Hyundai Genesis unveiled

Luxurious Hyundai wings in

The wraps are well and truly off Hyundai’s Genesis saloon. This first on-road picture reveals a car that bosses claim will offer the luxury of a BMW 5-Series or Mercedes E-Class – at a fraction of the price.

Auto Express Car Reviews

12th December 2007

The production-ready model was shown at the firm’s research centre in South Korea, ahead of its public debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January. As well as Mercedes CLS-style headlamps, the newcomer wears a Bentley-inspired winged badge on the bonnet.

The Genesis comes with lots of standard kit, including adaptive cruise control, a start-stop button, xenon headlamps and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Safety features such as electronic stability and traction control, eight airbags and active headrests are likely to be fitted. Power is from a choice of 3.3 and 3.8-litre V6 petrol units, plus an all-new 4.6-litre V8.

The eight-cylinder engine generates 375bhp and drives the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. This should provide a 0-60mph sprint time of less than six seconds. When the petrol-only Genesis goes on sale in the US next year, it will start from ,000 (£15,000).

However, unless a diesel engine is added to the line-up, it’s unlikely the car will be sold in the UK.