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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 18, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com 2009 Hyundai Genesis named North American Car of the Year By LORNE DRURY Carguide Magazine Metroland Newspapers Five years ago, you would have thought I had inhaled too many exhaust fumes if I told you a Hyundai product would win for both Car of the Year in North America and Car of the Year in Canada. But at the first day of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) named the Hyundai Genesis as its Canadian Car of Year adding this laurel to its North American win in January The fact that a Hyundai has been named Car of the Year in Canada and North America is a testament to the strides the South Korean automaker has made in product quality. Many of us in the `older' generation think back to Hyundai's first foray into the Canadian market with the ill-fated Pony that seemingly rusted before your very eyes. These days Hyundai quality is on par with anything the Japanese, North American and European automakers are bringing to market. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the J.D. Power surveys of initial quality and you'll see that Hyundai models rank near the top in most categories. In Canada, Hyundai sits third in overall customer satisfaction behind Honda and Toyota. The relentless pursuit of quality improvement is just one of the changes for Hyundai in the past decade or so. The other is a move up market, culminated with the launch of the luxury Genesis sedan. The Azera was Hyundai's first real move upscale, but the Genesis takes the brand to a new level. Available with both V6 and V8 engines, the Genesis V8 topped the competition among new luxury cars under $50K in AJAC testing, besting the Infiniti G37 Sedan, Acura TL, Audi A3 and Saab 9-3. The Genesis is Hyundai's first rear-wheel drive performance sedan and prices start at $37,995 for the V6 and $43,995 for the V8, Hyundai's first V8 engine. Says John Vernile, vice president, sales and marketing Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., "This is a luxury car without a luxury price. With the 2009 Genesis we wanted to demonstrate that Hyundai can offer all the quality consumers demand from a vehicle today, all the equipment they deserve, and all the power they could want. We are proud to offer a vehicle with the amenities, driving character and performance people would expect from Japanese or European luxury vehicles at a more motivating price." After a week with the Genesis, I came away even more impressed than I was after a short stint in the car during the AJAC Testfest last fall. My tester had the 4.6-litre DOHC V8 engine, mated with a ZF sixspeed automatic transmission. The engine makes 375 hp and 333 lb/ft of torque, accelerating from 0-100 kph in less than six seconds and it can run on regular unleaded fuel. Now I haven't had an opportunity to test the 3.8-litre V6, but it's no HYUNDAI GENESIS 2009 AT A GLANCE BODY STYLE: full-size luxury performance sedan DRIVE METHOD: front engine, rear-wheel drive ENGINE: 3.8-litre DOHC V6 (290 hp, 264 lb/ft); 4.6-litre DOHC V8 (375 hp, 333 lb/ft premium, 368 hp 325 lb/ft regular unleaded) FUEL ECONOMY: V6 11.4L/100 km (25 mpg) city, 7.2L/100 km (39 mpg) highway; V8 12.6L/100 km (22 mpg) city, 8.1L/100 km (35 mpg) highway PRICE: V6 $37,995 to $44,995; V8 $43,995 to $48,995, as tested $48,995. WEB SITE: www.hyundaicanada.com airbags and roof-mounted side curtain airbags for both front and rear outboard seat occupants. Included in the sophisticated technological gadgetry of the Genesis are a total of eight ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear bumpers, which along with the rear back-up camera help detect how close objects are when parking. Another first for a Hyundai is an electronic rather than mechanical active head restraint system, similar to ones found on some MercedesBenz, BMW and Lexus models. Styling wise, the Genesis is attractive, particularly from a front view with its expansive chrome grille. It definitely has the look of a much pricier automobile. Fuel economy is decent for both engines--11.4L/100 km city (25 mpg) city and 7.2L/100 km (39 mpg) highway for the V6 and 12.6L/100 km (22 mpg) city and 8.1L/100 km (35 mpg) highway for the V8. For those uncertain about purchasing a vehicle in its first year of production, Hyundai's warranty should ease any fears-- a fiveyear/100,000 km comprehensive limited warranty, five- year/100,000 km power train warranty and threeyear/unlimited kilometer roadside assistance program. So while the Genesis may lack the nameplate of a Mercedes-Benz, Lexus or BMW, it's not lacking in much else. Having been named Canadian and North American Car of the Year, the Genesis is clearly now a player in the luxury car field and it offers the same features at thousands of dollars less. Who could ask for more? The 2009 Genesis is Hyundai's first foray into the luxury car market. It is available in V6 and V8 versions, priced at $37,995 and $43,995 slouch either in the power department, producing 290 hp and 264 lb/ft of torque, also mated to the sixspeed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manual control. Hyundai says its engineers benchmarked cars such as the Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M and Lexus GS when designing the Genesis, although in the real world Hyundai expects its main competition will come from cars such as the Chrysler 300 and Pontiac G8. However, now that the Genesis has been named North American Car of the Year, I'm sure some luxury buyers will stand up and take notice because the Genesis can hold its own against cars costing $20,000 more than the top-of-the-line V8 model. Handling is superb thanks to a nearly ideal front-to-rear weight distribution ratio (53/47 for the V6 and 54/46 for the V8). Meanwhile the rear-wheel drive layout allows engineers to position the car's front wheel farther forward to help handling and steering performance. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is standard and also helps in the handling department. One of the highlights of my time with the Genesis was how calm and peaceful everything is in the cabin. Hyundai has managed to reduce interior noise levels and also improve ride and handling with a stiffer, lighter body structure. Through the use of high tensile steel in critical areas of the unibody, the Genesis has a 12-14 per cent higher dynamic torsional rigidity and a lower body structure weight than even the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class, yet is has a substantially larger cabin than either of those benchmarks. It also has more interior volume than even the BMW 7-Series. The suspension is a five-link setup, both front and rear, making it among the most sophisticated and refined on the market, at any price. Where the South Korean manufacturer used to lag behind the competition was in the quality of materials, particularly in the cabin. Not so with the Hyundais of today and the Genesis is the most sophisticated of the bunch, being at the top of the product chain. Standard is a soft-touch instrument panel with wood grain accents, Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone interface and USB/iPod auxiliary inputs. The dash, door panels and console lid are wrapped in leather, while the heated and cooled driver's seat provides optimal driving comfort. There is also an ultraviolet reflective leather-wrapped steering wheel, which keeps the surface cool to the touch even in scorching sunlight. Also offered is a power rear sunshade, automatic electronic parking brake and push button starter. My tester had the Technology Package featuring a state-of-the-art navigation system with eight-inch display screen. It also had a rear back-up camera, making it easier to back out of tight spaces. True to its luxury leanings, the Genesis and the Rolls Royce Phantom are the only automobiles to offer a Lexicon surround sound audio system, featuring a 12-channel digital amplifier and 17 speakers producing more than 500 watts of sound. If equipped with the navigation system, Genesis models will feature a 30 GIG hard drive along with XM NavTraffic. On the safety front, the Genesis doesn't take a backseat to anyone with eight airbags including advanced dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact www.volvoofoakville.com SERVICE DEPARTMENT OPEN SATURDAYS Phone: (905) 825-8088