Six years ago, Hyundai took its brand upmarket with the luxurious Genesis sedan. Usually, when foreign automakers attempt to go upscale, new brands and dealer networks are launched. Indeed, Toyota has Lexus, Honda has Acura, Nissan has Infiniti, and even Mazda had stillborn plans for an upscale Efini brand. Hyundai did the impossible and managed to sell quite a few Genesis sedans to value-conscious buyers. This also led to the US launch of the flagship Equus.
But the Genesis and Equus attempted to hide their Hyundai roots. The circled-H badge isn’t featured as liberally as it is on Hyundai’s more economical vehicles. While the Genesis coupe featured the circled-H all around, the sedan had its own unique logo. Nevertheless, the Genesis sedan was a pretty good first attempt from Hyundai at a luxury rear-wheel drive sedan, and even somewhat sporty in the R-Spec package with its 5.0-liter Tau V8.
Despite getting a few updates along the way, it’s time for the first-generation Genesis sedan to retire and make way for the all-new 2015 model. Over the past weekend, Hyundai flew us out to Scottsdale, Arizona to sample the latest generation Genesis sedan in both V8 and V6 trims. The launch came at a good time as I was quite ready to leave the infamous Washington rain for sunnier pastures. So join us as we spend a day driving the brand new 2015 Genesis sedan and play with its technological gadgetry.
Exterior Design
Hyundai has come a long way with vehicle design. While the first generation Genesis sedan and even the Equus have somewhat aggressive styling touches, the overall designs are quite tame. With the 2015 Genesis sedan, there’s still a hint of subtlety, but the front end has a bolder in-your-face look that is unmistakably Korean, with a few dashes of European influence.
The front is adorned with LED running lights, while LED fog lights and HID headlights are optional. A giant hexagonal grille finishes off the front of the car and gives the Genesis sedan Hyundai’s best execution of its "fluidic" sculpture design yet. Around the back is the only place you’ll spot a visible Hyundai badge, as the rest of the car sports the winged Genesis badge. There’s no hint of it being a Hyundai until you’re being passed.

Hyundai opts for red and white all-LED tail lights that look fantastic when on. The turn signals are embedded into the white area and light up orange when signaling. Dual exhaust finishes the rear end on both the V6 and V8. The distinguishing difference between the two motors is the use of regular dual exhaust on the V6 while the V8 adds twin tips. There’s also accompanying 3.8 and 5.0 badges for the respective engines.
Step into the driver’s seat and you’re treated to a completely new interior, and it’s leagues ahead of the previous generation. The materials are excellent, with an abundance of soft touch surfaces, and leather comes standard. The layout resembles the flagship Equus, but further refined, with an improved switch gear. We like that Hyundai coats all the switches with a rubberized texture that’s soft and smooth to touch.
The center stack features a clean-looking analog clock. While we complained about the lack of a digital clock on the Equus, the 2015 Genesis sedan solves this problem and also provides the function at the top of the infotainment screen. Overall, the 2015 Genesis sedan interior layout isn’t as good as an Audi, but it definitely gives BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus a good run for the money.
If the standard leather and fake wood trim isn’t luxurious enough, the Ultimate Package adds real matte wood and aluminum trim. All of the vehicles present at the launch event had the Ultimate Package. We found the real wood and aluminum well-executed. It looks very good and gives the interior an extra touch of class.
Front heated seats are standard on the Genesis sedan, but those who want ventilated seats have to add the Signature Package, or step up to the 5.0 V8. Heated rear seats and steering wheel are only available on AWD sedans. We tested the heated and ventilated seats, but they were a little disappointing. The seat heaters got warm, but not quite as toasty as an Audi, VW, or Ford. The ventilated seats cooled enough to prevent your rump and lower back from sweating, but they never felt cold like seats that pipe A/C through.
Hyundai uses traditional analog gauges with an LCD display sandwiched in-between. The standard display is a 4.3-inch LCD, which we didn’t get to experience. The Genesis sedans we drove had the optional 7-inch LCD, which is part of the Technology Package. It looks good in the gauge cluster, but doesn’t offer any advanced functions as its German competition has, but still a step above the display used in the Lexus GS series.
Image courtesy of Chris Gampat (The Phoblographer)
The usual functions are available with a lane keep assist, audio, and turn-by-turn navigation displays. The audio tab is disappointing as it only shows the music source and station for SiriusXM. It would be nice if the display showed the track information as well. You can adjust your vehicle settings in the gauge cluster LCD too, which includes driver assists, door locks, HUD adjustments, and more.
The standard infotainment unit on the Genesis sedan is what Hyundai calls AVN 4.5. On the Genesis, the system is highlighted by an 8-inch touch screen display. Resolution of the display is a typical 800x480, which is adequate from the driver’s seat. Though it’s a resistive touch screen, it's still fairly responsive, and totally suitable for automotive use.
Originally, this story reflected a guess that the SoC was a Freescale i.MX 6Dual. We’ve since discovered it’s a custom order i.MX53 family SoC clocked at 1 GHz instead of the 800 MHz of the standard i.MX534/536. The i.MX53 family is an evolution of the i.MX51 used in Ford SYNC, albeit with energy efficiency improvements, support for DDR3, larger memory capacities, and other performance tweaks.
At the heart of the i.MX53 is a single ARM Cortex-A9 core with 256KB of L2 cache. A NEON coprocessor is installed, most likely aids voice recognition features of the Genesis sedan. Single-core SoCs may not seem as fast or sexy as the latest quad or even octa-core ones used in smartphones and tablets, but they do the job well for specialized single-use applications.
Graphics processing for the i.MX53 family is provided by an Imageon Z460 graphics core originally designed by AMD, but has since been purchased by Qualcomm and renamed Adreno. The graphics core is ancient by today’s standards, but still has unified shaders and support for OpenGL ES 2.0. It won’t tear up 3D benchmarks but is perfectly adequate for the simple user interface needs of an automotive infotainment system.
The most interesting bit of the Hyundai AVN 4.5 system is the use of a Linux-based operating system, which is actually Android. Hyundai heavily skins the OS for infotainment use, so it bears no resemblance to your typical Android smartphone or tablet. We were not provided with the specific version of Android, but predict that it's 2.3 Gingerbread since that falls in line with the vehicle’s development cycle.
Hyundai installs 16 GB of flash memory on the AVN 4.5, and provides users with 6,544 MB of free storage for music and images. The remaining space is partitioned off, with 164 MB for boot, 300 MB for the system, 5,120 MB for apps and backups, 500 MB for updates, 100 MB for debugging, and a whopping 2,150 MB for voice recognition.
Unfortunately, Hyundai did not have any vehicles with AVN 4.5 on hand for the launch event. We did briefly play with AVN 4.5 at CES 2014 and found it responsive. It also features Aha Radio and Pandora app support, too.
Buyers that opt for the Ultimate Package upgrade the pure touch screen infotainment to a dual interface system which Hyundai calls DIS (Driver Information System) 2.0. The premium system maintains the touch screen interface, but adds a control knob which is similar to the one in the company's flagship Equus. The control knob is located on the center console and below the shifter gate. As with our experience in the Equus, Hyundai chose to use similar positioning for the control knob, which makes it awkward and uncomfortable to use.
Image courtesy of Chris Gampat (The Phoblographer)
The biggest upgrade with the DIS 2.0 system is a bigger 9.2-inch display. While its only 1.2-inches bigger than the base AVN 4.5 display, the resolution receives a bump up to high-definition 720p, and it looks excellent from the driver’s seat. The entire user interface is clean and crisper than other infotainment displays we’ve come across. However, the higher resolution display and control knob come with one caveat, you must give up the Android-based OS.
Instead, another Linux-based OS takes center stage on DIS 2.0. This time Hyundai dug up Meego from the smartphone OS cemetery and tweaked it for automotive use. The use of Meego might sound odd for those of us used to reading about smartphones and tablets, but it’s the official OS for GENIVI, which is an alliance of automotive manufacturers and suppliers with the goal of driving mass adoption of open source infotainment systems.
Powering the Meego-powered DIS 2.0 system is an Intel Atom processor. No, it’s not the latest dual or quad-core Bay Trail, those embedded processors are simply too new. Instead, its Tunnel Creek, which itself is based on Moorestown, but optimized for embedded applications. Intel announced the single-core Atom at IDF 2010, which seems like an old dinosaur by PC hardware standards, but the embedded and automotive market have different development cycles. Tunnel Creek was most likely the latest and greatest available from Intel at the start of the DIS 2.0 development.
Graphics for the Atom E660 is what Intel calls GMA 600. Despite what Intel calls it, the graphics core is based on the PowerVR SGX 535, much like the earlier GMA 500 found in Poulsbo, or the Atom Z5xx series. However, GMA 600 doubles the clock speed to 400 MHz from the GMA 500 for a bit more GPU power. Regardless, the GMA 600 is perfectly adequate, if not overkill for automotive infotainment use.
Hyundai did not provide us with the specific Intel Atom used but provided the clock speed. The 1.3 GHz enabled us to narrow it down to the Atom E660 series. Intel offers two chips in that series with the standard E660 and E660T. The only difference between the regular and T variant is a maximum operating die temperate of 110 C on the E660T versus 90 C on the E660. Otherwise, both processors have maximum TDPs of 3.6 watts, HyperThreading technology, 512KB of L2 cache, DDR2 memory interface, and are fabricated on a 45nm process. Since temperatures can vary greatly in a vehicle depending on the region where it’s driven, we predict Hyundai opted for the Atom E660T for that extra 20 C of thermal headroom.
The premium DIS 2.0 infotainment system also comes with a 64 GB SSD for storage. Hyundai leaves 30 GB of free space for drivers to copy their own music and images. Since I forgot to grab a USB flash drive from my car on the way to the airport, we didn’t get to test the feature on the 2015 Genesis sedan. However, we expect it to function the same way as the first generation DIS system in the Equus, which can only copy music from a USB device, and not a retail music CD.
All the vehicles on hand at the launch event had DIS 2.0. We drove over 200 miles with the system and found it pretty good. The UI is responsive, the music functions are easy to use, navigation maps were 2D but had good detail, and there weren’t too many lock outs as long as you agree to the disclaimer every time the vehicle starts. There were lock outs for the Blue Link apps while the vehicle is in motion though.
Hyundai touted Pandora and Aha radio support, but that is only available to iOS users who plug in their phones via the Genesis’ USB port. We were told Android might be a possibility in the future but there’s no solid launch date. As the other journalist I was paired with and I had Google Nexus 5 phones, we were unable to test the streaming Internet radio features. However, we were out of reception areas for most of the drive anyway. Apple iOS users do get Siri Eyes Free support as well, but we did not get to play with that functionality either.
(Update: Intel confirms it is indeed the Atom E660T)
Blue Link receives substantial updates on the 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedan. The biggest upgrade is a 3G modem from LG Innotek that’s now placed within the infotainment unit to leverage cloud services integrated by Covisint. This allows for much quicker response of Blue Link commands and better integration with the infotainment system. Earlier versions of Blue Link had a separate module that was separate from the head unit for telematics functions.
New Blue Link features to the 2015 Genesis sedan include Google destination search and advanced remote start. While the previous versions of Blue Link supported remote start, it was slow to send commands, which required going through an Internet connection for a feature that can be easily performed by a button on the key fob. This latest version includes adjustments for an engine timer (up to 10 minutes), climate controls, and defroster.
There’s a new Blue Link app for iOS and Android that integrates with the calendar too. The calendar integration enables Blue Link to provide notifications by leveraging your schedule with weather and traffic conditions. Theoretically, say you live in the suburbs and need to take your kids to a doctor’s appointment in the city. You input the date and time of the appointment into your calendar, Blue Link sees you have an appointment, and reminds you to leave by a certain time to make it (after evaluating traffic conditions). If it’s freezing or scorching hot outside, Blue Link will also remind you to remote start your car to get the cabin to your preferred temperature. Essentially, Hyundai is taking Google Now functionality and integrating it with your car to make life easier and more comfortable.
As previewed at CES 2014, Hyundai has a Google Glass companion app for Blue Link. Google Glass Explorers can remote start, lock/unlock doors, find directions to the car, and other miscellaneous features. It’s definitely a tech exercise, which we can’t imagine many Genesis buyers taking advantage of. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see Hyundai be the first auto maker to embrace wearable technology.
Three Sound System Options
Hyundai offers three different sound systems on the 2015 Genesis sedan, all with HD Radio support. Base models come with 7-speaker stereo that features 2-way component speakers up front. Adding the Signature Package steps things up to a Lexicon 14-speaker stereo with a 3-way configuration up front. Drivers that opt for the Ultimate Package receive a bump to the Lexicon 17-speaker system. Both the 14 and 17 speaker systems feature 12 channels of digital amplification.
The vehicles we drove were equipped with the Lexicon 17-speaker system. It sounds pretty good but is tuned for a flat response with neutral sound. SiriusXM wasn’t the best candidate for sound quality and I forgot to grab my flash drive full of music before catching my flight. Fortunately, Lexicon graciously provided all attendees at the event with an old fashion CD copy of the 2014 Grammy Nominees. The mix of pop, hip hop, and country music provided us with excellent materials to audition the sound system.
After sampling the music mix, I came to the conclusion that the system shines mostly with hip-hop, where there’s heavy emphasis on mid-bass. Listening to Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and Swimming Pools (Drank) by Kendrick Lamar made the Lexicon system shine. The other tracks had great clarity from the tweeters, but the Lexicon system suffers the same pitfalls as every other factory system, and that’s the subwoofer. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to power a subwoofer with energy-efficient digital amps that take up very little space.
Hyundai’s suite of driver assistance features receives further refinement from the Equus. Buyers that opt for the Technology Package receive adaptive cruise control, lane assist, a haptic feedback steering wheel, and automatic emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control on the 2015 Genesis sedan remains similar in function as the Equus, which Hyundai dubs "smart" cruise control. It’s a full speed range cruise control that can completely stop the car and continue by simply pressing the resume button. As we’ve mentioned in the past, we love adaptive cruise control systems that can completely stop the car instead of requiring driver intervention below a certain speed. It makes enduring rush hour traffic much more pleasant and less stressful.
The former lane departure warning system receives an upgrade to lane keep assist. The LKA system can now actively intervene with driving and keep the vehicle within the lane when driving at speeds above 40 MPH. It relies on the camera mounted above the rear view mirror to track the lanes and applies torque to the electric power steering to steer the car. Hyundai provides the driver with two modes of LKA operation, pre- and post-departure intervention. In pre-departure mode, the LKA actively ensures the car doesn’t leave the lane, whereas post-departure only intervenes when you involuntarily wander out of the lines.
We briefly tested LKA and smart cruise control during the route on order to ensure that it works. The features work great if you need assistance while driving, but we turned it off for more spirited driving along the windy back roads of Arizona.
New to the Hyundai driver assistance suite is the automatic emergency braking system, which can completely stop the car or slow it down enough to minimize damage automatically. At speeds below 50 MPH, AEB can safely stop the car and prevent an accident. If you’re driving at speeds faster than that, it can still slow down the car to minimize the impact, hopefully lessening the damage to the vehicle as well as injuries to occupants. While some may think AEB is unnecessary, it only takes a quick glance backwards to check on the kids for someone to slam on their brakes or randomly pull out onto the street. It’s not a substitute for attentive driving, but it is a great safety net for those random accidental situations.
We did not get a chance to actively test AEB, since it would be irresponsible of us to do so on public roads. Nevertheless, it’s one of those features that we assume works and hope to never have to rely on it.
The head-up display we first experienced in the Equus is now optional on the 2015 Genesis sedan as part of the Technology Package. We liked it in the Equus, and still maintain the same opinion. It’s a full-color display that shows the speedometer, driver assistance features, turn-by-turn navigation, and the speed limit of the street. We only wish it had a tachometer and showed which gear the transmission is in during more spirited driving sessions, but considering the target market, we understand why its absence from the Genesis sedan.
All 2015 Genesis sedans come with a standard proximity key and push-button start. Hyundai developed a new automatic opening trunk that makes use of the proximity key. While Ford and BMW have an optional kick-activated trunk feature, Hyundai makes it even easier by automatically opening if you’re in the proximity of the trunk for three seconds. We’ve tested the Ford kick-activated feature briefly, and found it to be a hit-or-miss. Sometimes it made us feel silly for kicking under the rear bumper a couple times before anything happens. Hyundai’s hands-free trunk is much easier to operate, as long as the car is locked. All you have to do is approach the trunk and stand next to it for three seconds to watch the magic happen.
The last neat trick Hyundai has for the 2015 Genesis is an in-cabin CO2 sensor that monitors air quality. Hyundai’s reasoning for monitoring CO2 levels is to prevent driver drowsiness. It’s a simple idea, the more people there are in a car, the higher the CO2 levels are, which causes drowsiness. By monitoring the CO2 levels, the Genesis automatically brings in fresh air when necessary. Whether or not this actually works is beyond our testing capability for a day of driving. For what its worth, after being in the car for a little over 200 miles, and driving three-quarters of the trip, I never felt drowsy or tired, despite only getting five hours of sleep the night before.
Powertrains for the 2015 Genesis sedan remain the same as the previous generation. The 3.8-liter Lambda V6 returns as the base engine with different ECU tuning. While the previous generation Genesis sedan made 333 HP and 291 lb-ft, the second generation is down to 311 HP and 293 lb-ft. However, don’t let the numbers deceive you, the new Genesis makes peak torque at an earlier 5,000 RPM instead of 5,100 RPM and peak horsepower at 6,000 RPM versus 6,400 RPM. Hyundai’s tuning for low-end grunt of the 2015 Genesis helps move the 4,138lb heft smoothly.
New to the 2015 Genesis is the availability of AWD, which Hyundai calls HTRAC. The system enables Hyundai to appeal to buyers living in areas with heavy seasonal snow. HTRAC can send up to 90 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels. AWD power distribution also changes with the selected drive mode as well, with the Sport setting having more rear bias for greater driving enjoyment. Adding AWD only increases the curb weight by 165 lbs, which isn’t too bad if you need it for your winter commute. Opting for AWD also adds exclusive features such as heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, and headlamp washers to make cold winters more bearable for the driver and family.
Performance-minded drivers can go for the 5.0-liter Tau V8, which is carried over from the previous generation. Hyundai gives the Tau V8 different tuning to deliver more torque at the sacrifice of peak horsepower to reach 383 lb-ft and 420 HP.
Both powertrains are mated with Hyundai’s in-house designed 8-speed automatic. The final drive ratios are different for the differing amounts of power, but as with the Equus, the transmission is quite good with quick and smooth shifts. For those who prefer to shift yourself, paddle shifters are standard on all 2015 Genesis sedans.
Unlike the previous generation, where you could only get every option with the V8, the new Genesis lets buyers have the same equipment on V6 and V8 models. So for those who want the Ultimate Package features but not the fuel economy hit of the V8, Hyundai will let you have it your way.
Speaking of fuel economy, the V6 RWD Genesis sedan is rated for 18/29/22MPG for city/highway/combined, while adding AWD drops the rating down to 16/25/19MPG. V8 buyers should see 15/23/18MPG, which is typical of gas guzzling V8s.
So at this point you’re probably wondering how it drives. We’re happy to report that at legal speed limits without too much speeding, it drives well. Hyundai has done a great job keeping NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) down for a quiet cabin. Steering and road feel are also excellent, you feel connected, and the car responds very well. The Lotus-tuned suspension is excellent and aggressively tackled the windy roads competently.
As for the V6 versus the V8, we enjoyed the smoothness and power of the bigger motor, but it wasn’t a compelling sell for us. Despite having more power, the V8 adds an extra 403lbs, which you can definitely feel on the road. It’s not as spritely as the V6, nor does the throttle respond as well. We noticed a little delay in the throttle response in the V8 that wasn’t present in the V6. The V6 Genesis sedan is perfectly capable at moving the vehicle’s 4,138lb heft smoothly. It’s a smooth motor, but it's still able to gently throw you back in your seat when you punch the gas.
Overall, it’s a car that rides comfortably, responds well, and delivers power smoothly. Sure, you could probably criticize its performance around the track, but luxury car buyers rarely, if ever, take their cars on the track. As a daily driver, the Genesis sedan will surely please.
Hyundai has done an outstanding job with the second generation Genesis sedan. When we first drove the Hyundai Equus Ultimate, we felt it was a good vehicle that needed more refinement to compete with the luxury marques. For Hyundai’s first attempt, the first generation rear wheel drive sedans weren't too bad, but more or less competed on value. We expected the company would learn and create something excellent with the second generation. It did not disappoint, and Hyundai has created a legitimate competitor to other luxury marques.
The fully-loaded Genesis sedan with the Ultimate package has a very nice interior. The real wood and aluminum with soft touch surfaces look and feel great. We reserve judgment on the lower trim models until we can experience them first-hand, but so far we like what we see inside the sedan. We wish Hyundai had the base model 8-inch Android-based system on hand for us to play with, but that'll have to wait for another day. The hardware specs and preliminary preview we saw at CES 2014 showed promise.
Stepping up to the DIS 2.0 9.2-inch system is an interesting upgrade. We usually enjoy control knob interfaces, but Hyundai’s ergonomics lag behind the Germans. At least it’s still a touch a screen. Nevertheless, when compared to say Jaguar, we definitely prefer Hyundai’s GUI and control interfaces. Performance of the Intel Atom E660T in the DIS 2.0 is quite respectable. We didn’t get a chance to run our usual benchmarks due to time constraints but felt it was comparable to the Hyundai Equus that we just reviewed.
In terms of driver assistance features, Hyundai has an excellent suite. Adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist makes the new Genesis a semi-autonomous vehicle that can steer and regulate its own speed, to a certain extent. The haptic feedback steering wheel provides subtle feedback for the blind spot monitor and lane assist system without obnoxious sounds. Hyundai’s full color HUD is still world’s ahead of what Lexus uses and is comparable to the German brands.
As for powertrains, the new ECU tuning on the Genesis makes the car much better to drive for a daily commute. It’s down on horsepower, but the power band shift to lower end power helps the heavy vehicle move better. If we had to pick between the V6 and V8, our choice would be the V6. The V8 is nice, but the V6 does the job, returns better gas mileage, and the lighter overall weight makes it more entertaining as well.
Overall, the 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedan is fantastic. The company shows that it has what it takes to create a good luxury sedan that can compete with the big boys. Heck, I believe Hyundai has eliminated the need for the Lexus GS350 to exist, and can easily encroach into Mercedes-Benz territory. A loaded Genesis V6 sedan with the Ultimate Package rings in at $49,000. At that price you get a vehicle that drives well, is comfortable and quiet, features excellent interior materials with real wood and aluminum, has a smooth yet engaging motor, and semi-autonomous driving capabilities.
In comparison, the Lexus GS350 starts at $47,700 while Mercedes asks $51,400 for the E350, and that’s just the base model with a fraction of the features. Getting the Mercedes E350 up to the same content level as the Genesis brings the price quickly up to $65,475, which is nearly a $16,500 difference, or the equivalent cost of a subcompact car. The Lexus isn’t much better at $59,368 for the GS350 F-Sport that still doesn’t have comparable driver assist features or a HUD.
Unless you really care about the badge, Hyundai makes a very compelling reason to cross shop the new Genesis sedan. I used to be one of those buyers in my younger years, but Hyundai is doing a great job of swaying me with each new vehicle that I drive. Given the choice between a loaded Genesis V6 HTRAC with the Ultimate Package and an equivalent-equipped Mercedes E350 4Matic, Lexus GS350, Audi A6, or even BMW 535xi, I can’t think of a single compelling reason that couldn’t be solved with the purchase of a used Mazda Miata or Honda S2000 using the price difference. The 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedan is a truly solid car with a lot of useful tech goodies, and it has more performance than most people need for their daily commute.
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