A Sexy Hyundai? Really?!

The Genesis of Korean Sexiness?

Hyundai is hours away from debuting their new Genesis Coupe at the NY Auto Show, but the marketing execs in the Korean homeland, like overexcited virgins, have prematurely released photos of their new sexy coupe all over the internet in the past couple of days. The impact of waiting until NYAIS to reveal the Genesis would have really been something as it would have been a definite show stopper, but it appears the marketing strategy behind the early photo release has been effective after all as it has tempted even the most respected of auto blogs, Chyo & Joe's to name one, to take the bait and generate some pre-buzz before the official reveal.

Despite being Korean-American, I do not hold a patriotic bias towards the car company of my people. I for the most part lean toward the efforts of Japan and Germany. Until recently, Hyundai's, and Kia's especially, have been second rate automobiles. As of late though, Hyundai has made strong strides towards breaking out of its decades old image of making cheap, underwhelming economy cars. The latest Sonata and Azera have shown that Hyundai can produce cars that arguably meet or surpass the offerings from the Big 3. Not a lofty achievement, but one that has definitely raised some eyebrows.

Now Hyundai is stepping up its game another notch with their upcoming luxury offering - the Genesis Sedan with available V8 power. On Wednesday, Hyundai plans to complete a 1-2 combination with the official debut of the Genesis Coupe. These two new offerings are groundbreaking cars for the South Korean automaker.

What is immediately striking about the Genesis Coupe is its exterior design. It is a bold attempt at infusing their product line with some much needed sexiness. This coupe has curves that most Korean women would die for. It is such an unexpected break from the traditionally conservative and vanilla designs of the past that it is almost difficult to take this car seriously knowing that it is a Hyundai. But here it is, hips and all. Large wheels with low profile rubber are pushed to the corners of this long wheelbase chassis, filling the large wheel wells. This ain't no under-tired Honda Accord. At first glance, you get a hint of Infiniti's G37 or the Altima Coupe, definite design influences. But, there are some defining character lines that give this car its own personality such as the haunches that start from the tail and plunge down the side panels through the doors giving the Genesis Coupe an unmistakably aggressive stance. Tasteful design elements such as the bottom edge of the glass behind the B-piller that unexpectedly drops down below the straight path of the door window further distinguishes its design. The side profile of the coupe is its obvious strength. The proportions are clean and aggressive. It's hard to believe this is a Hyundai.

But, all is not perfect. Turn your eyes towards the front of the car and you find that you don't swallow the design here as easily as the side profile.

The front is a commendable effort, but not quite a home run. The front end just doesn't fully come together. It has hints of the Lexus IS and G Coupe...but that small grill leaves the Genesis a bit pug-nosed and you end up wanting a little more brutish masculineness. Nevertheless, the sharp creased hood and squinting headlights give the Genesis a modern and sporty look. The shot above is probably the best angle of the front. However, the photo below better reveals my uneasiness with front end proportions not being quite right.

Having all the curves and creases terminate at the snout really accentuates the "slantiness" of the headlights. Definitely a stereotypical Asian look. Furthermore, for a car that has such an athletic overall feel, that small grill gives you a sense of restriction, as though the V6 motor has to breathe through a deviated septum of sorts. Ok, enough about the grill. It really is a decent front end the longer you look at it.

Finally, the rear.


At first glance, the taillights are very reminiscent of the Tiburon. Not necessarily a family member you want to affiliate yourself with, but in this case I guess blood is actually thicker than water. The designers did a good job blacking out the bottom end of the rear bumper. Otherwise, that bum (as the Brits say) would appear quite excessive. The large, flush mounted dual exhaust pipes give the car a nice finished look. Overall, it's a clean, inoffensive rear end, perhaps the most conservatively designed part of the car. Again, there is a lot of the Infiniti G Coupe's design DNA in this car which is not a bad thing.


This is a definite eye-catcher and an impressive design effort by Hyundai that will get people talking. The most important question now is how will it drive? A RWD layout paired to a 3.8l V6 rumored to output 300+ horsepower is a good starting place. Will Hyundai be able to tune the suspension, steering and brakes to keep up with its aggressive looks and give the Infiniti G37 a run for its money? I have my doubts, but at the same time I'm pulling for my Seoul brothers. To build a car from scratch that will match the sophistication and pedigree of the G37 on your first attempt is a near impossible feat. I anticipate the disappointment of reading the first road test reviews. I can see the critiques now: "overboosted steering, soggy brakes, vague shifter, coarse engine note, sloppy handling, excessive NVH."

Hyundai, prove me wrong. If you do, you have a hands-down winner on your hands and you'll be well on your way to finally solidifying your image as a formidable contender in the automotive industry.