Hyundai's first rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan, the Genesis has just received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s five-star crash test rating, the highest possible.
“Genesis was engineered with a lightweight but strong body shell, featuring ultra-high tensile steel, laser welding, and advanced adhesive bonding,” said John Krafcik, vice president of Strategic Planning and Product Development, Hyundai Motor America.
The 2009 Genesis comes standard with eight airbags, front active head restraints, electronic stability control and traction control, and large four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
The Genesis starts at $33,000 for the 290 horsepower V6 equipped model and the Genesis 4.6 with 375 horsepower starts at $38,000.
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Hyundai Targets 50,000 Genesis per Year and Announces Sonata Hybrid in 2010
PRESS RELEASE:
2009 HYUNDAI GENESIS DELIVERS NHTSA FIVE-STAR SAFETY RATINGS
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 08/27/2008 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded five-star crash test ratings, the highest government rankings under the agency’s New Car Assessment Program, to the all-new 2009 Hyundai Genesis for both frontal and side-impact crash tests.
“Genesis was engineered with a lightweight but strong body shell, featuring ultra-high tensile steel, laser welding, and advanced adhesive bonding,” said John Krafcik, vice president of Strategic Planning and Product Development, Hyundai Motor America. “Add eight airbags and electronic active head restraints and you can see the focus we placed on designing Genesis for occupant safety. These five-star results are just one indication of the dedication Hyundai engineers place on safety.”
Maintaining Hyundai’s emphasis on delivering leading safety technology, Genesis boasts world-class active and passive safety features that both prevent accidents and maximize the well-being of its occupants in the event of a collision. The Genesis continues the Hyundai tradition of standardizing key life-saving safety technology, with features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), eight airbags and electronic active head restraints.
ESC compares the driver’s intended course with the vehicle’s actual response. It then brakes individual front or rear wheels and/or reduces engine power as needed in certain driving circumstances to help correct understeer or oversteer.
Genesis’ eight airbags include advanced dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and roof-mounted side curtain airbags for both front and rear outboard seat occupants.
Hyundai is the first popular brand to offer electronic active front head restraints, a standard feature on the 2009 Genesis, which are an improvement over mechanically-based active head restraint systems. Until now, electronic active head restraints could only be found on select Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus models. Active front head restraints have been proven by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to help prevent whiplash.
Genesis is brought to a halt by large four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). The V6 models feature 12.6-inch front rotors with single-piston floating calipers, while the V8 models feature 13-inch front rotors with four-piston calipers. All models are equipped with 12.4-inch rear rotors.
Comments (14)
I really like the direction Hyudai, and Kia are heading.
It seems they are making positive moves in order to reposition themselves in the automotive market.
Garnering press, like this can only serve to boost their image.
Keep up the great work Hyundai/Kia!!
Posted by GT Fan | August 27, 2008 3:53 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 15:53
@ GT Fan
I may be just me, but whenever i hear "Kia", it just sounds pathetic, or small, or lower class. Judge of if you want but until they make some 400hp super car, I probably will always rate them as a lower class car company. One example of this was Saturn. I always thought their cars were crap. But when they made the Sky, (although ugly) I kinda took a second look at their cars and realized they were too bad.
As for Hyundai, i dot respect them. Their cars are reliable and dependable and some have an edge to them that in some says excites the younger audience (me)
Posted by Rozz | August 27, 2008 4:07 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 16:07
A company doesn't have to make a ridiculous supercar to be good. Take SAAB and Volvo, for example. Neither company has ever made any particularly muscly cars, but both marque is respected nonetheless. That said, Kia to me still conjurs up images of the old Rio and Sephia, both of which were dreadful, subcompact economy cars that could in no way fight the competition (Civic, Corolla, Sentra, and even the Neon.) Hyundai too I thought of, until recently, as a maker of "disposable cars." However, the Genesis (as with the Azera and current Sonata) seems to be a step in the right direction. I actually prefer the styling to that of the LS460, upon which it is clearly based, and especially like the sub-$40,000 price.
Posted by Alex | August 27, 2008 4:41 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 16:41
Its looks great all around but I just can't get over the plastic wood grain, especially with the brown leather. It makes the interior almost look two-toned. If it comes with different interior color choices that would be superb and fix the only eye sore I see on the entire car.
Posted by :) | August 27, 2008 7:19 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 19:19
I'd take that over a new TL any day of the week.
Posted by Gary | August 27, 2008 8:44 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 20:44
The wood does kind of clash with the leather. Maybe it looks better in person. I had a 2000 Nissan Maxima that had plood that looked just like that...kinda cheap.
Posted by Jung | August 27, 2008 9:39 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 21:39
At least the TL Type-S has an available 6-spd manual...and it's interior is still better looking in my opinion.
Posted by Noya | August 27, 2008 9:44 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 21:44
They better have a 5 star crash test rating when they are copying cars like the Lexus LS design.
Hyundai just reminds me of the payless shoe store brand shoes that sell look alike Nike shoes.
Posted by SteelCity1981 | August 27, 2008 10:43 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 22:43
Yeah, but for some reason this cheap knock off brand has a V8....hint hint, wink wink, Honda/Acura....
Posted by Brian | August 27, 2008 11:35 PM
Posted on August 27, 2008 23:35
Hyundai is the new honda....
Posted by lowest iq | August 28, 2008 4:18 AM
Posted on August 28, 2008 04:18
i would buy thins car and then de-badge it so it dosent look like a hyundai, my sister had a base model santa fe 4 banger 2wd and it was actually a good car in the that it never broke down untill over 100K miles and was roomy and only 18k new in 2000. well ill keep my TL for now but this is a sweet looking ride except for the big "H" on the back
Posted by Dennisil | August 28, 2008 7:33 AM
Posted on August 28, 2008 07:33
@Rozz
Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
My wife and I may never necessarily look into lower price segments of the market. (our collection consists of British makes, and European makes)
It does not mean we can not appreciate what manufacturers are doing.
Sure some people may like to turn their nose up at whatever they deem to be of lower quality, or lower class, and that is completely their perogative.
We prefer to look at the world with an open mind, and compassionate eye.
So when someone (eg. Hyundai & Kia) decide to move up market, and compete with more popular manufacturers, I say good on them.
Just as VW & Audi made their bid to move upmarket about 10 or so years ago. Now look how far they've come.
Its akin to you having a favorite athlete, they don't necessarily have to be the absolute best at what they do... but the fact that they try, and improve themselves and should be what matters most.
If you never try... how do you know how well you can do?
Cheers
Posted by GT Fan | August 28, 2008 9:48 AM
Posted on August 28, 2008 09:48
@GT Fan
Well said. It's nice to see intelligent posts on here every once and a while.
Posted by Gary | August 28, 2008 11:51 AM
Posted on August 28, 2008 11:51
@GT Fan
Can you run for President of the USA?
Posted by Rozz | August 29, 2008 1:51 PM
Posted on August 29, 2008 13:51