Inside, the luxurious look of the Genesis continues. My first ride of the day—an R-Spec, no less—sported a black and grey interior get-up, and I have to say it was quite impressive. Roomy and comfortable, I settled in right away. As I took a closer look at the middle console, I began to like the design less and less.
While the onboard computer screen is a generous size and quite easy to navigate via an iDrive-esque knob by the shifter, all of the huge, in-your-face buttons that take up the rest of the space below the screen are dedicated to climate control. It seemed to me that Hyundai was looking for a way to fill the space with those buttons, like they suddenly realized they'd have a huge empty space, and God forbid that should happen.
Next, I hopped into the 3.8L and was greeted with a beige and woodgrain-insert interior that was much more feminine looking and slightly more sophisticated as well. Unfortunately, the overly large climate control buttons remained, but I must say I preferred the light interior to the dark one.
Also missing in the Genesis (particularly the R-Spec) were paddle shifters. Equipped with an 8-speed automatic with manual shift mode, the transmission is actually quite responsive. However, without the option of paddle shifters, the possibility of truly sporty driving drops as you have to remove one hand from the steering wheel to change gears—not always the best idea on sloping, winding, blind-corner desert roads where lizards dart in front of you suddenly (true story) and the heat makes you a bit light-headed... Or maybe that was just the sound of the V8 reverberating off the red-stone backdrop of the Valley of Fire.
Now, about that V8 engine.
Let's start with the R-Spec (because, really, that's the one I know you all want to read about); equipped with a Tau 5.0L V8 Dual-CVVT and GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine, the Genesis R-Spec really has some kick. The most powerful Hyundai in their line-up to date, the R-Spec packs a punch of 429 horses and 376 lb-ft of torque, and let me tell you that on those long open stretches of desert road, you feel it. I made sure the front and rear multi-link independent suspension got a bit of a workout on the twisties and even ensured the electro-hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering was put to the test (especially when the lizards decided to play kamikaze on the road in front of me). While the sound of the V8 was pleasing and audible, I did wish it was a bit more growl-y. Perhaps if we'd had the windows down and the A/C off (ha!) I could have heard more of it, but as we drove through the Valley of Fire, I chose comfort over an aural fixation.
While the onboard computer screen is a generous size and quite easy to navigate via an iDrive-esque knob by the shifter, all of the huge, in-your-face buttons that take up the rest of the space below the screen are dedicated to climate control. It seemed to me that Hyundai was looking for a way to fill the space with those buttons, like they suddenly realized they'd have a huge empty space, and God forbid that should happen.
 |
| The onboard computer screen is a generous size and quite easy to navigate via an iDrive-esque knob by the shifter. (Photo: Morgan J Segal) |
Next, I hopped into the 3.8L and was greeted with a beige and woodgrain-insert interior that was much more feminine looking and slightly more sophisticated as well. Unfortunately, the overly large climate control buttons remained, but I must say I preferred the light interior to the dark one.
Also missing in the Genesis (particularly the R-Spec) were paddle shifters. Equipped with an 8-speed automatic with manual shift mode, the transmission is actually quite responsive. However, without the option of paddle shifters, the possibility of truly sporty driving drops as you have to remove one hand from the steering wheel to change gears—not always the best idea on sloping, winding, blind-corner desert roads where lizards dart in front of you suddenly (true story) and the heat makes you a bit light-headed... Or maybe that was just the sound of the V8 reverberating off the red-stone backdrop of the Valley of Fire.
Now, about that V8 engine.
Let's start with the R-Spec (because, really, that's the one I know you all want to read about); equipped with a Tau 5.0L V8 Dual-CVVT and GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine, the Genesis R-Spec really has some kick. The most powerful Hyundai in their line-up to date, the R-Spec packs a punch of 429 horses and 376 lb-ft of torque, and let me tell you that on those long open stretches of desert road, you feel it. I made sure the front and rear multi-link independent suspension got a bit of a workout on the twisties and even ensured the electro-hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering was put to the test (especially when the lizards decided to play kamikaze on the road in front of me). While the sound of the V8 was pleasing and audible, I did wish it was a bit more growl-y. Perhaps if we'd had the windows down and the A/C off (ha!) I could have heard more of it, but as we drove through the Valley of Fire, I chose comfort over an aural fixation.
 |
| The most powerful Hyundai in their line-up to date, the R-Spec packs a punch of 429 horses and 376 lb-ft of torque, and let me tell you that on those long open stretches of desert road, you feel it. (Photo: Morgan J Segal) |