Hyundai Genesis sedan spied
November 20, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Hyundai employees have forgotten to cover up the company’s latest model – the Genesis sedan – during road testing in South Korea. Lucky for us, there was someone around with a camera phone.
Set for an official début on the 29th of December (Hyundai’s 40th birthday), the Genesis will initially go on sale in Korea only, with the rest of the world getting their hands on the car mid-2008.
At first glance the Genesis has some very noticeable similarities to the BMW 5 Series. From the side profile to the rear lights, the Genesis seems to have found its inspiration from Germany.
From what little info available, we know there will be two engine choices, the entry model 196kW 3.8-litre V6 and the range topping 283kW 4.6-litre V8. Both models use a six-speed automatic transmission.
Does this look like a 5 Series or are we going blind?
Print it: 
Might look a little like a 5-series, but who cares, it looks brilliant! Well done Hyundai.
Agreed, it looks good, although the front reminds me of an old lexus.
The front end looks like an LS430
Oh – and so does the rear end. Let’s hope they also benchmarked the materials and switchgear!
yeh, side on, looks 90% 5 series
front = Honda Legend
i wouldve said more lexus than BMW, not a bad looking car though
Na your not going blind………did they steal the tooling from BMW tail light section. There becoming bigger copy cats than Holden with VE hahaha
Could be a cheap entry for a large RWD vehicle…
Hyundai is just going from strength to strength at the moment. The i30 (for example) is just gold.
If the Genesis shares i30 build quality and has decent pricing – the sky is the limit.
Very true………would be good if they could do it with out using every one else’s designs though.
Has Bangle jumped fence?
Dead set a 5-series clone with Hyundai’s typically overstyled front and rear. It looks soooo 5 years ago. Taillights look like from an Accord.
Sorry Hyundai…Still wont buy Korean.
I see more Lexus than Beemer in it, but it still looks nice.
Agree with all here, front end is ES300 / pre-2007 LS430, side aspect looks pure E60 BMW. At least they’re finally putting decent sized wheels on their cars
Brands like BMW have a ‘visual identity’, with the kidney grille and Hofmeister kink. Hyundai lacks a visual identity and instead of copying other peoples’ designs they should take advantage of this by creating their own identity – take the opportunity to push the boundaries and create something that looks distinctive, out-there, but still good-looking. They’ve proven they can do it with the Veloster concept. For now, no wonder no one wants to buy a second-hand one.
One thing to say about it
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!
So much for Lexus copying designs…
They are now good enough to be copied.
If the Chinese can steal the styling of the big name brands, so can the Koreans. From the side it’s all bmw and lexus, but the rear is all Hyundai (not as classy!). I just didn’t think Hyundai would be copycat, with it forging such a quality brand on it’s own nowadays. I guess the beemer wanna-be’s who can’t actually afford a series 5 can go this option. with Hyundai right up there in technology, standard equipment, warranty and appeal it wouldn’t surprise me if this car is quite popular when it hits our shores, especially if it comes with a V8 variant. Time will tell…
All 4 above I agree with !
Good photos, the car isn’t horrible but very derivative.Any interior shots available? Current Sonata interior is horrible.
Derivative yes, very 5 series yes.
But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and though I wouldn’t have said this years ago, I think that Hyundai can now pull it off with a very good quality car.
However, what every one seems to be missing is at the end of the post.
“283kW 4.6-litre V8″
Where do I sign up?
Its not an ugly car but its also not that great looking. the concept looked so much better. i prefer the rear of the concept over this one. and it seems they have changed the front and made it looked very lexus’ish. That’s a good thing but it doesn’t look as original as the concept. very derivative. but kudos to hyundai for attempting.
Holy BMW 5 Series Clone!!!!
Well what would expect after the i30 being a BMW 1 Series clone?
Can’t BMW sue them for that? The side view will surely pass as a 5-Series.
Well, design piracy is what turns many people off in Korean cars. But if they come up with their own styling (i.e. Ssangyong), it’s chaos. However, the I30 looks brilliant having been inspired by Euro cars. They just have to get the recipe right and finally take due credit being one of the most reliable brands in the world as of yet.
Yeah, it does look a bit like a BMW 5 series, the sharkfin antenna sealed it for me.
It does look a little bit like the 5 series and lexus.
I like the look of the car.
for all those who say they wont buy Korean, well thats what people used to say about Japanese cars. I personally am not a badge snob and would buy a car if I like it and it suites my needs and budget.
Oh no! A 350hp well-engineered V8 in a RWD sedan with a rigid and sporty frame, world-class interior, and 10-year powertrain warranty… we should bitch until the cows come home! Will the agony ever end!
A little lesson for all you whigners. Convince your local Bimmer dealership to sell you a brand new, completely loaded, top-of-the-line 550i for US$35,000 or $37,000… along with a 10-year powertrain warranty… THEN come back and troll the forums complaining that it “looks like a BMW”. I’ll eat my words. You can feed them to me. This is an open invitation.
The nose (headlights) is markedly LS460 like. The profile is 5-series like. The interior is pretty distinct and I believe (a person coming from a car history with 3 5-series, 3 Jaguar XJs, a Volvo and a Buick) is sharper and more inviting than even the current X350 Jag… if Hyundai makes the Tau V8 a worthy competitor in the 4.0-5.0L V8 range (Northstar is poor competition, the old M38 4.4L BMW V8 is good, the new 5.4L V8 from M-B and 5.5L V8 from BMW isn’t relevant) and you have the money to buy a car like this, you’re getting steal; you’re getting an alternative for a 550i for 50% of the sticker price and over double the coverage on the powertrain, the only expensive thing on the car that could fry and cost you half a mint to fix.
Keep in mind they’re putting the revised ZF 6-speed transmission in these cars, the same one that’s doing quite well in the Jaguar S-Type and X350 XJ applications. It’s a German-made slushbox.
I had also hoped (almost beyond reason, a real emotional desire and commitment here) that Hyundai would have been more edgy and distinct in its design for the BH. But, such as it is, it IS quite sharp, and you know the rumors about power and price range. I bought my wife a new Azera and if they put that 3.8L V6 into the Genesis even THAT motor wouldn’t make any excuses… I trust that they will make the Tau’s credentials quite formidable. It will be at least competitive, if not a new industry standard (and I don’t rule the latter out). Give them their due accolades… appreciate their work, their remarkable improvement in design and quality, or stay quiet. Don’t complain just for the sake of complaining, just because you feel special bitching about the design of a car you can’t afford anyway.
Complaining because it looks, acts, and feels like a car that sells for twice its price is EXACTLY like trying to fight back ocean waves with a pitchfork. Just plain stupid.
Andy you need to calm down
You like the car…. good for you but you gotta realise that some people prefer the real thing ie: a BMW 5 Series not some no frills/homebrand cheap arse look alike. Look I bet it does just as well and yes the warranties are amazing but at the end of the day a hyundai is a hyundai is a hyundai. make it as german as you like it makes no difference.
by the way which hyundai dealership do you work for?
I work for “I own 4 cars and I happen to be a huge fan of Eurosport sedans”. Jags and BMWs in particular. Hyundai is (at least reportedly) putting together this car that can swing with GS430, 550i and E550, and mop up the floor with them on warranty and sticker price. I am simply disappointed that so many people complain just for the sake of complaining. My case is: If you’re complaining because of THIS car, you haven’t got a rational leg to stand on. If you don’t prefer the aesthetic; OK. Say that. “I don’t appreciate the aesthetic.” Not this tripe, “Hyundai has a lot to learn…” or “Hyundai screwed up…” or “What a failure…” or “BOOOOOO!”. Come off it.
A BMW is a great car. My comments aren’t directed towards marginalizing the great engineering and the fantastic driving experience of that car. What I’m talking about is total package; quality, problems per car, true cost to own, as well as power, frame stiffness, suspension layout, “fun to drive” and sporty. We can only surmise at these phenomenological aspects of the Genesis. But the aesthetic is, I think, great: subtle, sharp, modern, comparable to other sport sedans that are at least twice its price. If it delivers what it promises in the other areas, then the fact is, it’s a great car. Hands down. That’s objective; that’s not one person’s personal preference. The BMW’s rondel can only carry it so far. Maybe it’ll always be a stiffer, sportier, more enjoyable drive than Hyundai; then again, maybe that distinction stops as of the release of Genesis.
As it appears, and with the numbers floating around for specifications, I’d say, Genesis wins, and wins big. If the Tau V8 only puts out 300hp, or takes 6.8s to reach 100km/h, or has sloppy handling and poor fit & finish, then I’d say taking a swan dive into an empty pool. We’ll learn the rest of this story sometime in 2008…
Andy I see your point
and we will see in 2008 what happens. But my thoughts are simply this
even if hyundai has mastered everything in the engineering department with this car they have shot themselves in the foot by looking too much like a competitor vehicle as you can see by most of the comments the first reaction was the design and look. comparing it to a bmw or lexus.
this car is a cutting edge vehicle as you noted it has the german ZF 6speed transmission and all other aspects but that has been overshadowed by the decisions of a lazy design department
You might be right. I know they went back to the drawing board at least twice on the interior. But I think the real bottom of the page is that to be successful with this car, they didn’t need to or want to knock one out of the ballpark in terms of design. We should have been smart enough from the smart not to even expect something dramatic and wildly different. Those razor-thin LED headlights and fog lights were really the only elements that were “out there” on the concept car, and those were the only things that were completely excised on the production model.
All they needed to accomplish aesthetically is “adequate”. Something to get them through the door, nice enough to get the buyer, and the buyer’s neighbor, and the buyer’s buddy at work, to say, “Hmm, nice.” Then seal the deal with good quality and surprising engineering. It is probably quite to the contrary of lazy; it’s probably quite intentionally “somewhat like a Lexus, somewhat like a BMW”. It’s the same kind of reserved and cautious design that would have characterized Honda (Acura) or Toyota (Lexus) 8+ years ago.
My belief in terms of Genesis, and Hyundai as a corporation, is that the only risk that they could have taken that was larger than a “sharp but subtle, even derivative and anti-climactic” design would have been a “far out design that the average consumer doesn’t finally accept”.
For contrast, we can watch the Jaguar XF. That’s pretty far out there for a Jag. Some (myself included) might say… doesn’t look like a Jag at all! But it DOES look cool. Their risk lies in the acceptance of a far-out design with a Jaguar badge and Jaguar sticker prices. Hyundai’s risk lies in the acceptance of industry-leading across-the-board value as a trade-off for the stylized H insignia on the bonnet and boot. Almost sounds like we’re recounting the Saga of Lexus, doesn’t it?
I still assert I’ll be at the front of the line. My Jags aren’t go-to cars. I drive whichever one I have put together at the moment. This car will be a no-excuses luxury car that’ll also be a go-to car… and for a price that’s not a whole lot more than I’d spend on a car that I “play with”.
:)
Another Genesis-like project was the Volkswagen Phaeton. The nicest interior of any car I have ever seen. I wish I had one! But they didn’t price it like a Volkswagen; they priced it like a loaded 7-series or S-class. Hyundai isn’t counting on an enormous markup just because the car is cool. Competing in price against Volvo S60, Saab 9-3, Acura TL, Lexus IS, but competing in size / performance against, as we have mentioned, 5-series, E-class, GS. The Phaeton ultimately failed miserably and stopped VW’s upmarket push dead in its tracks. But it was carrying parameters that the Genesis formula isn’t.
alot of good points there
have you seen the articles re chinese manufacturers copying vehicle designs of other marques and selling them cheaper. Yes i know hyundai is not down the rungs with them but it is the same thing isnt it?
I have read about that, yes. Maybe one could accuse Hyundai of some degree of that with Genesis, maybe not. I think side by side the Genesis will stand out more from E60 5-series and Lexus LS than we’re claiming now from the recent Genesis p0rn all over the net.
But this is the birth of a new phase for the company; new badge or no, it’s the Birth of Lexus, Round 2. Once they make a model like Azera or Genesis that stands on its own, they’ll start putting more resources into stand-out R&D. Might be in 5 years and might be in 20. Azera was a VERY timid step into the ‘entry luxury’ market – even offering it was risky – Genesis is a bigger step. It looks like they are on their way.
Now if only we could convince their marketing gurus to take that asinine song off their home page… THAT would be a huge leap in the right direction.
I’d say that Hyundai is having the last laugh here. I believe they started the “size of a BMW 7-series, at the price of a 3-series” thing, didn’t they?? But in truth, I don’t think it’s BMW that they are gunning for…not now, anyway. I doubt if many people who are serious about buying a new BMW would switch over to a Hyundai. In the U.S., General Motors is the car maker that Genesis seems to be targeting. I say this because GM’s new Pontiac G8 sedan, a large, relatively cheap “entry-level” RWD sedan, that’s copied from an existing model (the large, relatively
cheap, RWD Holden Commadore SS) seems to be more of a Genesis competitor, than the BMW 5-series. But in *one* area I hope Hyundai has *not* folowed BMW’s lead, the good old dipstick!! A recent chat with a BMW salesman confirmed
that all new 3-series models (I didn’t ask about other models), no longer have dipsticks! If one has reason to suspect the accuracy of a BMW 3-Series oil-level sensor, I guess they have to drain out the oil, and use a measuring cup!! Maybe it’s just me, but I’m puzzled that while BMW boasts that they make “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, they seem to think that, when it comes to checking engine oil levels, the typical BMW driver must be the ultimate diot! :-( :-(
“Looks like a 5 Series. Aimed at the Mercedes S Class”
Pundits are informing us that THIS has the S class in it’s sights, but come on!
The S class has been Mercedes flagship model for years and even though a 5 series clone with a range toping 300KW 5 Litre V8 with a price tag way under a true S class, nobody should take this car too seriously. Sure, Hyundai and Daewoo have been making some fantastic cars at late (Daewoo Tosca, Winstorm and Lacetti just to name a few) but to take on the European giants with a Hyundai badge is just plain stupid. HOWEVER, think of this car as an alternative to the Ford Mondeo Ghia (as stupid as Oxford’s one way system) and you have yourself a nice alternative. Expect an article in our magazine in the coming weeks.