Hyundai takes a shot at creating a rear-wheel-drive sports car, complete with navigation, infotainment, and telematics. We spent a week with the 2013 Genesis Coupe to gauge whether its technology package lives up to its improved 348 hp Lambda V6 engine.
Hyundai Motor Company has come a long ways since it was established in 1967. The first car it assembled was a rebadged and locally-assembled version of Ford's Cortina just for South Korea. In the U.S., you might remember your first encounter with a Hyundai in the late-'80s Excel (or the early-'80s Pony, if you lived in Canada). The Hyundai Excel was the company’s only offering until the Scoupe arrived in 1991. If you don't remember the Excel or Scoupe, you didn't miss much. Today's Hyundais are completely different animals.
Despite owning a controlling stake in former rival Kia Motors, the two companies operate quite autonomously. Aside from the usual platform and engine sharing (we’ll ignore the Hyundai Entourage, based on Kia's Sedona) they sell completely different vehicles, inside and out. And whereas Ford and Lincoln have SYNC with MyFord/MyLincoln Touch, Hyundai and Kia take separate paths when it comes to infotainment technology.
We recently had a look at Kia’s UVO infotainment system in Kia UVO: Mainstream Infotainment In The 2012 Soul and found it to be an excellent entry-level implementation for playing music from a USB flash drive or Apple iPhone/iPod. Hyundai takes a different approach by focusing on Blue Link, a telematics system that sets its sights on General Motor’s OnStar.
Our platform for testing Blue Link is a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 in the Track trim. Unlike GM’s OnStar, which is available in nearly everything, Blue Link is only available in Hyundai's mid-size and higher vehicles (Sonata, Veloster, Azera, and Genesis Coupe).

Hyundai refreshed the Genesis Coupe for the 2013 model year, giving the car a fresh face, upgraded interior materials and layout, LED lighting, and of course Blue Link. We specifically picked the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe for our Blue Link evaluation because it’s the newest vehicle in Hyundai’s line-up with the telematics system, though the rear-wheel-drive layout, 348-horsepower V6, and big Brembo brakes only made the evaluation experience much more enjoyable (we love driving).
- An Introduction To Hyundai
- Blue Link: Powered By Freescale And QNX
- Blue Link Services, Explored
- Blue Link Mobile App
- The Infotainment System
- The Infotainment System, Continued
- Navigation, Voice Recognition, And Phone Connectivity
- Mechanical Features And Technology
- Other Nice Little Touches
- Benchmark Results
- 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Great Car; So-So Infotainment
Now THAT'S something Tom's should review.
And if you want the fancy features I still think an AUX connection from the stereo to the phone is the best bet. If its a smartphone you have the internet/mp3/pandora/gps and if you want an OBD2 scanner like Torque in case your car breaks down. And people usually upgrade these things once every few years and there will be no compatability issues using an AUX connection.
Now THAT'S something Tom's should review.
We're trying to get one in for a week but considering how well they're selling it'll be a while.
And if you want the fancy features I still think an AUX connection from the stereo to the phone is the best bet. If its a smartphone you have the internet/mp3/pandora/gps and if you want an OBD2 scanner like Torque in case your car breaks down. And people usually upgrade these things once every few years and there will be no compatability issues using an AUX connection.
They still have aux inputs. However, I have an article idea that'll appeal to smartphone users such as yourself - just waiting for the Windows Phone 8 launch to commence
No but if you want to port Angry Birds or Duke Nukem 3D to QNX and find a way to get them loaded onto the infotainment system, go for it
You and i both. The Hyundai is a fun daily, but that extra weight doesn't help it around a track.
We still have the same computer / tech coverage as before, but with cars becoming so technologically advanced with the equivalent of a smartphone built in, the two paths are crossing.
It's like Elvis leaving the building and thinking he's still here kinda deal.
Tegra 3s, is that for infotainment or does it run the drivetrain and safety systems too? I guess I'll do some Googling
EDIT: Looks like it is just the infotainment and instrument cluster (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57458212-48/nvidia-touts-its-place-in-the-tesla-model-s/). Curious what computers control the rest of the car.
I believe the entire system is based on Tegra 3, or at least T3 powers the gauges as well. Interesting tidbit I learned from NVIDIA - the Tesla Model S was designed with Tegra 2, but thanks to NVIDIA's VCM module, they just swapped it for T3 when it launched without having to make too many changes.
It's not as bad as they say. A dude in a Genesis kept up with my STi and my friends' M3 and Evo X on the track. Then again he could have been a better driver and made up the difference in performance.
OR, I don't know, suspend to flash or sleep (keep LPDDR active)? Why does the infotainment system have to boot up every time the car is on?
OR, I don't know, suspend to flash or sleep (keep LPDDR active)? Why does the infotainment system have to boot up every time the car is on?
Most of the cars have a preboot procedure they go through when the proximity key is detection / the driver opens the door, which doesn't make the boot-up time too noticeable. They can't go to sleep due to battery life concerns. Even at the minimal amounts of power, the system would still drain power from the battery and the car companies have to think about long-time parking.
As for the hardware equation, automotive technology is about 5-years behind. The companies have to plan and source all the components during the development cycle, which is typically 5 years prior to the vehicle release, hence why it can't always have the latest and greatest.