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>> Hyundai has now completed that journey from crap car of the '80s and early '90s to a serious player that will make you drool. Let's drive the main evidence of this, the Genesis Coupe 3.8 and check the tech.
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When you option the navigation head unit, you'll find that it's got a touchscreen and some dedicated buttons on the side, very quick touchscreen response, and very clear working through the menus. I didn't have to read anything in the manual to know how to use this car's interface. I like the fact that things like muting the voice directions for the nav are right there on the front screen. No digging through menus. You've got a handy button for traffic to check the conditions there. That also displays on the screen, of course, and in terms of colored lane lines. This head unit also has Bluetooth, not just for hands-free calling, but also for stereo/audio streaming. A lot of branding across the bezel right here tells the story. First of all, it's Infinity-branded sound, and it sounds very good. It's not the worst or the best system we've ever heard, but it's definitely in the better region. XM satellite radio is also part of our AM and FM assortment. No HD radio on this car, by the way. You've got a six-disc internal changer right here, which will gobble up audio CDs, MP3 as well. The CD aux button is interesting because right now, I've got a USB thumb drive plugged in, and that goes in here, in the center console with this multi-connector that has the USB jack, also is iPod connected when you use the $30.00 additional cable. Or you've got a standard aux right next to it. A lot of niceties come on this car standard within its limited range of tech toys. So you've got this wireless, hands-off key with proximity sensing. So you just walk up to the car and open it up. That is standard on this six-cylinder track model of the Genesis Coupe. And you've also got the ability to do push button start, which is right over here. These are all nice touches. There's also an optional Shiftronic from ZF, one of the better gearbox makers. That six-speed automatic is an option for a line item cost of $1500.00. Most people who buy this car, I think, are gonna go with the manual, especially in the track trim. Ergonomically, this car is a little smaller inside than it looks outside, at least to my eye. It looks like a pretty big car outside, but inside it's a little tight. This annoys me. The wheel does have a good up and down tilt range, but no telescoping. And the whole time driving this car, I feel like it's sticking right in my face. I want it to go back. So if you're long-armed, this is gonna feel a little bit unh. Now, a Genesis Coupe base is gonna have a little, scrawny two-liter turbo four. Hmm, haven't driven that one. Not sure I want to. Instead, we got this guy, the 3.8-liter aluminum V6. This is one of Lambda family of engines. It's actually an American motor in a sense. It's made in their Alabama plant. 306 horsepower, 266 is the torque number. We did 0 to 60 in about six seconds in this guy. 17/26 is your MPG; add one MPG if you get the automatic, on the highway at least. Dual length intake runners allow it to have a high and low RPM feed path, giving it good torque, and also good breathing on the high end. And I would generally agree with that in driving it. So what we have here. This car has been getting a lot of looks as I've been driving it around. It's kind of like the old Hyundai Tiburon, but all growed up, right? Good sculpting in here makes it very distinctive, or tortured, depending on your frame of mind. Good, strong haunches on this side. From the rear three-quarter, it's very Infinity G Coupe. You got to copy the best.
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Now, when equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, the Genesis Coupe really says, "How you doing? I'm a handful." The shifter finds its gears readily, but you really have to manhandle the stick around to get to them. Inputs to the pedals and the steering wheel also have to be stout, or you'll never get anything out of this car. That 3.8 V6 is sort of a brawler. It likes to pull well in both high torque and heavy-breathing scenarios. But I was very disappointed by the amount of RPM float it exhibits. Lift off the accelerator, and you can just about count to two before you can dump the clutch because the engine's RPMs just stay up there for way too long. Not a great trait in a performance car.
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Pricing a Genesis Coupe is pretty easy. This V6 with the track package is about 30,200. And that's about it.
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