On second thought, shoot for BMW.
Hyundai’s ambitious 2009 Genesis sedan targeted top-tier luxury brands but landed alongside the Chrysler 300.
Falling short of the lofty goal was hardly a failure, though. Packed
with features and convincingly upscale, the Genesis lacked only the
chassis refinement of the established German and Japanese luxury
competition. With rear-wheel drive and a near-$40,000 price, the Genesis
proved Hyundai could play in a new arena, and the simple fact that it
wasn’t a sales flop, a marketing debacle, or a dynamic embarrassment was
license for Hyundai to refine the original formula into a better
second-generation Genesis.
It’s that second attempt at cracking the luxury market that has brought
us to South Korea, where it quickly becomes clear that the 2015 Hyundai
Genesis, code name DH, is just as big a deal for the determined Koreans
as was the first car. Hyundai flew us 6600 miles to Seoul and bused us
another two-and-a-half hours to drive fewer than 10 miles in the
confines of the Namyang R&D center. Our driving impressions might be
limited, but there’s no lack of evidence of Hyundai’s shifting
mind-set. The new-generation car clearly has BMW in its crosshairs.
Steely Good Looks
If you can get past the blunt front end, the Genesis possesses the
handsome proportions of a proper sports sedan. The new model is 0.2 inch
longer, and the wheelbase has grown by three inches. With the A-pillars
largely unmoved, the extra stretch between the wheels gives the
impression of a longer hood while allowing for the trendy sloping
roofline. Hyundai calls the Genesis’s new style Fluidic Sculpture 2.0,
although any connection to the Sonata’s original Fluidic Sculpture
design language is lost on us. Not that we’re complaining. We prefer
this Genesis’s cleaner, more-subtle lines and tasteful brushed-aluminum
accents—you won’t find a lick of chrome inside or out—even if it isn’t
as beautiful or resolved as an Audi.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق