Autoblog

Click on the image above for our high-res Hyundai Genesis gallery

To lure buyers towards the all-new 2009 Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan, the Korean automaker is aggressively pricing lease programs. Traditional Hyundai customers choose to lease about 10-12 percent of the time. The Genesis, however, is aimed at a more upscale buyer -- a segment that tends to lease more often (according to Hyundai's estimates, 50 percent of the Genesis customers will lease the new sedan). To drive sales, the standard six-cylinder model, with a base price of about $33,000, will lease for $399/month (24-month lease with $2,199 due at signing). It's a deal that undercuts the Cadillac CTS by nearly $150/month, according to a retailer who sells both. With 80 percent of customers expected to choose the V6 model (we would too), the lease program is bold enough to drive traffic. In case you were wondering, the V8 model won't be in showrooms for another month, and by that time the lease program will have expired.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis

Unless you've been living in a mine deep in the hills of West Virginia, Hyundai's newest addition isn't coming to you as a surprise. Around these offices, we've been anticipating the rear-wheel-drive Genesis platform and its offspring of luxury sedan and performance coupe for years. While we'll have to continue waiting for the eagerly-anticipated 2010 Genesis Coupe, we've just taken our first drive in the elegant 2009 Hyundai Genesis sedan. Follow the jump to see if the most expensive Korean sedan ever sold on these shores is enough to take on the segment leaders from America, Europe, and Japan.


All photos copyright Michael Harley / Weblogs Inc.

Click above for hi-res gallery of the Hyundai Genesis

The story of what's underneath -- and inside -- the Hyundai Genesis is central to the story of the car and what Hyundai's trying to do with it. The body-in-white of the Genesis has a larger total body area than the Lexus LS460 and Mercedes S-Class. Yet ten years ago, if we had asked you which carmaker would create a rear-wheel-drive V8 sedan with a body structure that is larger, yet stiffer and lighter than the 5-Series or E-Class, would you have guessed it would be Hyundai?

Of course, you probably wouldn't have guessed that BMW would be selling all the MINIs it could make, or that Alfa Romeo would sell out a run of $200K supercars. The lesson: the games -- plural -- have changed for everyone. Follow the jump to find out how the Genesis is the spearhead of change for Hyundai and, if Hyundai gets its wish, the entire luxury segment. And be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res images below.

Click above for high-res pics of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6

Product placement inundates television imagery, from the blatantly branded soda tumblers on American Idol to more subtle appearances like what car Jack Bauer drivers. Looking to boost the profile of its new Genesis top-level sedan, Hyundai has secured the services of Davie Brown Entertainment, responsible for the masterful remake-a-palooza of the MINI in The Italian Job. Hyundais have been in film and television before, but the automaker is looking for more visible roles to help quietly promote its entry into Lexus territory. Pay-for-play deals will likely see the Genesis in movies where you'd see a 7 series BMW, Mercedes S-Class or a Lexus LS. Unfortunately, films for fall release that would coincide with the launch of the car have long wrapped production, so television is seen as the way to get a quick fix for Hyundai. Davie Brown has already had the car at several sets where it's been well received. When your favorite shows return after their summer hiatus, keep your eyes peeled for the Genesis. ER had a blatant endorsement of the Chrysler 300 when it first bowed, culminating in a street race and a dunk in the water, so we wonder what they could do with the Genesis?



[Source: Brandweek]

After being endlessly mired in the '80s, the Autoblog Podcast has now climbed its way up to #90. Alex took a sick day, so John and Damon hold the fort. We've been in New York, and that's the main focus of the podcast, although we have had more than just John's Alero in the Autoblog Garage. Ford's sale of Jaguar and Land Rover comes up, as does some of the news that's ensued between the end of the New York show and now.

We've got a new podcast-specific email: podcast at autoblog dawt com, so please send in your questions about the show, about us, or about anything car-related you want to know, and we'll make up the best answers we can. Thanks for listening!

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A few weeks back we posted a video of a South Korean automotive journalist performing one of the first road tests of the new Hyundai Genesis sedan, albeit the South Korean market model. Without getting into too much detail, he didn't like it and complained of body roll, mushy brakes, tires not up to the task, etc. It was as if someone gave this guy a Buick when he was expecting a BMW.

Hyundai Motor America was caught off guard by this video and contacted us with their concern. According to them, the U.S.-spec version of the Genesis sedan and the South Korean version are markedly different, with the Yank-ified version tuned much more for a sporty driving experience. The South Korean market, we're told, favors a different kind of large luxury sedan, one that's softer, more luxurious, and to be blunt, more Buick-like.

So we asked Hyundai, "What's so different about the U.S.-spec version?" While they couldn't divulge all the details, we were told that the U.S. version with have a 31% higher spring rate in the front and 13% higher in the rear. In fact, they say the entire suspension will feature many different components geared more towards dynamic driving, including different springs, shocks and tires. Will it live up to Hyundai's promise of a premium sports sedan? We'll let you know after we drive the U.S.-spec Genesis, a car which this South Korean journalist might enjoy a hell of a lot more than the one he drove.

Hyundai expects the 2009 Genesis Sedan to fly off the showroom floor. However, few were probably amused when a pair of the brand-new Korean sedans took a leap from a transporter. We don't know many details other than the incident occurred somewhere in South Korea. Of course, we don't consider this incident extremely newsworthy, but as a blog we do find these automotive-related human errors with expensive aftermaths rather fascinating. Keep 'em coming.

[Source: CarScoop]

The buzz surrounding the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe doesn't seem to be waning. We gave you video B-roll, a paper cut-out, and New York Auto Show coverage. Now, we are bringing you unofficial "photochopped" coverage as enthusiasts take the press images and have some fun customizing them.

Take a look at the four nicely done images in the gallery (flat black with light window tint really looks stealth!), and see if you can come up with your own version to add to the mix (we'll upload the stand-outs to our gallery). Realizing the 2.0-liter turbocharged four is begging for mods, what else are you planning to do to your Genesis? Engine tuning, suspension, electronics? We're betting the aftermarket is gearing up already for this all-new rear-wheel-drive coupe. Thanks for the tip, Dave!

[Source: 4G63HP]

Click above for full high-res gallery of the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

According to Inside Line, movie-goers should expect to see more tire-burning action from Hyundai's new Genesis Coupe than what's already been shown. It seems that the Korean car company has already sent Universal a bright red Genesis Coupe SE powered by the turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This news lends some credence to our opinion that the turbo mill will likely be the tuner's choice, though the big six cylinder is likely to be plenty for most drivers who don't want to modify their car. While we're not waiting on the edge of our seats for the fourth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise, we think that it'll be pretty cool to see the Genesis Coupe alongside such performance-car stalwarts as the new Nissan GT-R and Subaru STI.



[Source: Inside Line]

It was just yesterday that we brought you a couple of rubber-burning Hyundai Genesis Coupes (video here) at the New York Auto Show. There is a ton of anticipation for this rear-wheel drive sports coupe touting a 310-hp 3.8-liter V6, or a 223-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4. With an expected base price of just over $20,000, and more models to follow (including a Gensis targa and lightweight version), many of you want a Genesis now. Well, your prayers may have been answered (sans a few key mechanical components, of course).

We found this nifty cut-out Genesis Coupe pattern for the enthusiast who wants to put a Genesis Coupe on their nightstand tonight (it may help with your insomnia). If want to put a Genesis Coupe in your driveway, you will have to either wait a year or more for the 2010 model to arrive, or try the cut-out with a really big sheet of paper.

[Source: Gencoupe.com]