2010 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 GT: From zero to cracking

PETER BLEAKNEY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe offers a 306 hp, all-aluminum 3.8 L V6 and high standard of features for $34,995, including Bluetooth, XM radio, sunroof, proximity key, and heated and powered leather front chairs.

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

It takes only a few moments behind the wheel of the Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT, the most aggressive variant of Hyundai's new sculpted sports coupe, to discover the Koreans have been doing their homework.

The 306 hp, all-aluminum 3.8 L V6, with 266 lb.-ft. of torque, makes suitably snarly noises, feels strong, and connects to a snickity-snick six-speed gearbox.

Scalpel-sharp steering directs a rear-drive chassis that shows exceptional balance, fluidity and great path control.

Near-ideal driving position, great seats, low cowl line and pedals well placed for heel-and-toe action further suggest the folks at Hyundai were darned serious about building a driver's car.

It also takes only a few moments to realize the GT sports suspension is very firmly damped and conspires with the 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza performance rubber (225/40 VR front, 245/40 VR rear) to jostle your internal organs on anything less than a mirror smooth road.

But it's a refined firmness, if that makes any sense – no untoward crashing or clunking here.

I learned to forgive this because the $34,995 2010 Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT was such a hoot to drive. Like a Nissan 370Z or Porsche 911, the rough ride is part of the car's personality. The standard suspension setup is more compliant, so you do have options.

Did I mention the brakes? The Brembo-supplied four-piston binders that are also part of the GT package are powerful enough to part the hair on the back of your head.

A six-speed ZF automatic transmission with paddle shifters is an $1,800 option with the V6-equipped cars.

The 2010 Genesis Coupe, which starts at $24,495 for the 210 hp 2.0 L four-cylinder turbo, is built on a shortened version of the Genesis sedan's platform.

Unlike that luxury car whose styling is an unapologetic composite of cues from Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Infiniti, the Coupe is its own being, and a successful one at that, featuring a very sexy raked body with low hood line, pronounced rear fenders and a unique rear side window treatment.

Sitting on 19-inch alloys and painted Tsukuba Red, this tester turned more than a few heads.

The interior is less enticing, although it appears reasonably well put together. Crisply illuminated gauges are highly visible in all lighting conditions. The centre stack has logically arranged controls for the auto climate control and audio, but the steering column does not adjust for reach.

We expect high feature content from the Koreans, and the 3.8 GT follows the script with Bluetooth, XM radio, a kickin' 360-watt 10-speaker Infinity Audio sound system, sunroof, proximity key with push-button start, heated and powered leather front chairs, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and auto-leveling HiD headlamps.

Having just driven a Camaro V6, the comparisons were inevitable. The two are very close in price, horsepower and layout, although on the road they are quite different.

The Genesis, being a size down, feels more intimate and sporting, and the airy (and higher quality) cabin offers much better sightlines. It also weighs considerably less: 1,543 kg vs. 1700 kg.

The claustrophobic Camaro makes you feel like you're sitting in a bathtub wearing a six-foot sombrero. The Chevy, however, has more accommodating back seats, a better ride and, according to my non-scientific observations, considerably more street cred.

Short passengers who wedge themselves through the narrow space behind the Hyundai's front seats will be reasonably comfortable. Six-footers, however, will have to cock their heads. Annoyingly, the front seats don't return to their rake adjustment. Aren't we beyond this in 2009?

The trunk is small with a narrow opening, but the rear seat-back folds forward, opening up a narrow pass through.

In the safety ledger, the 3.8 GT has six airbags, active front head-restraints, brakes that could stop a freight train, and a conservative stability control that intervenes aggressively and early – good for safety but not so good for performance driving.

A shame really because, with the system turned off, this chassis with its standard limited-slip differential can step the back end out in a progressive and poetic fashion.

I also spent some time in a $28,995 premium package 2.0T Coupe. The turbo motor doesn't punch like 210 hp and 223 lb-ft. should, and the five-speed automatic gearbox didn't help matters either. The chassis still shines though, and with standard 18-inch alloys, it looks the part.

There's no doubt this is a cracking good sports coupe, but I have a few suggestions for Hyundai (free of charge) that would make the Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT that much better.

Find a little more compliance in the sport suspension.

Offer a more lenient performance setting for the stability control that allows for more lateral fun.

Throw some sound deadening in the door skins so they don't clang when operating the outside handle (can't overstate the importance of first impression).

Be a bit more generous with the door armrest padding (hey, I've got bony elbows).

Telescopic steering column please.

Reduce the engine/exhaust resonance at highway cruising speeds (just a tad too loud, me thinks).

You're welcome.

Freelance auto reviewerPeter Bleakney can be reached atpebleakney@sympatico.ca

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