Car Report: 2015 Hyundai Genesis looks to make a mark

Car Report guru Mike Parris spent a week with the 2015 Hyundai Genesis. Did it pass his test? (WTOP/Mike Parris)
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis has a great interior and a revamped look. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis doesn't drive like a sports car, so be careful on those tight corners. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
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WASHINGTON — The Hyundai Genesis has been around for six years and is a good first try for a near-luxury sedan. For 2015, Hyundai went back to the drawing board to make a true luxury sedan, and from the outside, it really looks the part.

The previous Hyundai Genesis had a rear-wheel-drive V6 and a strong V8 that offered good power and a large cabin for comfortable cruising at a very reasonable price. But that large cabin had an interior that wasn’t quite up to luxury-car standards. So it was never really considered one of the normal mid- size luxury sedans.

The 2015 Hyundai Genesis shed the more generic sedan look and comes with a new design that stands out in a crowd. With a larger grill and some curves and bulges on the front end, it now looks like a big-dollar car.

But the base price is still a bargain in the mid-size luxury sedan market — at around $38,000 for rear-wheel drive with a V6, $40,500 for an AWD V6. It’s the first time the Genesis can be had with all-wheel drive, though not if you choose the $52,000 Genesis 5.0 V8.

I spent a week in a $52,450 fully loaded 2015 Genesis AWD with $12,000 worth of options packages. The Signature package comes with a big panoramic roof, ventilated and heated seats, power rear sunshade, and shades for the rear passengers.

The Tech package included upgraded leather seats, smart cruise control with stop and start for easy driving, and front and rear parking assistance.

The final package was the Ultimate, which includes genuine wood trim and aluminum trim, a heads up display, a larger nine-inch center screen for the NAV system and a Lexicon sound system. Each package came with more, but I only have so much room.

All these packages transform the Genesis into a very nice ride on par with the other luxury sedans I’ve driven.

The interior is really nice with the leather and trim. Other materials are up-to-date and very competitive with others in the class. The seats are very good as well; my wife thought they were the best.

The materials used throughout the cabin are a big step forward. The nice soft-touch materials and the real wood is nicely done. It’s as nice as the more expensive larger Equus. The rear seats are good with heated seats, but rear-seat headroom may be lacking for taller passengers.

Driving the Genesis is now luxury-car good. The cabin is very quiet and serene, and it handles bumps as a luxury car should. It’s no sports sedan anymore, so don’t go throwing it into corners if you’ve driven the old Genesis R-spec.

The V6 is good for 311 horsepower, and that seems like plenty of power. There is a 420-horsepower V8 available to go along with a smooth eight-speed automatic. Fuel mileage for the AWD Genesis is 16 city and 25 highway. I averaged 19.8 mpg over 210 miles of mixed driving.

The Genesis lets drivers enjoy a more relaxed driving experience, which is something I look for in a luxury sedan. Hyundai has really put the Genesis into a great place to compete.

With style and a nicely upgraded interior, the smartly priced Genesis — also with a big warranty — moves Hyundai firmly into the luxury-sedan market.

Editor’s note: Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.

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