2011 Hyundai Genesis Review and Prices

Styling: The 2011 Hyundai Genesis sedan will continue to far outsell the Genesis coupe. Styling updates to the sedan will be minor, likely running to a subtly altered grille and front fascia, maybe new taillamp lenses, perhaps some freshened cabin trim. The basic body shape will be unchanged, remaining a collection of gentle curves conservatively proportioned. Dimensionally, the Genesis is similar to midsize luxury sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Lexus GS. Strategically, it aims – as Hyundai ads dare confide – to do to Lexus what Lexus once did to Mercedes. That is: offer a car that competes with the class leaders for luxury, performance, and features but undercuts them on price. Remarkably, this first luxury sedan from South Korea is on the same page as the established premium brands for refinement, features, even performance, though the prestige gap remains formidable. Significantly, when the Genesis sedan was introduced for model-year 2009, the word “Hyundai” did not appear anywhere on it; a stylized “H” logo sufficed. It’ll be interesting to see if Hyundai has become confident enough to put its full name on the freshened 2011 model. The 2011 Hyundai Genesis sedan will return in two models named for their engine displacement, the 3.8 and 4.6. As for the aggressively low-slung Genesis Coupe, Hyundai most definitely wants it to stand out, not blend in. Also named for its engines, the 2011 Genesis Coupe will return the 2.0T series in base, Premium, Track, and R-Spec models, and the 3.8 line in Grand Touring and Track models. 

Mechanical: The Genesis sedan follows the luxury-class blueprint with rear-wheel-drive and strong V-6 and V-8 engines – and for 2011 it’ll step with the leaders for transmission technology, too. Hyundai says replacing the six-speed automatic with the eight-speed will improve fuel economy by 2 percent and benefit acceleration and powertrain smoothness. It also gives the Genesis sedan the same bragging rights as the premium-class pacesetters. Eight-speed automatics had been the province of high-end cars like the $80,000-plus BMW 7-Series and Lexus’s $65,000 LS 460 and $55,000 GS 460. It’s initially unclear whether the 2011 Genesis sedan will mate the eight-speed automatic with both of its available engines. Those powerplants are a 3.8-liter V-6, rated for 2010 at 290 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque, and a 4.6-liter V-8, rated for 2010 at 375 horsepower and 333 pound-feet. These power numbers are squarely in the premium-class ballpark; more important, both engines furnish fine performance. The Genesis sedan rides and handles competitively, too, though it doesn’t have the sporty edge of a BMW 5-Series or the fluidity of an E-Class. Of course, those cars start closer to $50,000 in base six-cylinder form. The 2011 Genesis will return with the full suite of traction and stability enhancers expected of a premium car. Absent, however, is all-wheel drive (AWD) for that extra dimension of grip and control in snow or other slippery conditions. All its key competitors offer both rear- and all-wheel-wheel drive versions of their premium sedans. The sporty 2011 Hyundai Genesis coupe is a tight 2+2 that revels in the rear-drive formula for its handling advantages. The 2.0T models have a turbocharged four-cylinder with 210 horsepower. The 3.8s use the sedan’s 3.8-liter V-6 tuned for 306 horsepower. The coupe mates both engines with a six-speed manual transmission and offers the four with a five-speed automatic and the V-6 with a six-speed automatic.      

Features: The 2010 Hyundai Genesis sedan will return with a roster of features considered essential for a premium-class car. Again standard on all 2011 Genesis sedans will be leather upholstery, heated power front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The steering wheel contains controls for the standard Bluetooth mobile phone link and audio system. An MP3 auxiliary jack and a USB iPod interface are standard. All sedans also come with front and rear side torso airbags, plus head-protecting curtain side airbags. Among features standard on the Genesis 4.6 sedan that are optional on the 3.8 sedan are 18-inch alloy wheels (in place of 17-inch alloys), power tilt/telescope steering wheel, power tilt/slide sunroof, upgraded leather upholstery, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and power rear sunshade. Same goes for a Lexicon-brand audio with 14 speakers and a navigation system with a 7-inch screen, 40-gigabyte hard drive, and rear backup camera. Option packages for both sedan models add such items as a 528-watt Lexicon 17-speaker 7.1 discrete audio system, radar cruise control, cooled driver’s seat, steering-linked xenon headlamps, and an expanded navigation system with an 8-inch touch screen. The 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T will continue its hard-core performance focus with such features as rear tires wider than the fronts and racecourse-tuned suspension. Manual-transmission-only Track and R-Spec models have stiffer suspensions, larger wheels, Brembo brakes, and grippy sport bucket seats. The 2011 Genesis Coupe 3.8 base and Grand Touring models will again focus on stylish cruising with a comfort-tuned suspension and standard leather seating while the 3.8 Track gets serious with performance-tread tires, stiffer suspension, and Brembo brakes.