Now the 2015 Hyundai Genesis is finally making its official debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show with the Korean automaker issuing details of the car’s specs. While the second generation of Hyundai’s luxury sedan is mechanically similar to the outgoing car, its styling signals a dramatic departure from the conservative first-gen design and a host of new luxury and safety features elevate its competitiveness. While the original Genesis was a success, it left plenty of room for improvement—space that Hyundai will have to address if it wants to remain relevant with its high-end cars.
The optional 5.0-liter V-8 is rated at 420 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, compared to 429 and 376 in the 2014 model. Hyundai claims both engines benefit from flatter torque curves that improve low-end response.
Both engines are paired with Hyundai’s eight-speed automatic, another holdover from the old Genesis despite the fact that a 10-speed unit has been in development for some time. A new, optional all-wheel-drive system, dubbed HTRAC, should broaden the Genesis’s appeal in the snowbelt. It was developed with supplier Magna and uses an electronically controlled clutch to vary the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels. Rear-wheel drive is still the standard configurations.
Hyundai calls the styling theme Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 and says the new design language will be adapted to a wider range of vehicles, unifying its affordable sedans, family crossovers, and premium large sedans under a single look. A new Sonata mid-size sedan, set to debut later this year, will be the next Hyundai to adopt the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 language.
As with any luxury car worth its salt, there’s a long list of safety and luxury features. Available forward collision warning and emergency braking can prevent an accident between 5 and 50 mph and lessens the severity of an impact between 50 and 112 mph. There’s also adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, automatic high beams, a head-up display, and cross-traffic alert for backing out of parking spaces. There’s also an available 17-speaker, 900-watt Lexicon stereo and a premium navigation system that includes a 9.2-inch, 720p high-definition screen and a 64-gigabyte solid-state hard drive. Standard equipment includes navigation with an eight-inch screen and a 14-speaker Lexicon audio system.
Then there are the more unusual features. Smart Trunk is Hyundai’s take on the automatic trunk-opening systems that require you to wave a leg under the bumper. Instead of asking you to do the hokey pokey, the Genesis recognizes when the key fob is within a few feet of the trunk. A Google Glass app works with Hyundai’s OnStar-like Blue Link and has the ability to start the vehicle, lock or unlock the doors, and even send you directions to your parked car.
The new Genesis will go on sale this spring with a price starting at less than $40,000. (The 2014 model starts at $36,120.) Hyundai has raised the Genesis’s profile with a more expressive design and competitive luxury features, but whether it can truly close the gap with established luxury competitors like the BMW 5-series, Mercedes-Benz E-class, and Lexus GS will come down to driving dynamics.
