AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2010 HYUNDAI GENESIS COUPE

On The Cover Review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The Genesis Coupe is not Hyundai’s first foray into the sports coupe arena.  Most people are familiar with the Tiburon, which actually seems to have a similar design philosophy as the Genesis Coupe.  At first, the Tiburon had relatively good reviews, and some thought Hyundai had really turned a corner from their cheap commuter image.  As it turns out, the Tiburon was OK, but it never really set the world on fire.  Now, the Genesis is supposed to show that Hyundai has again turned a corner.  This time, they supposedly benchmarked cars from the likes of BMW to make a world-class performance machine.  Could be.  It is nicer than Hyundais of the past (including the Tiburon), but it still comes off a little cheap compared to your bosses Bimmer.  And that odd dip in the quarter window and the lemon-sucking nose treatment are a constant reminder that you’re driving something a bit different. Engines include a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 210-hp.  There is also a 3.8-liter V6 that belches out a respectable 306-hp.  The V8 from the Genesis sedan is not available thus far.  The Genesis Coupe comes across as a decent performance value.  Perhaps Hyundai really has turned a corner with this car.  Only time will tell if it is a new corner, or just the same one they went around with the Tiburon.