Hyundai Genesis Coupe, 2011: Sports cars wannabe hugs road, overcomes shitfting woes

The Hyundai Genesis coupe debuted two years ago as a 2009 model, and its styling, acceleration and fair price gave the Korean manufacturer a good, positive jolt in the auto industry.

But Hyundai has extended itself with the 2011 edition option with its 3.8 liter, V6-powered and R-Spec package. Previously only available on the smaller-engined 2.0T, the R-Spec model combines 306 horsepower with a six-speed manual transmission. The R-Spec also showcases 19-inch wheels with a gunmetal finish, Brembo brake package with ventilated front rotors, stiffer suspension and sportier

The Weekly Driver Test Drive

Normal, around-town driving and a few local freeway treks during a week's test drives are sufficient. But on more than two dozen occasions since 2003, I've taken test cars to the Monterey Peninsula. None have performed better on the winding roads over Pacheco Pass and through the twisting, oddly cambered roads en route to Pebble Beach than the Genesis coupe.

The Genesis simply hugs the road. It embraces any corner, steep grade or drastic descent. If the shifting were a little smoother, the coupe could challenge even sports cars known for being, well, hot-damn sports cars.

My test was 3.8 R Spec, one of six available trim levels. It has similar features to the 2.0T R-Spec, including 19-inch wheels with summer tires, Brembo brakes, a more firmly tuned suspension and a limited-slip rear differential. But it also features a V6 engine.

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Likes:

Exterior design. Geez, it's handsome.

Interior design: Swooping, curved door and cabin panels. Unique, angled and convenient power window openers.

Maneuverability. It zips around traffic and corners like much more expensive sports cars.

Comfortable front seats.

Pleasant, deep engine growl.

Dislikes:

Restricted access to small back seats with limited leg and head room

Manual shifting finicky and requires an aggressive approach.

Sub-par audio system.

Facts & Figures: 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 5.9 seconds.
Airbags (6): Driver and front, side, rear body and side and read head airbags.
Antilock brakes: Standard.
First aid kit: Not available.
Fuel economy: 17 mpg (city), 26 mpg (highway).
Government Safety Ratings (1-5 stars): Driver protection (five stars), front impact (five stars), driver side impact (five stars), front passenger protection (four stars).
Engine: 306 horsepower, V6
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $28,320
Price as tested: $31,250.
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles; Drivetrain, 10 years/100,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 5 years/unlimited miles; Corrosion 7 years/100,000 miles.
Manufacturer’s website: www.hyundaiusa.com

What Others Say:

"Obviously, Hyundai has much to be proud of with its first rear-drive sport coupe. The value is unbeatable. The quality is tip-top. The road manners are respectable. The styling, with its unique Z-shaped character line and drop-beltline rear window, is standout . . . For an initial effort, in a field that it's never played, Hyundai has delivered a solid, sexy product." ---- Motor Trend.

"Overall, the Genesis coupe looks like a solid commuter car for those looking to spice up their daily drives. It's enjoyable but usable. You can park it. You can maneuver it. There's room to put (some) stuff in it. And for a starting price of $22,750 with freight, this is within reach for a lot of people.  ---- AutoWeek.

Among sporty coupes, there's nothing missing here—and the 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe is one of the best values in its class." ---- CarConnection.com

The Weekly Driver’s Final Words:

"Hyundai, unheralded for years, is all the rage these days, with its Sonata, Genesis, Elantra and other models. The Genesis coupe is another strong effort from the Korean-American company. If the awkward shifting of the manual transmission coupe is improved, the Genesis Coupe will be another unqualified success."

Hyundai founder's son running for presidency of South Korea

Chung Mong-joon, a veteran lawmaker and a son of the late Hyundai Group founder has declared his candidacy for president of South Korea.

The presidential election is scheduled for Dec. 19 with incumbent President Lee Myung-bak barred by law from seeking re-election.

"I will write a new history for Korea by drawing on my experiences in managing a firm, in foreign diplomacy and in helping the Republic of Korea become one, said Chung in a news conference.

Chung was re-elected to parliament for a seventh straight term in the April 11 general elections. It was Chung's second time being chosen to represent a Seoul electoral district, after serving five terms in the southeastern city of Ulsan, where the world's largest shipyard, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., is based.

The lawmaker is a son of late Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung and the biggest shareholder of Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Unheralded 2012 Hyundai Azera gets Best Bet, Interior Design honors

The Hyundai Azera is among the manufacturer's least popular cars. But that could all change soon. The Hyundai sedan, situated between the Elantra and Sonata, has just earned two impressive honors.

Cars.com has  named the Azera a "Best Bet" for 2012. The Azera's siblings, Tuscon Genesis Coupe Sonata and Elantra also made the list.

The Cars.com awards are based fuel efficiency, reliability, and safety.

The 2012 Azera has also been named to the WardsAuto.com 10 Best Interiors list, while judged against iconic brads such as Audi, Mercedes and Lexus.

Patrick Olsen, Cars.com chief editor, said: "The redesigned Hyundai Azera offers a roomy cabin, great value for the price and solid reliability. This vehicle and the others from Hyundai that we have named a 'best bet' are vehicles that any of our editors would drive.”

Tom Murphy of WardsAuto.com said: "The Azera serves notice to luxury brands everywhere that Hyundai aspires to be known for much more than great value.”

Hyundai Accent gets stellar praise from New York Times

The Hyundai Accent has been a surprisingly good, if unheralded, entry level sedan for years. But with its redesign for 2012, even The New York Times is touting the Little Car That Can.

John Pearly Huffman, one of the newspaper's several automotive writers, recently commented:

2012 Hyundai Accent

"This Hyundai is enjoyable and versatile enough that some shoppers might consider moving down-market to the Accent from larger, significantly more expensive cars like the indifferent Honda Civic, the decrepit Toyota Corolla and the stale Nissan Sentra. At this point, no car does ordinary better than the Accent."

TheWeeklyDriver.com, the older general interest sibling automotive site to HyundaiBuyingTips.com, has been praising the Accent since 2003.

Here's are snippets of what The Weekly Driver wrote about 2003 and 2007 Hyundai Accent editions:

"More than eight years ago, the 2003 Hyundai Accent was among the first cars I reviewed in The Weekly Driver's original online format for a Canadian website. The timing was odd since I was responsible for taking two friends about my size (6-feet tall, 190 pounds) to a running event in the Sierra Nevada foothills and at an elevation of about 4,000 feet.

"How was that going to work in an entry-level car? The Accent never "flinched." Nor did the Accent have any issues a few years later when I drive the 2007 edition from Southern California to Sacramento, including the long trek over the infamous Grapevine on Interstate 5. Plenty of big engine, high-priced cars were stalled on the side of the road. I zipped past at 80 mph in my entry level Accent."

To read the New York Times' complete review of the 2012 Hyundai Accent, visit: New York Times/Hyundai Accent

To read The Weekly Driver's complete review of the 2012 Hyundai Accent, visit: TheWeeklyDriver/Accent

Hyundai Genesis, 2012: Most feared car in the auto industry?

As publisher of www.tflcar.com, Roman Mica was an earlier believer in Hyundai. When the 2012 Hyundai Genesis debuted, Mica called the luxury sedan "one of most feared cars in the auto industry."

2012 Hyundai Genenis

As Hyundai's popularity continued in 2011 and now with the manufacturer continuing to thrive 2012, Mica's opinion has proven wise.

As reported in Mica's video review:

"For a base price of $34,000 you get all of the luxury that once was the sole domain of car companies like Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

"You also get a 333 horsepower engine that pulls like a steam locomotive.

"You also get all of the features usually associated with luxury cars including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, heated and cooled driver's seat, as well as heated passenger and rear seats."

"You also get soft leather over almost every surface with traditional French stitching."

To read or view more of Roman Mica's new car reviews, visit: www.tflcar.com.

To read more non-Hyundai reviews from the publisher of hyundaibuyingtioscom, visit: theweeklydriver.com.

Hyundai's first hydrogen vehicle Tucson ix set for late 2012 debut as 2013 model

The Tucson ix, Hyundai's first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, will debut in late 2012 as a 2013 model and will have a sticker price approaching $90,000.

The initial release will be 1,000 cars, with Hyundai predicting it will sell 10,000 per year by 2015. Most of the debuting hydrogen Hyundai models will be released in Europe.

Most major manufacturers are planning fuel cell vehicle rollouts in limited production numbers in 2015, including Toyota, Honda, and possibly General Motors.

Hyundai announced last year that it would one-up those rivals by putting their fuel cell vehicle into production by 2013.

Although the new vehicle is largely set for distribution in Europe, new Tuscan ix models that make it to the U.S., will likely be distributed in the Los Angeles area where other manufacturer's fuel cell cars have been tested.

Hyundai sets all-time monthly sales record

Hyundai's status as the fastest-growing carmaker doesn't show any signs of slowing down. The South Korean manufacturer sold 69,728 cars in March 2012, a sales month  record. The mark 13 percent better than March 2011, the company's previous best sales month.

For the first quarter 2012, Hyundai sales have increased 15 percent over 2011 and overall retail sales through dealerships have risen 33 percent over last March.

“As Hyundai continues to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles, we are seeing more and more consumers in our showrooms, resulting in greater 40-mpg highway vehicle sales than ever before,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “Our 40-mpg vehicle sales are up an astonishing 67.5 percent over last March.”

Here are Hyundai's comparative sales numbers from 2011 to 2012. The columns in order are March 2012 sales, March 2011 sales, 2012 first quarter sales and 2011 first quarter sales:

Accent, 8,337, 5,739, 18,484, 14,486; Azera, 128, 199, 159, 522; Elantra, 19,681, 19,255, 44,401, 41,203; Equus, 352, 241, 928, 728; Genesis, 3,429, 2,664, 8232, 6,888; Santa Fe, 5,853, 5,701, 14,535, 14,392; Sonata, 23,281, 22,894, 55,195, 51,878; Tucson, 4,197, 4,508, 11,049, 10,713; Veloster (new for 2012), 3,848, NA, 8,781, NA; Veracruz, 622, 672, 1,809, 1,809

TOTALS 69,728, 61,873, 163,573, 142,620