NAIAS Blog: Hyundai Genesis Sedan to Change the World?

Hyundai's press conference began with a short video. it showed an Infiniti M45, a BMW 5-series, a Mercedes E-class, and a Lexus GS450 (all gray, of course) sitting side by side. A strategically-picked team of young couples open the doors of each and attempt to get in, when all the doors slam shut and the four sedans roar off in an angry, smoky sprint. The message? Luxury sedans are too exclusive and keep the commoners away. The hero? The Hyundai Genesis, which "Isn't for people who have more, but for people who deserve more."

The Genesis has the paper battle won. A six-speed ZF automatic, five-link suspension, and a 375-hp V-8 only skim the surface of Hyundai's big car specs, and pricing should continue to draw favor toward the Genesis. But in person, the car suffers from the same derivative styling that plagues the Korean and Chinese markets. Showing a video featuring the four sedans mentioned above only helped us notice the many styling cues the Hyundai borrows from it's competitors. M45 taillights, a Mercedes grille, and so on take the "what they offer, but for less" ethos to an entirely to literal level. And why isn't there a Hyundai badge anywhere on the front end?