Hyundai Genesis 2014 Review

Hyundai Genesis sedan

Hyundai's new flagship, the Genesis arrives Down Under loaded to the gills. In fact, with enough luxury features to embarrass everything from Toyota's Melbourne-made Aurion to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class...

Advanced safety gear comprises nine airbags including upper/lower side airbags front and rear, automatic emergency braking, radar cruise control, auto high-beam, lane departure warning, pre-collision preparation, stability/traction control, anti-lock brakes, five seatbelt reminders, hill-start assist, emergency stop signal, tyre pressure monitoring, reversing camera, pedestrian-friendly bonnet and the highest ANCAP crash safety score ever achieved.

Consider the safety box ticked.

Also standard across the range are self-leveling xenon headlights with washers and static bending lights, LED daytime running lamps, leather-appointed seat trim, a premium steering wheel and gear shifter, 9.2-inch colour touch-screen, satellite-navigation, Lexicon 17-speaker premium sound, keyless entry and starting, 12-way power-adjustable front seats, a powered rear blind and hands-free boot opening.

Tech, therefore, looks under control.

Naturally, there's also dual-zone climate-control, front/rear parking sensors, heated front seats, an electric park brake, rain-sensing wipers, 4.2-inch LCD instrument display, auto-dimming interior mirror, power/folding side mirrors with puddle lights, four power windows with auto/down, door-handle courtesy lights, interior mood lighting, one-touch indicators and steering wheel paddle shifters.

Getting the message? And so far we've only been talking about the $60,000 base model in the three grade Genesis line-up.

The mid-range Sensory Pack takes the asking price to $71,000. It keeps the base model's 18-inch alloy wheels and 245/45 R18 Hankook tyres, but adds blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, head-up display, around-view monitor, premium leather-appointed seats, powered driver's seat bolster and base extension, driver's seat memory, a powered steering column, auto-dimming wing mirrors, CO2 sensor and LED front foglights.

If that's not enough, the top-shelf $82,000 Ultimate Pack model brings with it 19-inch alloys with 245/40 R19 front and 275/35 R19 rear Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber, plus a panoramic glass sunroof, auto soft-closing doors, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, noise-reducing acoustic glass, a powered bootlid, 7.0-inch LCD instrument cluster, illuminated Genesis front scuff plates and rear window blinds.

Other than cutting-edge features like LED headlights and night vision, the only items missing here are a rear DVD entertainment system, and ventilation and adjustment for the rear seats.

And, of course, there's no V8 or all-wheel drive option, which is unavailable in the right-hand drive Genesis. Thus all Australian versions are powered by a still-generous 3.8-litre V6 that stumps up a healthy 232kW at 6000rpm and 397Nm 1000rpm lower.

Matched with Hyundai's similarly self-developed eight-speed auto, it's a combination that delivers silky-smooth, seamless performance with a nice bark near redline, no real shortage of urge and claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in a respectable 6.5sec.

That said, while Hyundai says 90 per cent of torque is on tap at 2000rpm, the rear-drive V6 powertrain does its best work above 3000rpm and the manual transmission mode still allows automated up- and down-shifts.

And the lack of a forced induction engine seen in many of its European rivals (combined with unquestionably hefty kerb weights of between 1890-1995kg) lifts the official combined fuel consumption figure to 11.2L/100km. We averaged 12.6L/100km on the launch drive out of Canberra.

But the Genesis' cabin remains whisper-quiet at all speeds and on all road surfaces, and there's no question about the quality of the luxuriously appointed interior's materials or construction – even if the woodgrain trim looks a little too plastic and the overall design somewhat old fashioned.

Overall it's beautifully crafted and finished, if lacking the design flair and attention to detail of an Audi.

For our money the highlight is the Genesis' locally developed chassis package – the most extensive ever undertaken by the same in-house team that did wonders for Hyundai's Australia-only SR models and the Series II Elantra and ix35.

The Genesis was benchmarked here against the E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Jaguar XF, as well as the Chrysler 300 and the finest homegrown Holdens and Fords, with 42 separate spring, stabiliser bar and damper combinations – the latter including 13 front and 19 rear dampers.

The result is a 'hybrid' set-up comprising the US market's more rigidly mounted rear suspension sub-frame, plus a larger stabiliser and lighter springs at the front. At the rear, the Australian car uses thinner stabiliser bar and the heaviest possible (V8-spec) springs. Both ends get unique dampers at both ends and a bespoke electric steering tune is used.

In short, while ride comfort on the Ultimate's 19s was undoubtedly 'busier', the Genesis presented outstanding ride/handling balance on all the surfaces we encountered on the launch – including corrugated gravel – by combining the taut body control of a BMW 5 Series with the supple ride quality of a Mercedes E-Class.

Throw in responsive, tactile steering that's free of the vices that afflict many previous Korean vehicles, and it's fair to say the Genesis delivers the best of all dynamic worlds. In fact, we'd venture to suggest the Genesis chassis is even better suited to Australian conditions than the Commodore's.

But that's where comparisons get tricky…

Hyundai's catch cry is that the Genesis combines the technology of a 7 Series with the size of a 5 Series (it's actually larger in most dimensions, except for its still-big 490-litre boot) for around the same money as a 3 Series. Little of that is debatable, given the base Genesis is about half the price of a comparable 535i and E 400 which include fewer standard features.

But Hyundai is also keen to make comparisons with the Commodore (and to a lesser extend Ford's upcoming FG X Falcon), which is slightly wider but shorter and, even in top-shelf Calais V form, lacks the Hyundai's standard equipment list.

What it neglects to mention, however, is that the Genesis is $12,000 dearer than the Calais V in V6 form and still $6000 pricier than the 6.0-litre V8 version.

In fact, at $60,000, which makes it by far the most expensive Hyundai ever sold here, the base Genesis is line-ball with Holden's V8 Caprice V flagship.

The $71,000 Sensory model and the eye-watering $82,000 for the Ultimate takes the car far from Holden's realm.

For the Doubting Thomases, Hyundai quotes data showing the car's projected resale value will be on par or only slightly behind Germans after five years. A guaranteed buy-back scheme is part of the Genesis offer.

Hyundai seeks to add even more value to the Genesis equation via aftersales bonuses. Key among these is five years or 75,000km of free servicing. The usual Hyundai incentives like a five-year/unlimited-km warranty and lifetime capped-price servicing also apply.

But Frankly, we're a little surprised by Hyundai's Genesis pricing, because no matter how long the equipment list, the company concedes it won't attract German badge slaves, and we'd wager that the 'astute buyers' it seeks are the same ones that have been attracted to the cheaper luxury sedans built here by Holden and Ford for some time now.

We will watch with interest…

Regardless of the badge it wears, the Genesis is undoubtedly a good (perhaps even a great) car, but its relatively high price tag — especially in its mid and upper grade versions — could be the deal-breaker for many. At least until the Calais and G6E are pensioned off for good in three years' time.