Road Rage Remedy
Most Comfortable Cars: 2009 Hyundai Genesis
The most advanced Hyundai ever created.
By Mike Monticello
Hyundai says the Genesis has "capabilities and features comparable to $60,000 luxury premium sedans," but at a price that starts under $30,000. According to the manufacturer, it's also the most advanced Hyundai ever created.
The Genesis is built on Hyundai's all-new rear-wheel-drive architecture (the first rear-drive Hyundai to be sold in the U.S.). It measures 197.0 in. long riding on a 115.5-in. wheelbase, making it only about an inch and a half shorter than a BMW 7 Series. And Hyundai claims the Genesis has more interior volume than the big BMW as well as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Two V-6 engines will be offered — a 3.3-liter with 264 bhp and a 3.8-liter with 290 — as well as the flagship 4.6-liter V-8 with 368 bhp and 324 lb.-ft. of torque; all three come equipped with 6-speed automatics — the V-6s use Aisin-built versions; the V-8, a ZF system. The V-8 model, is said to hit 60 mph in less than 6 seconds, and according to Hyundai, will deliver a "world-class driving experience" due to its rear-drive platform and high-output engine. And get this: the V-8 achieves its 368 bhp running on 87-octane fuel. The base V-6 car will weigh about 3730 lb., the V-8 version tipping the scales at 4005 lb.
The interior is filled with leather and luxury, as well as such high-tech features as Smart Cruise Control (which adjusts vehicle speed to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead), an Adaptive Front Lighting System (automatically swivels the headlamps for better vision when cornering), XM NavTraffic, Lexicon audio systems and a driver's seat that can be heated and cooled.
Hyundai says the new V-8 engine could be built in larger-displacement versions down the road, or even possibly with forced induction. Which means you might very soon be reading about a Hyundai with over 400 bhp!
