TEST DRIVE

The new Coupe offers great looks and excellent handling

This week, we’re driving Hyundai’s all new 2010 Genesis Sport Coupe, a 4-passenger rear drive sports car that leaves its former sport coupe effort, Tiburon, in the dust.

Based on marketing tied to its top line Genesis Family Sedan, Hyundai’s good looking Sport Coupe is built on a 4.6 inch shorter wheelbase and seats just four passengers (with the usual cramped rear quarters). Also, the exhaust note bellowing from the 306 horsepower V-6 is definitely not “family coupe,” and isn’t meant to be.

As for pricing, when you arrive near the $30K price range for a sport coupe, which is where V-6 Hyundais are situated, competition starts coming in strong from domestics Camaro, Mustang and Challenger and a bevy of foreign models, including Infiniti G37, Mazda RX-8 and Mitsubishi Eclipse. Additionally, Hyundai engineers admit they utilized tech information from the Infiniti G37 as a benchmark when building its new Coupe.

However, for astute Genesis shoppers, especially young demographic “tuners,” you can buy a 4-cylinder, 210 horse Turbo Coupe for just $22,000 base, and this IS a good deal. The entry model comes with a manual transmission and fewer bells and whistles, yet is basically the same good looking Genesis with similar underpinnings and safety offerings. Fuel mileage is much better than the V-6, as owners will enjoy 21 city and 30 highway which equate to four and three more mpg, respectively, versus the V-6.

Available in 15 stages of dress, consumers can follow Genesis Coupe on its $10,000 move from base $22,000 to arrive at the 3.8 V-6 Track Auto with Navigation, which lists for $32,000. Thus, somewhere along Hyundai’s build sheet a Genesis Coupe is waiting for you.

One of the main reasons I recommend looking at the lower costs Genesis is Hyundai’s past record of depreciation, an area that is determined by what the used car buyer is willing to pay for a second- hand Hyundai. Overall, Hyundais have always depreciated at a higher rate versus competing models, so remember this when you decide to buy a new Hyundai. It’s also one of the reasons Hyundai dealers have numerous buyer incentives, which effectively offset higher depreciation circumstances.

Under the hood sits the 3.8 liter, 306 horsepower V-6 that produces 266 lb. ft. of torque and gets your attention immediately. With gobs of low end torque and mated to a paddle shift 6-speed automatic transmission, this combo allows 17 city and 27 highway EPA numbers and spirited acceleration. The good highway EPA number, which is also one better than the manually equipped Genesis, comes thanks to a high gear overdrive that allows Genesis to motor along at a higher speed and low RPM. As for acceleration, the automatic will go from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.1 seconds, while Hyundai says 60 mph will arrive in 5.9 seconds for a manually equipped Coupe. Noteworthy is the manual version of this combination coming in $1,500 less than the automatic.

After driving Genesis for a week, there is much to cheer about. The new Coupe offers great looks and excellent handling thanks to its fully independent sport suspension, highlighted by strut front and 5-link rear setup and its rear drive layout. Overall, rear wheel drive is better than front on a car like this, allowing better front to rear weight distribution and a better feel of the road, overall.

The Genesis ride is firm, which you’ll experience when you go over a bump or two. However, all significant sports cars offer firm suspensions to eliminate any “mushy” ride characteristics. Cornering is very good thanks to standard 18-inch summer tread tires, (Bridgestone Potenza 225s in the front and 245s in the rear) mated to beautiful lightweight alloy wheels. Overall, I was greatly impressed with the Coupe’s handling and performance.

Safety wise, six airbags are standard, assuring front and side protection for occupants. I especially like the backup warning system, as it saved me from backing into a van that parked across from my driveway. Thanks to the backup warning, I saved myself from an embarrassing moment with my neighbors on a foggy 7:15 a.m. morning. Add Brembo 4-wheel anti lock disc brakes, electronic brake force distribution, traction control and stability control, and you’re ready for any road in front of you.

Important numbers include a wheelbase of 111 inches, 17.2 gallon fuel tank, 3,397 pound curb weight, and 10 cu. ft. of trunk space.

We like Genesis very much. At the right price, Genesis Coupe could be a best buy for many consumers, especially those from the “tuner” and “drifting” demographic. Our tester came in at a final tally of $29,875 with destination, as most all features are standard fare.

Likes: Looks, handling, power, suspension, uses regular fuel.

Dislikes: Blind spots, lots of plastic inside, V-6 is expensive.

Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist