General Motors and Ford have both put on hold, perhaps forever, plans to offer V8-powered rear-wheel-drive sedans fully competitive with the best from Germany and Japan. They're running short on resources, and with gas prices around $4 future demand for such sedans is uncertain.

And yet Hyundai has introduced just such a sedan for 2009. How can the Korean company justify such a car when General Motors and Ford cannot? Because it has more to prove.

So, Hyundai had a need to prove it could develop a first-rate luxury sedan. What's in it for car buyers? Does Hyundai deliver a $50,000+ car for $40,000? Since no V8-powered cars were available yet, I took a Genesis V6 for a test drive to find out.

Styling

The exterior of the Hyundai Genesis is both attractive and anonymous. It combines elements of the BMW 5-Series, Lexus LS, Mercedes S-Class, and others into a pleasing whole. But this whole lacks its own identity. Looking at the Genesis, the first thing that comes to mind--and the second and third as well--is the competitors it borrows elements from.

Though the instrument panel of the Genesis resembles that in the Mercedes S-Class, overall it's more distinctive than the exterior. All of the buttons and materials aren't up to those of a $60,000 car, but nothing seems cheap, and the overall impression is one of luxury and quality.

Look closely, and the build quality isn't perfect. In the Genesis I drove, the power height adjuster on the driver's seat wasn't working properly. The car's black paint had heavy orange peel (though the silver car inside the showroom was not similarly afflicted). One of the side windows contained substantial distortion. And the exterior trim bits didn't all line up perfectly--though none of the fits were far off, either. This said, the average buyer won't examine the car this closely.

Accommodations

In their lowest positions, the seats are too low for people much under six feet in height. Not a problem with the driver's seat--use the power adjuster to raise it. But on the passenger side, the only evident sign of cost cutting has an impact: the front passenger seat has no height adjustment. It also has no lumbar adjustment, while the driver gets four-way power lumbar. Finally, the Technology Package includes a cooled seat for the driver, but not one for the passenger.

Aside from this adjustability issue, the seats--both front and rear--are extremely comfortable. They're cushier than those in most German sedans, but also properly supportive. The rear seat is high enough off the floor to provide adults with proper thigh support.

The trunk is usefully large. As in other large luxury sedans, the rear seat does not fold to expand the trunk. Instead, a passthrough is provided behind the rear armrest.

On the Road

The 375-horsepower V8 wasn't yet at dealers, so I drove the 290-horsepower V6. For most people, the smooth V6 is plenty strong. But if you want a strong shove in the lower back, consider spending $2,000 extra for the V8. Fuel economy is among the best in the class with either engine--Hyundai's days of trailing the industry in fuel economy appear to be over.

When I first read about the Genesis, I expected it to ride and handle much like a Lexus. In other words, far too soft for my taste. So I was pleasantly surprised to find the suspension tuning close to that of Mercedes and firmer than in a Lexus. Some reviewers have noted excessive understeer--where the nose wants to plow wide in turns--and a lack of composure on rough roads. I personally found the chassis nicely balanced, and always composed.

Why the difference of opinion? Most reviewers drove the V8, which is more nose-heavy. So it's possible that the V8 understeers more than the V6. Also, I didn't drive the car on any especially rough roads, or with anyone in the back seat (which would further compress the rear suspension). Over moderately choppy surfaces with no one in the rear seat, the ride felt nearly ideal to me. The small stuff was filtered out, and hitting bumps mid-turn did not knock the Genesis off course.

There isn't much steering feel--but that's true of other large luxury sedans as well. The steering is nicely weighted and not too light, and felt precise and natural to me. Which is about as good as can be expected in this class of car.

Sound meters in magazine road tests have generated okay but not great readings for the Genesis. Yet my ears detected very little noise, even on a concrete highway. There was certainly much less engine and road noise in the Genesis than in the Lincoln MKS, which I drove the same afternoon on some of the same roads. I suspect that, like Lexus, Hyundai knows that not all noise makes the same subjective impression, and they tuned the Genesis to SOUND quiet. Sometimes reducing noise that the human ear does not find objectionable can make a car sound louder, becuase any remaining objectionable noise seems louder as a result.

Hyundai Genesis Price Comparisons and Pricing

Some people have been disappointed that the Genesis didn't start under $30,000, as Hyundai initially implied. But the base price of $33,000 for the V6 is still very low for a large rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan. Two packages are available on the V6. Load it up, and the list price is $40,000 even.

The V8 comes with a $3,000 package as standard, so it's $38,000 base includes just $2,000 for the extra two cylinders. Very reasonable. Add the remaining package, and the price is $42,000.

How low are these prices? The lowest-priced comparable car is probably the Infiniti M35. even when a $2,000 Premium Package and $1,000 18-inch wheels are added to the Genesis to make it's features roughly equal to the base M35's, the Hyundai lists for about $8,700 less. And that's using 2008 prices for the Infiniti--the 2009 will be more. Compare V8s, and the gap is even wider: about $13,200. And the Infiniti V8--due to be updated--isn't nearly as powerful.

Run the same comparisons with a BMW 535i and 550i, and the gap is about $19,000 for the V6 (even after crediting the BMW $3,600 for additional standard features) and $23,800 for the V8 (even after a $1,275 feature-based adjustment).

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, http://www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Hyundai Genesis:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Genesis.php

Last Words

The Genesis impressed me. Though not perfect, it performs much better than I expected a Hyundai to, and comes closer to matching the ride-handling balance and refinement of a Mercedes than anything from a U.S. automaker. The car I drove had some minor fit and finish issues, but still looked and felt like a premium car, not like a cheap copy.

The only significant issue I have with the car is that it's styling is so clearly based on other cars. It's attractive, but also generic and lacking in an identify of its own. For many people, this won't be an issue.

Anyone interested in a large luxury sedan with a touch of sporting capability should give the new Hyundai Genesis a look. Hyundai set out to prove they could develop a competitive large luxury sedan, and they've proved it.

A Note on Hyundai Genesis Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, http://www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Genesis rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Hyundai Genesis reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Genesis--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive <b>free access</b> to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit http://www.truedelta.com

A link to this website and alphabetized links to <b>my other vehicle reviews</b> can be found on my <a href="/user-mkaresh">profile page</a>.

Amount Paid (US$): 36,000
Model and Options: V6 with Premium Package