The Hyundai Genesis is a full-size, rear-wheel drive luxury car introduced initially as a concept car in the 2007 New York International Auto Show. Hyundai has introduced the vehicle worldwide, known internally as the BH model, and has initially market the Genesis as a "premium sports sedan," in one body style with three possible engines. The Genesis will at least not initially be introduced to Europe. A coupe version was introduced at the 2008 New York International Auto Show and will join the sedan at a later date. Hyundai will manufacture three engines for the Genesis sedan, marketing the car internationally with various combinations of the three:
According to the Hyundai Chairman and CEO Chung Mong-koo, the Genesis is Hyundai's first entry into the European dominated luxury arena. According to Hyundai Vice Chairman Kim Dong-jin, the name Genesis is a reflection that the vehicle is the first of many premium cars the company will introduce. The Genesis sedan is a luxury sedan that was designed to compete with the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS. Hyundai targeted 55,000 sales of the Genesis in 2008 (35,000 in Korea and another 20,000 overseas) and 45,000 in 2009, with sales goals of 50,000 per year in the United States.Development and design
Introduced in March, 2007 as the "Concept Genesis", the sedan was designed by Hyundai as a "progressive interpretation of the modern rear-wheel drive sports sedan". Hyundai conceived the idea for the Genesis in 2003. The body design took three years and the total cost of the program was $500 million over a development period of 23 months. Reliability testing ran for 800,000 miles.
Hyundai reportedly benchmarked the BMW 5-Series sedan during the Genesis' development; their press release indicates the Genesis body-in-white exceeds the BMW in torsional rigidity by 14%. The production Genesis sedan received a five-star crash rating in every category from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The Genesis sedan is roughly the same exterior size as Lexus LS 460 sedan, and spacious interior volume than Lexus LS 460, and the Genesis 4.6L outperforms Lexus GS 460. Hyundai would later market the Genesis as a car which "offers the performance of a BMW 5-Series, the interior packaging of a 7-Series".Specifications and equipment
The Tau V8 is Hyundai's first internally engineered 8 cylinder engine and Hyundai's first V8 equipped vehicle offered in North America. The 4.6L engine produces 375 horsepower (280 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 333 lb·ft at 3,500 rpm. Hyundai has reported 0-60 mph times of less than 6 seconds. Car and Driver reports a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds, while Motor Trend reports a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds in their October 2008 issue.
The Lambda 3.8L V6 is scheduled for availability in North America, now available in Korean models, producing 306 horsepower (228 kW). In US spec this engine produces 290 hp (216 kW) at 6,200 rpm and 264 lb·ft (358 N·m) at 4,500 rpm. reports a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds.
The Lambda 3.3L V6 is available in a few markets, producing 264 horsepower (197 kW).
In North America, the V8-powered Genesis features a standard 6-speed automatic transmission from ZF Friedrichshafen (identical to the unit found in the BMW 5-Series), with the base V6 models receiving the 6-speed automatic Aisin transmission also found in the Hyundai Veracruz. All three engines can run on regular gasoline, an exception to most high-performance, high-compression engines that require premium fuel.
Standard features on all models in the US include cruise control, automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, leather seat-upholstery and steering wheel, heated front seats with power adjustments, power windows, door locks, and mirrors, remote keyless entry and starting, and a seven-speaker audio system with XM satellite radio.
An optional Lexicon audio system offers 7.1 channels, 528 watts output, 17 speakers, two 3-way transducer systems, five 2-way transducer systems and digital signal processing that provides equalization among driver and passengers. Mark Levinson (which equipped in Lexus LS) and theLexicon, two manufacturers are made by the same company, Harman International. The Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Genesis sedan are the only automobiles to offer the Lexicon audio system.
The Hyundai Genesis utilizes a speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering, and comes with four-wheel disc brakes. The suspension is a multi-link setup in front and a 5-link setup in the rear. Weight distribution is 53% front / 47% rear for the V8 and 52% front / 48% rear for the V6.
Standard safety features include dual front airbags, front and rear side airbags, side-curtain airbags, ABS, brake assist, EBD, traction control, and electronic stability control.
