2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Starts at $33,000

should do pretty good, i wouldnt buy one just for the fact that getting a V8 or a V6 would be crazy with the way a barrel of oil cost these days

I'd hoped it'd be cheaper. But with the depreciation of the dollar in the last year I totally understand. Everything is more expensive.

Sadly, American cars can't even compare to Korean cars nowadays. Anyone check out GM's stock price recently? Where's that government bailout?

While I agree 17/25 isn't great but in fact is on par with what the G37 V6 gets, the V6 Genesis will be getting +/-2 MPG better. I'd imagine with the extra torque you won't have to mash on the peddle as hard so you _should_ get better than G37 average MPG with the V8 as well. If you're stuck in grid locked traffic all day then I'd definately not consider this unless you like spending more on Gas than the car itself. Perhaps after they cash in on the Genesis Coupe and Sedan they'll invest in some Hybrid, Deisel, and AWD technologies.

I hope I'm wrong for Hyundai's sake and for good competition, but I can't see the V6 or V8 Genesis sedan being successes as Hyundai hopes. I can't imagine many people who has the financial ability to afford a Infiniti G35 or a BMW 328i will seriously consider a Hyundai. After all, the Infiniti and BMW have better dealer services, better reputation, better status-symbol glamor, and more fun to drive in addition to their high-quality luxury features.

I think the only way this car will be sustained is if Korean Americans buy these cars to support their "home country." I guess some white people will buy them too but I can't see many other Asian drivers buying these.

wow, 33k, thats exactly the price of a 2nd hand S-class.

No doubt this will be an excellent car, but could they give it some more authenticity?

i was told that the Genesis is build on the platform of the old S-class (just like the Daewoo 'Chaiman' used the old E-class).

No wonder there are similarities.

Ooh. Where have I seen that face before? Oh yes. The last generation S class. And where have I seen that rear end? Ah yes, BMW 3!

If I were MBZ or BMW, I'd be turbo dialing my team of lawyer sharks to go after Hyundai for design infringement.

A "luxury" car from an economy brand? Are you going to see this on the same showroom floor as a $9000 Accent? Is Hyundai that dumb?

They should pull a new name out of their ass like Lexus, Infiniti, Acura did. Yes, a Lexus LS and a Toyota Yaris come from the same company, but you don't see them sharing space, do you?

@Optimummind:

Edmunds (people who have actually driven the car) says it performs as well as or better then an M45. Since they've actually driven it I'll take their opinion over your guess . So yes, it will be as much fun to drive as a BMW or Inifiti.

Believe it or not, most people don't get to be rich by not making wise financial decisions. Cars are the worst investment you can make so spending less for the same experience is a choice many money savey people will make. However there are also those people that only want to drive a car for the "image" they THINK it portrays and those people Hyundai won't win over. I'm sure there won't be CEO's beating down the doors of Hyundai but I'm also sure they'll have good success with this car.

""Believe it or not, most people don't get to be rich by not making wise financial decisions. Cars are the worst investment you can make so spending less for the same experience is a choice many money savey people will make. However there are also those people that only want to drive a car for the "image" they THINK it portrays and those people Hyundai won't win over.""

Sorry, Gary. Not to be harsh but I think you miss the point about what most people that have created wealth for themselves think & why they buy what they buy, etc.
Anyway, good, bold move Hyundai. Looks like the makings of a fine automobile. I look forward to reading more reports about it.

The body is rather bland (no muscular fenders for a RWD?) and the interior is a letdown.

The steering wheel is atrocious and as other have said, they should have made an offshoot brand for the this sedan and the coupe version, followed by a revamped version of their top of the line SUV/x-over.

@SARS

Yes, heard the same. Infection came through 9% Hyundai ownership by DC. Speculation was that DC was left off-the-hook against some technology transfer...

kim jhong ill's latest attempt to take over america?

@Noya

The interior is a let down?
I have seen worse interiors in some BMW's.

Oh and the steering wheel has some radio controls; you can't beat that.

Also, this car shouldn't be muscular, its a luxury sedan.

I say kudos to Hyundai for making a competitive car and daring to expand their market reach as a brand.

Also it would be much harder for Hyundai to sell the Genesis if it was rebranded. Then Hyundai would have to try selling not only a new car but also a all new brand that only has one vehicle in its line up.

I'm thinking Hyundai did its research on the marketing of this one.

Reminds me of what Toyota did with the Avalon, a car that was supposed to be between Camry and their Lexus'. Hyundai doesn't have a luxury brand, so they can do better.

Obviously there is a reason a car cost 35k not 70k, so there will be trade offs somewhere. As long as they keep the Genesis under 40k, I expect it to do well, barring any press disasters.

dennisil:
kim jhong ill's latest attempt to take over america?

Um...Kim Jong Il is North Korea. Hyundai is South Korea...

While I was hoping for the price to be about $2000 lower, this still looks to be quite promising. I think that at first this car will have somewhat mediocre sales since people can't picture a luxury Hyundai, but as the years go on if the quality and performance are good more and more people will buy them and Hyundai's image will change for the better. In fact, this car could help to sell the rest of their cars by raising the image of the entire brand.

Personally, I've never been a fan of multiple brands from the same company. Unless the brands are completely separate (e.g. when one company buys another) I'd rather just have one brand with a wider range of vehicles. In the rest of the world there is no Acura brand, they're just Hondas.

@Gary: Like I said before, I hope for competition's sake that Hyundai does end up doing well and giving other car companies a run for their money.

BTW, I also read several reviews of the Genesis sedan--Edmunds, Motortrend, Car & Driver. What Edmunds said was that Hyundai missed the mark when it came to their goal of trying to match the German competition but they succeeded in matching the Lexus and Infiniti counterparts. They also expressed doubt that anyone out to buy a 5 series or E-class would seriously consider the Genesis sedan.

I'm not bashing Hyundai but compared to their competitors such as Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, and MB, their worst disadvantage, IMHO, is the dealership experience. Have you been inside many Hyundai service dealerships? They're for the most part full of unfriendly and incompetent service personnel and their service departments look ghetto, run-down, and unsophisticated. Some examples include the dealerships in Santa Ana, El Monte, Garden Grove, and Anaheim.

It's a psychology thing. If one stops by at a Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, or MB dealership then stops by at a Hyundai dealership, the Hyundai dealership seems so unrefined, crappy, and dirty. Despite the car being well-made and reliable, if they perceive a dealership experience that lacks compared to their expectations from a prior luxury experience, people will get turned off. In my personal experience, I only stopped by at the Hyundai dealership in Santa Ana. It was full of grimy and dirty-looking people and the waiting area inside was messy and disorganized. Just seeing that might turn me off from a buying a car.

@denisil:

That's North Korea. Hyundai/Kia is a South Korean company.

@gm0n3y:

Actually Acura's are or will be available in Japan this year as well. Mid to late 08 is the projected release date.

I could have sworn I read somewhere that it had typical Hyundai mushy handling but a comfortable ride?

I thought they were making a comfortable sedan and not a sporty one? But yeah, anyone seriously purchasing a nice car is going to walk into a Hyundai dealership and get scared away.

They need a separate dealership for their nice cars... it will have to come soon.

It is a Hyundai and that is what you get. A fancy looking Hyundai. In other words a cheap, luxury car.

Head to head with Lexus? Give me a break!

Maybe after 10 - 15 years they can start saying this. They just don't have the history and reputation to make these claims yet. Sorry!

I see it competing with the Camry or Altima but only if money is your main concern. I doubt a Toyota owner would be dumb enough to downgrade to a Hyundai unless they just lost their job. Therefore, this is for people who want a Japanese luxury car but can't afford one.

"Perhaps after they cash in on the Genesis Coupe and Sedan they'll invest in some Hybrid, Deisel, and AWD technologies."

They've already done all three. They've shown a Kia Rio hybrid; they have very good 4-cyl and 6-cyl turbodiesels (not available in the U.S. of course), and they offer AWD on the Tucson, Santa Fe, and Veracruz. The VC is supposed to get the diesel 6 around 2010. If they'd get the 2.2l CRDi engine 50-state ready and stick it in the Sonata and Santa Fe, they'd double the traffic in their showrooms.

@subpar:

Wait until you read reviews saying that the car is just as luxurious and handles just as well as a Lexus.

People that drive bmw's and infiniti's would not buy this embarrassment. Former oldsmobile, buick and lincoln town car folks might buy this if they can peel them away from their brand loyality.

so it is basically a last generation S-class? Should be good then.

For everyone say it won't be competitive.
It's got a freaking 375hp enginefrom a 4.6 liter. That essentially matches the performance of Lexus's engine (although I have doubts it'll be as smooth and refined) for half the price. Once this thing starts winning comparison tests people will buy them.

Seriously though, Hyundai's dealers are slimeballs. The dealership experience will be the biggest drawback in owning one of these.

So all the negative comments here are just that people think that Hyundais suck. Hyundai seems to have started making top quality cars (though it will take 10 years to see if its true). As for the perceived "cheapness" of their cars, they have to start somewhere, it may take 10 years before people accept it but the early adopters will reap the rewards with very cheap sale prices.

Why specifically are Hyundai Dealer's slimballs? A dealer is a dealer, regardless of the brand being sold.. I mean, seriously, all dealers work the same, spout the same jargone, ect, ect..

Maybe people don't know that Hyundai has minimal markup (such as, 200-300 markup on the accent) from invoice to MSRP. That factors in how much someone will get on their trade (dealer markup = amount extra shown for a trade).

I took my girlfriend to drive one of the santa fe's at a Hyundai dealership. The dealership was dirty but that wouldn't really both me if I were getting a good deal.

She liked the way the car drove so afterwards I told them I'd like their bottom line price on the car. They asked if we were ready to purcahse right then and I said no it'd probably be later that week. They wouldn't give it to us! I asked at least 5 of 6 times for what I wanted, just to make it clear. The guy went and got his manager and he came over and told us the same thing about being happy with your car and payment plans. We wanted to pay cash, and just wanted their out the door price on the car. No dice. The dealership wasn't busy at all (and I know why) but they still wouldn't give it to us.

We drove to a Toyota dealer and asked the guy for his price on a rav4. The polite salesman gave us the price and showed us what they were making on the car, including holdback and everything. It was like a grand, which is ok by me. (my borther worked for a competitive Toyota dealership and I asked him his price just to veryify the guy wasn't lying) We went on a nice test drive as well with the same salesman, who could speak english and didn't assume we were idiots. The foreign guy at the Hyundai dealer talked to my educated and intelligent (ex)girlfriend like she was a nincompoop. Let alone how we couldn't understand what he was saying. I knew more about both cars than the salesman, but the Toyota salesman was obviously more knowledgable than the Hyundai guy.

It's true that all dealers a slimeballs. But not giving a price on a car just because we didn't want to purchase that day but tomorrow? What the heck? Smart people who buy nice cars don't want to talk to idiots when they go to the dealership. It's once of the reasons the luxury brands can sell their overpriced crap. The salesmen are intelligent.

If most Hyundai dealers are anything like the one that I visited then I wouldn't buy one despite how awesome they were. Because I couldn't get a price!

@ThrawnDougal:

You are correct. Hyundai estimated that creating a new brand similar to how Toyota did with Lexus would cost upwards of $2 Billion dollars and require over 10 years to recoupe the costs. This is if they could have done it better than Toyota, which I'm sure wouldn't be that easy to do. So they may sell a couple thousand a year less, but thats better than having to shell out billions of dollars for a name.

@Ray:
The Fed survey showed the median value of all vehicles owned by the wealthiest 10% of households was $25,400, compared to $11,800 for households overall. But vehicles represented just 2.4% of the wealthiest households' median net worth, compared with 8.8% of net worth overall.

To me this shows that the richest people in the US are buying new cars in the $35-$40K range, if the used value median is $25K. This is right where Hyundai positioned this car, and again you don't get rich by worrying about image, you get rich by making good investments and managing your money well. Many rich people I'm sure would rather have the Infiniti or BMW name, but certainly not all or even the majority are that converned about image.

i'm a reasonably wealthy guy. not "wipe-my-ass-with-benjamins" rich, but i certainly live comfortably.

i drive a 2006 m3 with competition package. before that i drove an m roadster (z3 body). i love bmw and have driven them for years.

but i'll be one of the first in line to drive the v8 genesis. and if i lilke it, i'll buy it and ditch the m3. i'm not kidding. why continue to spend so much more coin on a car like an m3 that underperforms (at least on paper) the genesis? this car looks like it'll be pretty badass. i just hope the driving experience lives up to my expectations.