-Spec’s suspension, a five-link setup with Sachs amplitude selective dampers, larger stabilizer bars (26 millimetres up front and 19 mm at the back), plus tuned electro-hydraulic power steering in place of the V-6 model’s hydraulic unit.
Not much has changed for 2013, and that includes the car’s $53,499 price.
The fact the Genesis is rear-wheel-drive only is the luxury sedan’s biggest detriment from a marketing standpoint, certainly for Canadian buyers. Knowing Hyundai, the company will address this issue with the second-generation model.
Realistically, the R-Spec is a calculated compromise between the Japanese luxury sedans and the Teutonic triplets. With more horsepower than the Mercedes, BMW and Audi four-doors, the Tau V-8 accelerates the Genesis to 100 kilometres an hour in 5.8 seconds (and pulls off an 80-to-120 km/h passing move in 4.2 seconds), quick enough for a 1,884-kilogram sedan.
Fuel economy is not the car’s forte; I averaged 14.3 litres per 100 kilometres in mostly suburban use.
Also up for praise is the Shiftronic eight- speed, which, in automatic mode, delivers imperceptible shifts worthy of the competition. There are no paddle shifters, though, which means manual mode shifting is courtesy of the centre console-located gear lever. The shortcoming is that upshifts require pushing the lever forward, pulling back to downshift, which is counterintuitive for many longtime manual users.
The case for the R-Spec as a sport-luxury sedan further unravels with its handling. The electro-hydraulic power steering unit in the R-Spec needs recalibrating; it’s far too heavy at city speeds and slow to return to centre. As for the suspension, though the R-Spec is tauter than the base Genesis, it doesn’t compromise the comfort level to any great effect. The big Hyundai is well damped, but not floaty by any means, although there is a bit more roll when cornering than would be found in the European competition.
There is no skimping on the safety front, with electronic stability control, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, lane-departure warning system and brake assist, as well as eight airbags and electronic active head restraints.
Considering the car’s price, the Genesis — and its accommodating cabin — is generously equipped with a full complement of modern conveniences — and then some. Not only are the front and rear seats heated, the driver’s seat is cooled. There’s also a heated steering wheel, 528-watt, 17-speaker Lexicon audio system, multimedia console, proximity keyless entry, push-button ignition and power rear sunshade — and that’s just a sample.
When I first drove an RSpec last year, I thought the topline version was a good first effort by Hyundai to tweak the personality of its luxury sedan. Not too much has changed since then. By comparison to its German rivals, the R-Spec still lacks the finesse of a true luxurysport sedan. Yet it is more than a boulevardier with a hint of attitude. I think of it as a work in progress — already offering much for less than its rivals, while demonstrating potential in an expanded role.