Ten years ago, the notion of a Hyundai luxury car was unheard of.  Korean cars, at that time, faced a stigma when it came to reliability and durability.  Fast-forward a decade later and after countless research and development, the world is now on its head.  Hyundai and its sister company, Kia, represents one of the fastest growing car makers in the world.  It has, especially in the past three or so years, entered into market segments which were previously dominated by the Japanese, Americans and Europeans.  Vehicles such as the Santa Fe, Veracruz, Sonata, Azera, Coupe (Tiburon) and Elantra have made Hyundai a force to be reckoned with, and a manufacturer that's to be closely followed.

Now, Hyundai hopes to strike gold once again.  This time, it plans to enter the full-sized/entry-level luxury car segment dominated by the likes of the Chrysler 300C.  At the New York International Auto Show last April, Hyundai presented a lovely concept they dubbed Genesis which stunned show goers with its subtle elegance.  The good news is that it will be part of Hyundai's 2008 vehicle line-up.

Forgetting the show car cues (i.e. LED headlamps, fancy tail pipes), the Genesis is essentially the road-going version of Hyundai’s flagship car.  Slotting above the Azera sedan, the Genesis rides on a rear-wheel drive architecture—the first application outside Korea.  With electronic stability control becoming mandatory in all US vehicles, it comes to no surprise that the Genesis is so equipped.  The Genesis has a 53/47 front/rear weight distribution for more or spirited handling, while the use of ultra high-tensile steel in critical areas produce 12-14 percent higher dynamic torsional rigidity.  The stiffer body is also much lighter, weighing in less than the similarly sized BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The sophisticated suspension system features a five-link independent suspension for all ends of the car.  An advanced electronically controlled driver selectable suspension will be made available to tailor the car for ride comfort or spirited handling.

Under the sculpted hood is an all-new 4.6-liter V8 engine—again, a first for Hyundai for markets outside Korea.  Dubbed ‘Tau’, it’s essentially an engine co-developed with Mitsubishi.  In the Genesis, the V8 engine is good for 300 horsepower, delivering a 0-100 km/h time of well under 6 seconds.  There will only be one transmission available, a ZF 6-speed automatic with manual shift override and limited slip differential (LSD).  The Tau engine is built with flexibility in mind, so larger displacements, forced induction and other technological advancements may be offered in future models.

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