Hyundai's model range in India is currently capped by the Sonata premium executive sedan and the Santa Fe premium SUV, but internationally, the company has a few more models that sit higher up. One of these is the Genesis sedan, and Hyundai will be showcasing it to Indian customers for the first time at the Autocar Performance show from December 11-14, 2014. The Genesis is a large sedan - roughly about the size of a BMW 5-series or Mercedes-Benz E-class, and if it is to compete with these cars, it's certainly got the looks to back it up. It's long and broad shouldered, with a ‘cab rearward’ profile. The front is dominated by a huge, six-slat chrome grille flanked by big, deep-set projector headlamps. There's also a healthy dose of LEDs in the lamps and bumpers, and you wouldn't be wrong to say there are hints of Audi and BMW in the Genesis' face. The other interesting bit is that it doesn't use a conventional Hyundai badge, but rather a winged emblem unique to this car. The rear is more elegantly executed, with slim, angular LED tail-lamps and neatly integrated exhausts.
The dashboard layout bears a slight resemblance to the current crop of big Hyundais, like the Santa Fe, but it is altogether more luxurious. There’s a big 9.2-inch infotainment screen in the centre, and a thick slab of wood stretching the width of the dash. Just about everything else is wrapped in leather and there’s neat metal accents too. However, some of the knobs, switches and dials will remind you of lesser Hyundais. It’s also equipped like a proper luxury car, with options like a 17-speaker hi-fi audio system. Mechanically, the key difference from our existing crop of Hyundai sedans is that the Genesis is rear-wheel drive, like most serious luxury cars, rather than front-wheel drive. It’s powered exclusively by big petrol engines – direct-injection V6 motors and a flagship 420bhp 5.0-litre V8 – which could be an issue in India, where customers prefer the lower running costs of diesel, even in luxury cars.
If Hyundai does manage to get a strong enough response to the car at the Autocar Performance Show, it could consider importing the car in small numbers as a CBU. However, globally, this car’s strength is that it is priced one segment lower than what’s defined by its size and level of luxury, but thanks to our heavy import duties, the price here could start at only about Rs 45 lakh – which is about the same as a BMW 5-series or Audi A6. This means it will not have the value-for-money advantage it has in other markets, and it will be interesting to see if badge-conscious Indian customers are willing to fork out big money for a Hyundai. Still, it is encouraging to see Hyundai putting its premium foot forward to test the waters before an official launch, and for a company that has grown from the humble Santro to the Elite i20 in such a short time, perhaps the luxury market isn’t too far out of reach.
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