In comparison to the Genesis sedan, the Genesis Coupe has appeared on dealer lots like a Stealth bomber sliding into Whiteman Air Force Base. Either Hyundai thinks their new two-door makes such a strong impression it doesn’t need a huge marketing campaign to jump-start the public imagination or they blew their wad with the sedan. Whatever Hyundai’s intentions, the Genesis Coupe speaks for itself, surpassing its current competitors in the pony car market. (2010 Ford Mustang test to follow.) If you’re looking for a rear-wheel drive, high-powered, sporty car with a recession-friendly price, exodus forms on the right.
Hyundai took a few risks with the Genesis Coupe’s styling, but receives extra credit for staying away from The Temple of Bangle. The Korean car’s clean lines, balanced proportions and captivating details form a design language that mimics Infiniti, without the full-on bug-eyed look. Of note: the Hyundai Coupe’s rear quarter windows. They sport a lower edge dip that’s somewhere between interesting and plain old weird. I like it; it’s not the split window of a Stingray, but at least its something.
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe’s cabin welcomes refugees from the plastic armageddon known as the [current] Ford Mustang GT and Dodge Challenger R/T. My Hyundai tester’s two-tone brown and black interior offered rich textures and a solid build. Okay, the silver accents around the center stack are formed from discarded Revell pieces, but at least they don’t try to look like aluminum. Meanwhile, melted Barbie doll crept up the door panels and the center tunnel, awaiting their fate of permanent scuffing.
The Coupe’s interior ergonomics are spot on if a bit unusual. Stacked or not, duplicate controls belong in an aircraft with a co-pilot, not an automobile. Still, everything works well enough, with Accord-compliant haptic feedback. If you’ve rented a Hyundai Sonata, you’ll find it all a bit familiar. Honda owners will yawn. Charger owners will feel under-dressed.
The Genesis Coupe’s heavily bolstered seats are a genuine highlight. The chairs cradle drivers like the Spine-Melter 2000, caressing their keisters with the perfect amount of padding, support and contours. Think Recaros built for crossing the country instead of an autocross.
Hyundai did not bless the Genesis Coupe with the remarkable V8 powering its Lexus-wannabe brother. Fortunately, the Hyundai’s 312 bhp (on premium gas) DOHC 3.8-liter V6 screams loudly enough to drown out the “Doh, I could’ve had a V8″ crowd. Fitted with the Aisin six-speed manual transmission, the Genesis two-door keeps up with its V8 competition. The mill’s good for a sub-six second dash to 60 mph.
Better yet, the Korean Coupe delivers a superior transmission feel, with short throws, precise engagements and one of the best clutches you can buy this side of $30K. The track version of the Genesis Coupe’s available with a ZF six-speed automatic. If you can drive a stick, do; the “cheaper” unit suits the car’s engine and character well enough.
So the Genesis keeps up with its pony car competitors in a straight line. And? And the Hyundai also provides more than merely adequate stoppers, standard strut tower braces and an [available] Torsen limited-slip differential. So equipped, the Genesis Coupe will literally run rings around anything else in its class.
The biggest surprise in this entire package: the Genesis Coupe’s steering. While the Europeans seem to favor lighter and lighter steering feel (to disguise their model’s increasingly obese if safety-oriented curb weight), the Genesis feels perfectly weighted and precise. BMW’s M3—yes, that one—should take lessons from the Genesis Coupe’s steering rack. It serves-up Porsche-level feel, with just a tad less precision.
The Genesis Coupe is one of those cars that’s constantly urging you to waste gas in the senseless pursuit of pleasure. The harder your push the engine, the throatier and lustier it sounds. The faster you push the chassis, the more athletic it feels. Until it all goes wrong.
The Genesis’s Achilles’ heel lies just beyond the limits of adhesion. When the back end lets loose, you’d better be right with your god as the car becomes all but uncontrollable. The traction control jumps in like an unwanted sidekick only to muck up the mess. Although I didn’t get a chance to test the theory (the Hyundai salesman looked green and saw red), I assume that turning it off might prevent a hit on your insurance deductible.
For the past 20 years, Hyundai has progressed as an automaker. The Genesis Coupe is another step Fordward. It’s a fast, well priced, well-built, generally competent, comfortable and good looking car. But the Genesis fails in the one key area, where its competitors excel: smoky powerslides [NB: not the nightclub singer from the forties]. Is the lack of tail-out expertise a big deal? Probably not. Will the Genesis Coupe find happy homes? Definitely.
111 Comments on “Review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 (Grand Touring)...”
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Yea, I saw one the other day at our Hyundai store…very impressive in person. I look forward to driving one soon, though I doubt I’ll be tempted to trade in my current ride (Evo MR).
An unfortunate use of a brand name, Genesis brings back memories of the Cutlass name to bring unity to models that had little in common. I think the sedan and coupe are probably miles apart in image and target audiences.
I still find it amazing how far Hyundai has come in the last few years. Initially I wrote them off as cheaper Toyotas, well assembled, competent, but bland to drive. Now Hyundai can turn up the heat and still compete as well… nice!
The Genesis coupe, in my opinion, is far nicer looking then the new G37 coupe. I think the old G35 coupe was much more muscular and chiseled looking while the new G37 looks like a smiling fish from the front.
Now if they can just convince Honda and Toyota faithful to give Hyundai a chance.
The interior is surprisingly attractive, although I just can’t stomach the exterior design.
Sadly, it’s the crappy at the limits handling that kills this car for me. For as long as GM’s still around, the Zeta is king of the pony cars.
Check out the Hyundai website; there is a great video of the Genesis “Track” whipping around Road Atlanta.
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/GenesisCoupe/GenesisCoupe.aspx
Also, how in the world did this car suddenly appear from virtually nowhere when one of its closest competitors, the nascent 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, is “still a comin’” after three years of over-hyped braggadocio?
My main issue with the side window dip is that it makes no sense. Or does it? My first thought was that there would hardly ever be people back there, so why give an empty seat larger windows? But I suppose that if there are people back there, they’ll likely be children–who will benefit from a lower rear beltline.
Or maybe it was done just to do something different.
My main issue with the car itself–the Genesis name makes no sense here. Virtually nothing aside from the basic platform is shared with the sedan. Giving both cars the same name dilutes what “Genesis” stands for and is bound to confuse people.
TrueDelta provided reliability stats for the Genesis sedan before any other source–it’s about average so far, pretty good for an all-new luxury sedan–and aims to do the same with the Genesis Coupe.
For information about our research, and to sign up to participate (for free access):
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
Also, how in the world did this car suddenly appear from virtually nowhere when one of its closest competitors, the nascent 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, is “still a comin’” after three years of over-hyped braggadocio?
GM sells anticipation. Hyundai sells cars.
the mustang/camaro/challenger triplets are still prettier from the outside. Way prettier. Or tuffer, or whatever.
I think tho that this car would make a better dance partner.
I want a Fiat 500 cabrio or an Abarth. I suppose I am not the correct buyer for this car.
Pony car? Doesn’t this coupe have an independent rear suspension?
I can’t wait to check out the cheaper turbo-4.
I’ll ditto the kudos to Hyundai for getting this into production quickly. If Nissan continues to drag their feet on a 240SX successor and Toyo-Baru delays/cancels their RWD coupe, then I’ll darn well buy a Hyundai instead. I’d rather it was a little lighter and had a NA engine, but I’ll take what I can get… I just can’t bring myself to buy a 20 year old 944.
And they did all this without my tax dollars.
Two things stand out to me here…
1. gearchange: really? I mean, every generation of Hyundai I’ve driven has been ten times better than the last… but I still haven’t driven a single one with a decent gearchange. If it’s anywhere near Honda levels… even at just half of them, I’m impressed.
2. steering feel: no… really really? The Genesis sedan has decent steering, but it’s more akin to what you’d expect in a Merc than a real sports car… have they really done something that different between the sedan and the coupe?
I’m salivating in anticipation of my first tester unit… I don’t think I’ll be able to return it to Hyundai in one piece…
“Pony car? Doesn’t this coupe have an independent rear suspension?”
Yes, it does, just like the “seldom seen” Camaro and the Dodge Challenger. I’m not sure about to ‘10 Mustang; the older Cobra models did however.
I’m a different generation, for me it brings back memories of a early 90s video game console. Even the font used for the logo is similar!
http://www.gameconsoles.com/images/Genesis%20LOGO.jpg
http://www.hariult.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/hyundai-genesis-logo.jpg
I think the name is perfect, it is a “new beginning” for Hyundai after all.
It just strikes me as an extremely incongruous design that tries to take little pieces of everyone elses DNA. Perhaps the pictures don’t do it justice.
I really wonder if this is more of a ’sports touring’ coupe than a pony car. The model reminds me more of Hyundais version of a modern day SC or even Mark VIII than a Mustang. The first two cars tend to feel more sporty as they’re driven faster while the Mustang is more of an unrefined jack-rabbit of a vehicle.
Very Nice. I just don’t understand why this car is being positioned (by Hyundai and auto journos) against the domestics. Nissan has the most to fear from this. Fully equipped, this rig costs as much as a 370Z basic. Korea is doing to Japan what Japan does to the Germans. A G37 with a 100k warranty.
I am really anxious to test drive one of these. I’m just afraid I might trade in my Sonata for one.
I’m glad to see Hyundai finally build a worthwile sports car.
However, to me the Mustang, Challenger, and especially Camaro are better in their own rights. I feel that all three look better than the genesis coupe. The mustang has a better interior now that I personally like more than this one, the Challenger, well its a Challenger, it may not be the most sophisticated beast, but I would love to own one.
And finally the Camaro, which I feel is the best match up for this genesis coupe. The Camaro is coming with independent suspension at all four corners, a base V-6 with 300 horsepower, a nice, interesting interior, and a V-8 optional. And even though it isnt out yet, official production starts March 16, from early indications it will be a great handler compared to anything in its class.
One thing I don’t get is, why didn’t Hyundai just start a separate Genesis luxury brand? The sedan and coupe would form a good backbone for a new brand.
That center stack is really awful.
BDB — a new separate brand would be very expensive. No way the numbers would add up in the current market.
This might be the final nail in the coffin for the domestics. The Gen Y generation is being raised with the domestics begging for money and their parents owning a foreign car. BDB is right with the name Genesis. Hyundai is telling us that they can build a car that is fast and has luxury ushering in a new beginning. I have seen this car and I like it.
I saw one of these in person this past Saturday and it is huge. Much larger than you’d think looking at the pictures. The interior isn’t what I would call premium either.
The car is generating some buzz with the import crowd and tunerz crowd. But as evidenced by the road tests released by other outlets it is well behind the performance of the refreshed 2010 Mustang (which only has 315hp currently). The Camaro will further push it down the pack. Much of the import crowd doesn’t like the comparison for that reason and instead point to it compared to the G37 coupe. I guess that’s fair. Maybe.
They also cry that the turbo four with modz will roast any American muscle car or true Japanese sports car. But then what of your 10 year/100,000 mile warranty everyone falls back on when defending the decision to purchase a Hyundai? That goes right out the window. I would hope that anything with thousands of dollars worth of tuning and parts would keep up with stock performance cars. Also unless you’re doing the work on the car yourself most tuning shops charge a pretty penny for the work they do, even if it isn’t much. Money you could have thrown at a faster American or Japanese car with a warranty in the first place.
The biggest problem IMO though is the styling, it really isn’t anything special. In fact the one I saw at the dealer looked like a giant silver blob in person. This is really the best Hyundai could do? They could have at least aped a Ferrari’s styling and given everyone a true head turner.
Trishield, were you at the Irvine Cars and Coffee this weekend? I only ask because there was a silver Hyundai Genesis coupe there on display. The car looks great from the rear 3/4-view, but when looking at it from the front 3/4 position there is a design element that makes you think “something’s not quite right.” While the Challenger suffers from the fat-man on tippy toes look, the Genesis coupe has a tiny face.
I actually like the window profile; it reminds me of a kukri machete.
I think the point of the Genesis is to take the hyundai brand out of the gutter and place it among the real brands.
Anybody know if the coupe and the sedan are built in the same plant? If so, how tough could it be to offer the sedan with a stick?
Since Pontiac/Holden refuse to offer the G8 for under 40k with a stick, why not offer one up. It would be another way to prove the ‘driver’s car’ shtick that Hyundai is trying to sell.
***
An unfortunate use of a brand name, Genesis brings back memories of the Cutlass name to bring unity to models that had little in common. I think the sedan and coupe are probably miles apart in image and target audiences.***
LOL, right on. Marketers are dumb….the Genesis sedan will probably be most cross-shopped by Avalon buyers and used Lexus/Merc. buyers. Middle-aged/near-retirement/the type who used to buy Buicks in the 1950’s/
Genesis coupe drivers….180-degree opposite.
While Nissan currently has no problems selling all the 370Zs they have, this is definitely worrying dealers. I was at a Nissan dealership some days ago for a look at the new 370Z and the sales people were all talking a lot about “heritage”. And as you know, when any marketing department talks of heritage, it usually is designed to divert your attention from the value equation of what they are actually selling.
Every car maker in search of respect will eventually turn to making a performance sport car (Nissan did it with the 240Z, Mazda with the RX-7 and Toyota with the Celica/Supra) and now it may well be Hyundai’s turn with the Genesis coupe. In particular the R-Spec Turbo 4 that is just begging for some engine mods.
This car seems to be good effort IMO, but is the styling any better than the tiburon? I’m not sure. Call me an old fuddy duddy but but if this car isn’t head and shoulders above the 2010 Mustang GT, I’ve gotta take a pass, and I get a little ‘guilt’ relief supporting Ford. That and I’m still not sure how to say “Hyundai” properly!
jkross22 :
Anybody know if the coupe and the sedan are built in the same plant? If so, how tough could it be to offer the sedan with a stick?
Since Pontiac/Holden refuse to offer the G8 for under 40k with a stick, why not offer one up. It would be another way to prove the ‘driver’s car’ shtick that Hyundai is trying to sell.
The coupe and sedan are built in different places. Also, while they share a platform it’s not just a straight swap job to put a stick into the Genesis sedan. A lot of different metal between those two cars.
Keep in mind that the Genesis is really not being marketed as a driver’s car, while the Genesis coupe is. Genesis sedan is being pitched at people thinking about Lexus or Mercedes.
The Coupe is a branding mistake in my opinion, since the aim was to make Kia the sporty brand and Hyundai the luxury brand.
The “Genesis” moniker isn’t that unfortunate for Hyundai.
For Gens X and Y it is far more likely to bring back fond memories of time wasted on the Sega videogame console.
Good review Mike.
I’ll have to check this baby out at the Hyundai dealership down the road.
From the pictures, it just looks like a gussied up 2010 Huyndai Tiburon. The front is particularly off-note. Why did they change it so completely from sedan to coupe? It cheapens the whole car.
Giving both cars the same name dilutes what “Genesis” stands for and is bound to confuse people.
Possibly the intent is a sort of “new Hyundai” brand-within-a-brand. Think about the relationship between Macintosh and Apple. You had various, disparate Macintoshes (the SE/30 and IIcx, for example, were pretty different) but they all fell within the Apple brand, as did the Apple II. The Geneses could be the Macintosh to the Elantra and Accent’s Apple II.
Admittedly it’s a weird thing to do in a car brand (a bizarro version of badge engineering, perhaps) but how much worse could it be than, say, the Cadillac Cimarron?
Back when there were just spy photos of this thing I didn’t really see it, but now every time I see this thing it reminds me of the Tiburon. And that wasn’t the prettiest car.
“GS650G :
March 9th, 2009 at 10:06 am
And they did all this without my tax dollars.”
Not with your tax dollars, but South Korea has been propping it’s auto makers for quite some time.
http://www.hybridcars.com/carmakers/hyundai.html
How did Hyundai manage to get so much assistance from the Korean government? The slush fund controversy provides clues. Two steps forward and one big step back: the scandal has apparently delayed Hyundai’s hybrid plans.
> So the Genesis keeps up with its pony car competitors in a straight line.
MT has the ‘10 Mustang down for 4.9 to 60, and into the 13s through the quarter. The best they could do with the Hyundai was 5.5 and 14, probably because the it has a torque limiter that won’t let you put the power down after the 1-2 shift for four seconds. Now that’s a serious performance car.
> It serves-up Porsche-level feel, with just a tad less precision.
MT calls the rack gluey. Edmunds calls it isolated and overboosted. C&D calls it precise. Was anyone reviewing the same car?
> The Korean car’s clean lines, balanced proportions and captivating details form a design language that mimics Infiniti
No, it mimics a Photoshop filter. It looks for all the world like they took the front end of a Honda Accord and dragged the smudge tool down the hood. I have no idea what’s going with the random slash down the flanks. This car is nothing if not ugly.
I’m looking forward to seeing if the domestic reviews are anywhere near as charitable as this one.
I drove one of these on Friday at the Hyundai dealer near LAX. Very knowledgeable, polite staff there which caught me off guard.
Anyhow, they had one car in stock, a black/black 3.8L 6A model, loaded to the gills with a $31k sticker.
Juan, the sales guy, took it right off the showroom floor for me to drive even though I was upfront in that I’m not planning to buy a car until late summer. Impressive given that the Honda shop was “too busy” to get my butt behind the wheel of a Civic Si covered in dust on the front line.
I thought the Genesis looked very good in person, much better than photos. It has a nice athletic hunkered-down stance, reminding me of another car that I still can’t quite place. To my eyes it looked a lot more sporty than a Camaro or Mustang. The Seoul-staring front end looks much better in person, at least in black. The rims were gorgeous, Brembos peeking through, and I think the spoiler gives it a nice wedge shape that completes the car.
Interior materials were Toyonda-grade. So, better than the Camaro or Mustang, but BMW and Infiniti don’t have anything to worry about. The blue dash lighting was a little cheesy and I wish the wheel telescoped. The stereo rocked.
The thing drove very, very well. Chassis rigidity felt on par with a 335i, the steering was almost as sharp as my Miata, the brakes felt solid and progressive. It barked the rear tires on takeoff without much prodding, leading me to believe the throttle tip-in might be a little hyper aggressive. No roll, squat, or dive to be found anywhere. Hit a huge pothole on accident and there were no chassis reverberations.
Overall I was really impressed with the car. It has power to spare, a nice stance, an above-average interior, and proper handling dynamics. If the 2.0 Track with a manual gearbox is anywhere near as good this car will be at the top of my shopping list this summer.
Well. This sounds very desirable.
Here’s an upside to the recent discussion about TTAC’s perceived negativity (or not). When a TTAC review is as positive about a car as this one is, then you know it is a well turned-out car!
I want to test-drive (buy?) this thing. The interior is very attractive, and sounds like the manual tranny is satisfying. Looks pretty good too.
A small part of me *does* wish that Hyundai had launched a new, upscale brand to showcase the Genesis sedan and this new coupe.
Oh, and excellent prose in this review Mike (highlights: “Fordward” … “smoky powerslides … the forties nightclub singer…”)
@ Mike Solowiow:
How does this compare to the 2004 GTO you bought at CarMax?
GS650G wrote:
Sadly, that’s not strictly true.
While the US taxpayer was busy paying US troops to guard the DMZ, the Koreans were busy building up a near world-class automobile industry using trade barriers and government-supported industrial trusts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol
So why is what’s good for Pusan bad for Peoria?
For a slightly different perspective, Inside Line just compared the Genesis against the G37. It won.
BTW, according to their tests, it’s not capable of sub-six second 0-60 runs, not that I care, but there you go.
To say that the Genesis Coupe fails in the area of smokey power slides is like saying that Teri Hatcher fails in the area of cooking. Who cares?
Hyundai is developing an uncanny ability to nail the market right in the sweet spot, with good-looking, high-quality products that do everything the average buyer wants for less money than anything remotely comparable.
My understanding is that originally Hyundai did want a new brand, but decided that creating a new seperate brand would be far too costly.
I get the impression that “Genesis” refers to a new line of RWD cars that are aimed more upmarket than Hyundai’s previous offerings. This allows these new cars to essentially be seperated from the cheaper line of cars, but at the same time props up Hyundai as a whole.
Of course, I’m not sure how well thats gonna work if even more upmarket cars come around, e.g. their new Equus. What are they gonna call that, the Genesis Executive?
I’m excited about this car, but I don’t like the face. Looks more like a next-gen Tiburon than a Infiniti competitor. I would’ve liked to see an attempt at adapting the Genesis sedan’s grill in there, maybe that would have made it look a little less flat.
Styling/artistic comment:
Contemplating the semi-controversial rear-quarter windows… do they not mimic the shape they help form? Note the window sill and the crease line that flows from mid-door to the top of the tail lights. I think that’s fairly clever from a styling standpoint.
I am looking forward to seeing one of these in real life. The Genesis sedan looks great in real life, with the possible exception of its too chromy front grill.
Buzz,
I have stood on that line, and I can tell you that South Korea has been doing much more of their fair share than most of our other allies when it comes to holding back the red tide. They do not deserve that comment. We only patrol a portion of the DMZ. The rest is patroled by other countries’ contingents, and South Korea patrols by far the most.
I believe all males there still serve for at least 2 years, and there are military all over the place. I believe they sent troops to Iraq, and I know they sent troops to serve with us in Vietnam.
I like to conserve ammo on the military spending issue, so that it’s ready to use when we really need it. No more shooting at the ROK’s, okay?
Oh yes, the Genesis is a looker. :)
Eh, decent car but it’s nothing to get your panties in a bunch about unless it’s priced in the mid-upper $20s, then it’s a better car for sure than a G37. The power to weights are similar (.088 to .091 (G37), but the G37 is a heavy POS at 3,633. You can’t hide that girth, and they handle like shit. I drove one a guy owns where I work, and was appalled at how bad it under-steered (the interior was crap too). Moreover, paying $40K for a “performance” Nissan is retarded since you could get a used BMW 335i for that much. Jap cars are good for a couple of years before they go out to rusting pastures. You don’t see many old 350Zs.
06M3S54B32 :
Japanese cars rust? You don’t see many old 350Zs? Where the f$#k are you getting this B.S. from?
I haven’t seen this one in the flesh (no Hyundai dealer’s in West LA), but I’ll say from the photos the exterior is wildly overstyled, and way too Tiburon-on-crystal meth to really interest me. It looks like the official car of the Cartoon Network.
The interior also seems dull and uninteresting, as understyled as the exterior is overstyled.
Maybe it is a fantastic drive. I hope to verify that at some point, but you can keep the styling.
“Japanese cars rust? You don’t see many old 350Zs? Where the f$#k are you getting this B.S. from?”
Any idiot knows jap cars are famous for thin body panels, and poor rust protection. I worked in a major body shop, and this was a common complaint.
http://www.350zmotoring.com/forums/general-350z-discussions/2365-rust-spots-chrome-silver-paint.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=9UGh_scdFQ4C&pg=PA193&lpg=PA193&dq=japanese+cars+rust&source=bl&ots=rBaHg5d_Ak&sig=WU2_ZWT8x_7QiWnOT_E6knHfwkg&hl=en&ei=Spu1ScHmDIrAMs3-oPkE&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result