The Hyundai Genesis coupe is a dramatic shift from the small, fuel efficient cars that Hyundai has built its reputation on. This 300bhp, rear wheel drive sports coupe is Hyundai’s halo car that pits it against some stiff competition, specifically cars like the Nissan 370Z. So how does the Genesis coupe stack up?

Our test car is a Hyundai Genesis 3.8 track edition that features a 3.8 liter V6, which puts out 306bhp and 266lb/ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddles for manual shifting. The car has a track-tuned suspension, brakes from Brembo with four-piston monobloc calipers that bite 13.4-inch cross-drilled rotors up front and 13.0-inch solid rotors in the rear. So large are these optional brakes that they work only with the larger 19-inch wheel package. For optimized acceleration and cornering dynamics, the Genesis coupe has a standard Torsen limited-slip differential – all of which adds upto some fairly serious credentials indeed.

The Genesis is also offered with a milder 4 cylinder 2 liter turbocharged engine that puts out 210bhp. This engine shares its genes with the motor found in the Mitsubishi Evo, and therefore presents an attractive opportunity for tuners to extract Evo like performance numbers with a few bolt on performance upgrades.

From the Outside



The styling of the Genesis coupe is handsome and sporty – in fact calling the coupe the best-looking Hyundai ever would be a perfectly reasonable statement. Although, quite how long this car can lay claim to that title remains to be unseen, as Hyundai seems to be coming up with some pretty striking new designs.

Hyundai’s California based design team evolved the Genesis styling over time. The squat stance boldly highlights the rear fenders to make it immediately clear that this is not merely a front-wheel drive family sedan in disguise. According to Hyundai, the aerodynamic properties of the wedge-like profile were tuned with high-speed stability in mind. Nevertheless, it’s meant to suggest a predatory animal – coiled on its haunches, and ready to strike.

From the Inside



On the inside, the cabin is impressive, boasting an enveloping cockpit-like environment. The dashboard material has a nice soft touch material – however the doorsill surface has harder plastics. To maintain the high quality feel, it would have been nice if Hyundai had used the same dashboard material on the doors as well.

Our test car came with navigation and Bluetooth, which has a user friendly interface that’s easy to set up and operate. In addition, the Infinity branded stereo provides excellent sound quality, and, of course, also provides the obligatory USB and auxiliary inputs. The front seats are supportive, and the thick rimmed steering wheel has a nice feel – it doesn’t, however, adjust for reach, only rake. The rear, as you’d expect in a coupe, has limited foot space, as well as headroom, and is a tight fit for adults – but you could fit a couple of kids back there fairly comfortably. The boot on the Genesis coupe is surprisingly large and can easily swallow a couple of large suitcases, adding to the versatility of the car.

On the Road



Press the ‘start’ button, and the 3.8 liter V6 engine comes alive with a deep authoritative rumble. According to Hyundai, the Genesis Coupe’s asymmetric exhaust outlets have been devised to make the kinds of sounds you’d hope to hear from a sports car – and, to their credit, they deliver on that promise.

The V6 has a sweet rumble that encourages you to rev the engine higher at every opportunity. The 3.8 liter engine is free revving, and has plenty of torque available right from the bottom of the power band. It has dual length intakes, which allow it to have a specifically tuned high and low rpm feed path – giving it good low end torque, as well as strong top end grunt.

On the road, the Genesis coupe acquits itself quite well. On tight twisty roads, the handling is composed and neutral. The steering is well weighted, and provides good feedback. With a powerful engine and rear wheel drive, it’s easy to spin the rear wheels when the traction control is switched off. Traction control came in good use, in fact, when there was a freak snow shower in the foothills of California’s West Coast – blame it on global warming! Nevertheless, power slides were a fortunate outcome, courtesy of the Genesis’s rear wheel drive and 300+ horsepower.



With its wide, low profile tires, the ride is a tad harsh, but the prodigious levels of grip make it well worthwhile. The highlight of the entire package, though, is the impeccable Brembo braking system that provides impressive stopping ability time-after-time without any signs of fade whatsoever. The big brake option truly adds to the sense of security, and enhances the overall driving experience of the vehicle.

The one area that left me a little disappointed, however, was the 6-speed automatic transmission. Though it’s able to hold the revs all the way to the redline, the shifts feel slow – especially in manual mode while using the steering wheel mounted paddles. I would have preferred to have the 6-speed manual in our test car, as that would have really completed the package.

Verdict



So, how does the Hyundai compare against Nissan 370Z? Pretty well actually – it provides a similar, maybe even better, driving experience at a considerably lower price. Our test car cost about $33,000 (Rs. 15 lakhs), and came fully equipped. Considering the duty structure in India, if Hyundai is able to sell a slightly lower spec Genesis at $60,000 (Rs. 27 lakhs), it would still be significantly cheaper than the 370Z, which was recently launched at a price tag of over 50 lakhs!

In my opinion the Genesis coupe could fill a tempting void in the Indian market, and if Hyundai is able to launch it with an attractive price tag, it could really be a game changer in the Indian context. The downside to this story is that Hyundai has no plans currently to actually bring the Genesis to India. I’m sure that the company will soon realize, however, that the Indian market is maturing fast enough to warrant a change of heart.

Enthusiasts want to buy a competitively priced high-performance sports car, and it doesn’t matter if it comes from the company that became famous in India by providing the first real alternative to the ubiquitous Maruti – i.e. the Santro. Or did they become famous because of Shah Rukh Khan? Either way, all they have to do is get him to drive a Genesis, and that should be all the branding they need – because there’s nothing really lacking at all on the product front.