Hyundai, Test Drives

Test Drive: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT

December 7, 2009

The Genesis is quieter inside than the Nissan 370Z; that in itself isn’t a bad thing (although the Nissan’s noises are awfully delicious); in not so many words, Hyundai has said that this car is meant as a competitor for the Infiniti G37, but at a much lower price. That makes more sense, but at the same time, I’m not sure that the driving experience is quite that good.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT. Click image to enlarge

Despite the Coupe’s tenuous link to its sedan namesake performance-wise, the interior materials are almost – but not quite – as high-quality, and fit and finish is just as good. In cars with navigation, a pair of digital performance graphs (torque and L/100 km) replace the radio display; it’s a bit of a cheesy touch that brings down the overall tone of the interior.

Inside, the Genesis Coupe’s dash is well laid out, with a combination of intuitive touch-screen controls and hard buttons. That touch-screen doubles as a navigation system (which is available only on V6-powered cars); it’s rare that this happens, but, aesthetically, at least, I like this dash layout better than the base car’s, which is busier-looking.

The front seats are comfortable, and there’s a surprising amount of headroom. The rear seats are a different story, though. While there’s adequate legroom for people of average height, only the shortest will fit comfortably, thanks to the lack of headroom. If you’re five-foot-two or shorter, you’ll fit, but any taller and your head will meet the rear window glass; a few more inches of headroom would make this car much more all-around useful. At least the trunk is a good size, at 332 litres, and the rear seat folds to expand carrying capacity.

As nice as the interior is overall, there are a few low-budget touches, like the single-setting seat warmers, and the vanity mirror lights that must be turned on manually (though they turn off when the visor is replaced).

Other small things that bugged me ergonomically included the steering column, which tilts but does not telescope, and the power window controls, whose nearly vertical orientation on the doors make them awkward to use. The front seatbelts require quite a reach back to grab them, a common problem in coupes; a simple loop on the side of the front seats to hold them in position would be a nice touch.

Headlight performance is an oft-overlooked aspect of a car’s appeal, and I would be a happy guy if all cars had headlights as good as the HID (high intensity discharge) lights on my tester. The beam pattern is bright and even, and disperses nice and wide, lighting up the shoulders and ditches on unlit back roads – a great help when scoping the roadside for deer or other creatures that might wander onto the road. Note that my car’s HIDs are only available on 2.0GT models and up, and the regular halogen bulbs in the entry-level four-cylinder cars probably give up some brilliance to these uplevel lights.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT. Click image to enlarge

Outside of sacrificing the car’s lines to make the back seat more useful, the idea of the Genesis Coupe as a two-seat hatchback – a la 370Z, once again – appeals, as it would actually make the car more practical: you’d lose the back seats that will rarely get used, while expanding cargo capacity. This brings me back to the way this car flirts with the boundary between sports coupe and GT car, like a rolling identity crisis.

The Genesis Coupe is a very well-done car, and a great effort as Hyundai’s first true sports car. What I think is even more impressive, despite my reservations about the use of the Genesis name, is that that Hyundai has created two very different, but equally good, cars from the same platform, something not every manufacturer can lay claim to.

Pricing: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8GT

Base price (3.8): $32,995

Base price (3.8): $36,495

Options: None

A/C tax: $100

Freight: $1,565

Price as tested: $38,660
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Specifications

Specifications: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Competitors

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Ford Mustang