NEW BEGINNING
Luxury cars are not something we would normally associate with Korean cars, but Hyundai was looking to change that image. MALCOLM XAVIER CRASTA WRITES

Hyundai’s primary objective, with the Genesis, was to create a high performance luxury car to compete with the likes of Lexus, BMW, Cadillac and others. And by what we saw, it seems that they have succeeded… well almost. Hyundai decided to take a very conservative approach in designing the exterior of the Genesis. It looks like a concoction of design elements from various cars that, somehow, just seem to fit right in. Look carefully and you will see a hint of Mercedes in the shapely grille, a bit of Lexus in the contours of the car, a touch of the 5-series in the tail lights. However, the end result is a very elegant car that is tasteful yet derivative and if it wasn’t for the badge on the back it would be indistinguishable as a Hyundai.

Inside though, Hyundai a lot bolder with its design. You will find a bevy of soft touch materials, lashings of leather and interior hues, completely unseen in any Hyundai to date. Everything, from the leather wrapped dash to the glossy wood accents on the doors, is fitted with meticulous attention to detail. The seats are as comfortable as they look and there is ample articulation in the seats and the steering to fit in even the most hefty of drivers. As comfortable as they are though, the seats lack the bolstering that is provided by some of its competitors. At the back you will have easily one of the most spacious cabins at your disposal, and seats that are as comfortable as you will find upfront.

Once in the driver’s seat, all readouts are delivered to you via a very tasteful instrument panel with white-on-black gauges. Although not all controls are in the most ergonomic of places, it is a small price to pay for such an elegant design. The central attraction of the cabin though is the screen, called the Driver Information Display, at the top of the centre console. It uses a similar knob-joystick control system as you will find in a BMW and every control is just the right number of clicks away.

At present Hyundai gets only one model of the vehicle here and you get pretty much everything that you would expect a luxury car to have.

You get a smart key system, hydraulic air suspensions, auto dimming mirrors, media and climate controls for the rear seats, mood lighting and much more. And to please all audiophiles, Hyundai also has a Lexicon sound system that comes standard with the car, otherwise only found on Rolls Royce. Also included with the audio package is a very smart auxiliary port that can utilise a USB flash drive, a direct audio jack or even an iPod, which can be controlled from the driver information system.

Once on the road, the Genesis is one of the quietest cars in its class with only a hint of wind noise at high speeds. The ride itself is calm and composed and the damping is good. The car’s air suspensions are height-adjustable and have two modes, normal and sport. Regardless of the setting it is geared more towards comfort than handling. Through corners, the effect of its weight combined with the softness of the suspensions is noticeable but can be improved by switching into sport mode. On a whole it handles quite well with a dose of controllable oversteer thrown into the mix. Powered by a 3.8 litre V6 producing 390hp, the Genesis offers brisk straight line performance, thanks to the very capable 6-speed automatic transmission. In auto, the shifts are perfect and the acceleration is smooth but shift it manually and it tends to get a bit sluggish with noticeably delayed shift times.

On the whole, this is one of the best first attempts at a luxury car we have seen in a long time and is definitely the best Korean car on the market. Also Hyundai’s recent reliability record makes it a safe buy. The only thing that may hold you back is that, although prices are not revealed, it will definitely cost somewhere in the high teens and some may see that as too much for a Hyundai. But believe us, this car is really as good as it looks. It will perfectly suit anyone in the market for a luxury family car and is not badge conscious.