On Thursday we had the chance to ride in the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, California. The exterior of the pre-production model appears fairly complete — save for the odd trim piece here or the yet-to-be finalized grille there — and the overall feel was solid and refined.
The interior features color schemes that were also on display in the production versions of the 2009 Genesis Sedan, which we spent the day test driving from Santa Barbara to Buttonwillow and back.
The coupe was clearly unfinished, as evident by the stickers throughout the interior stating that certain panels should not be considered final production items.Â
The center console was mostly complete in brushed aluminum and included an Infinity Fosgate audio system with XM Radio. Â
The engine was a version of the Lambda 3.8-liter V6, tweaked to provide more than the 290-horsepower on tap in the Genesis Sedan. It was displayed in an unvarnished manner, since the engine cover that will no doubt show up underhood, has not been finalized yet. Like a tiger cub, the V6 has a throaty growl that defies expectations, without being over the top.
Driving the roadcourse at Buttonwillow displayed great handling characteristics, begging for even harder corners. The suspension development is well on its way as displayed on the elevation changes that require hard braking and then a sharp turn left on the back stretch of the mile-long roadcourse.Â
Braking displayed great stopping power, and this was not even the high end Brembo kit that will show up on the GT model!
We can’t wait to get into the production model of the Genesis Coupe for a complete review.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
06/27, 2:03 PM
posted by:
ihustle
You have to respect there Hustle. The car is definately sweet looking and the performance is obviously there.With hyundais cheap ass prices, how do you go wrong?
06/27, 2:17 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
From that first picture by the headline I thought I was looking at a ‘96 Contour. I’ve seen better looking noses after being hit by a 2×4.
06/27, 2:18 PM
posted by:
Astonman12
what engines will be in the Genesis Coupe? I heard that there wasnt going to be a V8. I heard they were going to do a turbo 4 cylinder and a V6. I could have heard wrong though.
06/27, 2:19 PM
posted by:
F3INT))AP3X
Cool, very cool. I still don’t know what to think about this though I have been stumped since its arrival, I mean it is nice on one hand but on the other it is a Hyundai…..
06/27, 2:24 PM
posted by:
golf4me
So where is the Genesis sedan review!! jk. I like the interior of the coupe, especially the center stack much more than the sedan’s. Wonder what the pricing will be like. Hopefully under 22k for the base model. The sedan starts at 33k, so I think that’s doable.
06/27, 2:36 PM
posted by:
Astonman12
yea i guess its supposed to be a direct competitor with the ford mustang and the base v6 starts just under 20k
06/27, 2:48 PM
posted by:
Z06ified
The Mustang looks much better, and starts at the same price. The Camaro looks better than both.
06/27, 3:01 PM
posted by:
SSEAN54
nothing says cheap, ghetto, rice rocket better than a cobalt blue Hayuaidayahiai
06/27, 3:06 PM
posted by:
jonmiles
Not my style, but you gotta respect hundai for trying to put a serious rear drive coupe out there
06/27, 3:11 PM
posted by:
Impulsive
Performance … very good.
Aesthetics … not so good.
06/27, 3:17 PM
posted by:
krautninja
Hyundai claims to offer near G35 perfomance at a mitsu eclipse price, so expect the base model to start around 20k give or take and the top model to be around 28k give or take
06/27, 3:21 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Finally a Toyota Celica that people would not be embarassed to drive. It only took 25 years and another company to produce it.
06/27, 3:53 PM
posted by:
SickofGarbageMotors
The rear window cutline is a bit off but the styling is pretty good and I admire Hyundai’s tenacity to succeed. They aren’t afraid to take chances and enter new segments, guns a blazin!
I would be all for a comparo between this and the G.
06/27, 3:53 PM
posted by:
drchiem
The top model cost around 28K with this money you can buy one year old pre-own such as infinity G, Lexus IS, C-class, 3 series or A4. There is no way this genesis can come close to any of the car that I mention above.
06/27, 4:19 PM
posted by:
bigp
damn i just might buy one
06/27, 4:38 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
I don’t like Hyundai, but I must say this looks like a winner to me. It should compete very well against its opponents if Hyundai keeps the pricing low…
06/27, 8:08 PM
posted by:
nestle_s
okay this is a nice car! i get that there are used cars out there with that top line model costing 28K but really are you buying the name or the prestige? for people that love the look of this car and they love how the car feels and drives they should buy it. plus all those cars take premium fuel only. and both the genesis sedans and coupes engines can take regular and premium with a loss of 4hp when you put regular fuel on these cars. congratulations hyundai! keep it up!
06/28, 8:37 AM
posted by:
gbb
Is this made to compete with the Yugo? Looks like it is and the Korean’s are late to the party.
06/28, 8:23 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
They need to lose the giant Hyundai logo in the grille if they want to ever be able to sell the companion Genesis sedan as an upscale model.. and offering a Genesis coupe starting at $20K won’t help matters either! They should have left the Genesis name on the sedan only.. by slapping the oversized H on the front of this they might as well call it a Tiburon.
06/30, 9:24 PM
posted by:
nitehawk
the front looks like an IS-F
07/01, 7:09 PM
posted by:
GenCoupe.com
For all you GenCoupe fans.. Please join us for discussions at http://www.GenCoupe.com for more photos, colors, technical data, and video clips!
07/09, 11:45 PM
posted by:
jackruby
Can Anyone make an educated guess at what the insurance would cost for a 17 year old boy with a clean driving record? I just want to know an estimate.
07/18, 5:13 PM
posted by:
Tufast
drchiem, you’re right, you probably could pick up a couple year old G35, Lexus IS, A4, 3 series, maybe even C class, for about the same as a new Genesis, but would want to knowing all the cars you mentioned are ranked below Hyunda in intitial quality surveys, which is a pretty good indication how the vehicles will hold up & knowing that all those vehicle’s short bumper/bumper & power train warranties will be about up, then you have to come out of pocket to have those high dollar cars repaired…I should know, I bought a 4yr old, 1 owner, BMW 540i spt & had to invest over $3,ooo dollars in the first year alone on repairs, even though the vehicle looked like a cream puff & I had 3 service departments inspect in including BMW prior to purchase…
11/25, 9:21 AM
posted by:
Sal Collaziano
JohnnyCanuck.. Keep in mind that there will be a VERY large aftermarket for exterior parts for the Genesis Coupe. Especially the front end that many people aren’t jumping up and down about. No vehicle is perfect.. Right? That’s what the aftermarket is for.. To get an idea about what’s happening in the aftermarket, take a look here: http://genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/forumdisplay.php?f=28
There’s even work being done to fit the Tau V8 in a Coupe.. Now THAT will be interesting…
Sal C.