The Korean car manufacturers Hyundai Motor Company have a new launch in the entry-level luxury field, which is christened the Hyundai Genesis. The grapevine has it that the BMW, Audi and Mercedes have been forced to sit-up and take notice, as Hyundai is gaining on them. The Genesis was introduced initially as a concept car in the 2007 New York International Auto Show. A coupe version was introduced in the 2008 New York International Auto Show and will join the sedan at a later date. The company plans to market the car in South Korea, North America, Europe and China. In North America, it is well on it’s way to grabbing a share in the market having won the 2009 North American Car of the Year award.

Hyundai would have three engines on offer for the Genesis sedan, marketing the car internationally with various combinations of the three. 

• The Tau V8 – Hyundai’s first internally engineeered 8 cylinder engine. The 4.6L engine produces 375 horsepower (280 kW) at 6,500 rpm.
• The Lambda 3.8L V6 – which produces 306 horsepower (228 kW). This is scheduled for availability in the North American markets.
• The Lambda 3.3L V6 – available for the Korean markets, producing 264 horsepower (197 kW).

The sedan comes packed with all the features one would look for in a luxury car such as :

• power windows, door locks, and mirrors
• remote keyless entry and starting
• cruise control
• heated front seats with power adjustments
• automatic headlights
• leather seat-upholstery and steering wheel
• dual-zone automatic air-conditioning
• seven-speaker audio system with XM satellite radio

The safety standars have been taken good care of as well and the Genesis  sedan has won a five-star crash rating in every category(Frontal Driver, Frontal Passenger, Side Driver, Side Rear Passenger, Rollover) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The transmission is an extremely smooth six-speed automatic, with clutchless manual shifting. However, the Genesis does have some areas which need few more tweaks from Hyundai. The suspension is firm to the point of jarring and the car will make you remember any pothole you hit, for a very long time. Also, the dome lights are white, which resemble an old fluorescent tube and it’s effect is not at all inviting. However, Hyundai Motors have been largely successful in developing a good entry-level luxury car for far less than the caompetition, priced at about US $32,000.After spending all those years developing small cars to be sold in developing nations, Hyundai Motor Company has finally, come off age. The Genesis can rival even a Mercedes or a BMW, and could well leave it’s competition panting for breath. However, it is not certain whether Hyundai plan to treat the Indian market with the Genesis. We can keep waiting, and the Genesis is certainly worth the wait.

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