I first laid eyes on the second generation Hyundai Genesis last year at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show and wondered when it would roll into the media review fleet in Winnipeg. It was one thing to see the car on the Auto Show floor and it’s quite another thing to see brand new models show up on your driveway.
The all new styling of the Hyundai Genesis is more elegant and delivers a premium look and feel. The big bold grille is one of newest features except in provinces where a front licence plate is required. Upon first glance at the Hyundai Genesis, I easily thought it was similar to the BMW 5/7 Series styling including the large 19” alloy rims.
The Hyundai Genesis comes in four trim levels, Premium, Luxury and Technology equipped with a 3.8L V6 8-speed engine. Our media tester for the week is the 5.0L GDI V8 Ultimate valued at $62,000. All models come standard with Hyundai’s all-new HTRAC active all-wheel drive system. AWD is a must have for all vehicles built for our Canadian winters. The Genesis offers four driving modes to offer the best engine output for various driving conditions. Drive modes include Normal, Eco, Snow and Sport.
The premium sedan look continues to the interior of the Hyundai Genesis. Premium features include an automatic power trunk lid that opens if the key FOB is detected near the rear of the vehicle for more than 3 seconds, full colour heads-up display that provides more than just vehicle speed and one feature that I discovered by accident. The Genesis has a High Beam Assist feature that switches low beam headlights when approaching oncoming vehicles. Pretty neat stuff.
The interior cabin is elegant with rich materials like Napa leather and natural wood trim. The white Napa leather was extremely soft and supple and one of the first features I noticed when the interior cabin was illuminated upon entry into the vehicle.
The centre stack console has one of the largest entertainment/navigation displays I’ve come across. The Genesis Ultimate comes equipped with a massive 9.2” 720p HD display and 900-watt 17-speaker Lexicon 7.1 surround sound audio system with Logic 7 sound processing. Centre stack and steering wheel controls are laid out nicely and easy to control while driving.
Last but not least, this a truly Canadian winter worthy luxury sedan as it comes equipped with a heated steering wheel and heated front/rear seats. The best feature by far that makes driving in Canada during the winter bearable.
The luxury sedan class is full and the Hyundai Genesis has strong competition in the Audi A6, BWM 5-Series, Cadillac CTS, Mercedes Benz E-Class and the Lexus GS.
Photos by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal
