The Hyundai Genesisis a luxury rear-wheel drive full-size car, introduced initially as a concept car in the2007 New York International Auto Show.Hyundai has introduced the vehicle worldwide, known internally as the BH model, andmarkets the Genesis as a "premium sports sedan" The Genesis is currently not offered in Europe. A coupe version based on the BH platform was introduced at the 2008 New York International Auto Show and arrived at US dealerships in February, 2009 as a 2010 model.
The Lambda 3.8 L V6 is available in Korean and North American models. In Korean spec, the engine produces 306 horsepower (228 kW). In US spec this engine produces 290 hp (216 kW) at 6,200 rpm and 264 lb·ft (358 N·m) at 4,500 rpm.Motor Trend reports a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds.
Hayundai Genesis Interior
Introduced in March, 2007 as the "Concept Genesis", the sedan was designed by Hyundai as a "progressive interpretation of the modern rear-wheel drive sports sedan". Hyundai conceived the idea for the Genesis in 2003. The body design took three years and the total cost of the program was $500 million over a development period of 23 months. Reliability testing ran for 800,000 miles.
Hyundai manufactures three engines for the Genesis sedan and offers the car internationally with various combinations of the three:The Tau V8 is Hyundai's first homegrown eight cylinder engine. For the 2008-09 model years, the 4.6 L engine produced 375 horsepower (280 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 333 lb·ft at 3,500 rpm. Introduced as a midyear change for the 2010 model, the 4.6 L V8 now produces 385 horsepower (287 kW) at 6,500 rpm, with no change in the torque output: 333 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm.[14] These figures are achieved using premium fuel. The V8 can also run on regular unleaded, in which case the 2010-11 model produces 378 horsepower (282 kW) and 324 lb-ft. For the V8 model, Hyundai has reported 0-60 mph times of less than 6 seconds.Car and Driver reports a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds,while Motor Trend reports a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds in their October 2008 issue.
Hyundai Chairman and CEO Chung Mong-koo calls the Genesis Hyundai's first entry into the European dominated luxury arena.According to Hyundai Vice Chairman Kim Dong-jin, the name Genesis is an indication that the vehicle is the first of many premium cars the company will introduce.The Genesis sedan is a luxury sedan that was designed to compete with the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS. Hyundai targeted 55,000 sales of the Genesis in 2008 (35,000 in Korea and anothe20,000 overseas) and 45,000 in 2009, with sales goals of 50,000 per year in the United States. Other competitors to the Genesis in its direct price range include the Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Pontiac G8, and Toyota Avalon.
Hyundai reportedly benchmarked the BMW 5-Series (E60) sedan during the Genesis' development; their press release indicates the Genesis body in white exceeds the BMW in torsional rigidity by 14% The production Genesis sedan received a five-star crash rating in every category from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.Hyundai markets the Genesis as offering "the performance of a BMW 5-Series and the interior packaging of a 7-Series at the price of a 3-Series."