2010 Hyundai Genesis Review

2010 Hyundai Genesis - A looker.

By:

At a time when everything you thought you knew about the auto industry seems to evaporate before your eyes, leave it to a Korean automaker to once again show us that daring to deliver great products at a competitive price will usually make you popular, if not successful.

Case in point: the new 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Competitors like the Accord Coupe and Altima Coupe have found that offering a sporty version of their roomy sedans is a great way to bring new members into the family. It is also wildly efficient when you consider simply changing the hat from a sedan to a coupe and the relative ease of adopting the new look from the guts of the larger car.

I had the chance to drive the 2010 Genesis Coupe, Hyundai's first foray into the high-performance rear-wheel-drive sports coupe segment. Lately Hyundai has found itself on the winning end of several new forays, including the Genesis Sedan that pocketed enough praise and awards this year to fill the lobbies of the competition's headquarters. Hyundai will tell you, with little concern for sounding indifferent, that in developing the Genesis Coupe it targeted the Infiniti G37, BMW 335i and Mazda RX-8 as engineering benchmarks.

It would be hard to criticize a company for targeting some of the best in the segment when building its own sports coupe; Hyundai really pulled off a winner with the Genesis Coupe. First and foremost, the Genesis Coupe is not a bimmer nor is it meant to be an RX-8 - exteriors will prove that. But the Infiniti G37 (one of my favorite sport coupes) shares a lot more than a segment with the Genesis Coupe. If looks were any indication, they could be cousins.

And right there you have the formula for why the Genesis Coupe has such great potential for success: world-class "cousin" looks, a light body on a powerful sedan platform and, of course, it wouldn't be Hyundai if the price didn't make you think you were stealing it off the lot.

The base price for the Genesis Coupe is $25,000. My 3.8 Grand Touring model with automatic transmission raised the price to $29,000. Go ahead, take a look at the standard features on a Genesis Coupe and compare them to the aforementioned benchmarks and their price and you get the idea: This coupe has value unmatched. While the 2010 Genesis Coupe is available with a 210-horsepower four-cylinder turbocharged engine, if you really want to compare performance in the segment, it is the 3.8-liter V-6 from the Genesis sedan (and its 306 horsepower) that keeps the discussion real. The V-6 engine will jump from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. I'm told that 149 mph is the top-out for the Genesis Coupe. Good enough for me.

Aiding the impressive ride is a torsen limited-slip differential and a dual-link MacPherson strut front suspension. These two systems along with the powerful engine make cornering in the Genesis Coupe a fun and favorite exercise. All 2010 Genesis Coupe models come standard with a closeratio six-speed manual, but my 3.8 tester had a premium six-speed ZF automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for serious manual play.

The rear-wheel-drive system and the fivelink independent rear-suspension assembly made me a believer over the course of a week. I'm not suggesting my Genesis Coupe 3.8 delivered the high-performance rearwheel- drive experience I have gotten from the G37 or the Mazda RX-8, but I am saying that I liked the performance more than the Eclipse, Altima Coupe and Accord Coupe.

These are Hyundai's real competitors. The Genesis Coupe's exterior styling is exciting and aggressive. Flowing curves meet short overhangs, a low cowl-to-axle distance and big 18-inch alloy rims create an aggressive stance and sporty attitude.

Inside the cabin you will find quality materials and plenty of room for front and rear passengers. Rear passengers may find headroom a bit cramped, but that's the payoff for the great-looking raked rear window. Controls on the steering wheel as well as on the center dash keep everything in easy reach.

Standard interior features for the 3.8 model are leather seats, automatic temperature control, driver's lumbar support, steering wheel audio controls and Bluetooth connectivity, metal grain and chrome interior accents, keyless entry system, leather-wrapped steering wheel/shift knob, power auto one-touch windows, AM/FM/ XM/CD player and USB/iPod/aux jack connectivity, and Genesis door sill plates. My 3.8 Grand Touring model added an incredible 360-watt Infinity audio system, convenient proximity key with push-button start, elegant heated, brown leather seats, a big sunroof and a backup warning system. If you really want to turn heads, and snap your own, a Track package is available with signature red Brembo brake calipers peeking through the rims, chrome-front accents and 19-inch gunmetal-finish alloy wheels.

Overall, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe does what so many Hyundais do: It delivers comparable value in a crowded segment. I really like this coupe and I really love the value it delivers.

2010 HYUNDAI GENESIS 3.8 GRAND TOURING COUPE

ENGINE:
306-horsepower 3.8-liter V-6

TRANSMISSION:
six-speed ZF automatic

DRIVETRAIN:
rear-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY:
17 city/27 highway

BASE PRICE:
$25,000

AS TESTED:
$29,000

WEB SITE:
www.hyundaiusa.com





John Stein

John Stein grew up in an extended family that valued the art of going fast. Spending plenty of weekends at U.S. 30 Drag Strip and Sante Fe Speedway, he fondly remembers the screaming machines and the flying mud that made those long-gone racing havens such special memories. With plenty of late nights spent ‘tinkering’ with cars throughout high school, he never anticipated his interest cars and his love for writing might find a common ground. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University in 1988, John started writing for the weekly Southtown Economist. So, when the Economist went to a daily in 1994, and needed an auto editor, John took the proverbial steering wheel. Featured weekly in the Sun-Times and its 17 suburban publications, as well as ELITE Magazine, John balances being the Automotive Editor for Sun-Time Media with being a husband and dad in Plainfield, Illinois.