Genesis lacks killer bite

If Genesis indicates a rebirth, then there is no doubting of the Genesis coupe as the rebirth of Hyundai’s Tiburon sporty coupe.

However, if you’re expecting it to indicate the rebirth of the company as the Genesis did last year for Hyundai’s sedan line-up, then you’d better readjust your expectations. There really is nothing extraordinary about it.

Which doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It is. And it’s a considerable step up for the Hyundai coupe that gets better with each redesign.

Genesis coupe replaces Tiburon (temporarily, reportedly) in the Canadian market, as the official company stance indicates a new Tiburon is in the works. Unlike Tiburon, Genesis coupe uses a rear-wheel drive configuration, though it still comes with four-cylinder and V6 engines (though of larger displacement).

The base coupe uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre “four”, but our test GT version uses a 3.8 V6 that puts out in excess of 300 horses. That’s plenty powerful and fun-inducing for a lightweight coupe that pits itself against the likes of the Chevy Cobalt (against which you’d pit a Genesis Coupe four-cylinder model), Mitsubishi Eclipse and Nissan Altima.

Eclipse shares the Genesis’ V6 engine displacement and sporting behaviour, Cobalt competes effectively against the Genesis four-cylinder version and Altima seems a bit more elegant in its presentation than Genesis.

The main blame for this seems to be attributed to the nose, about which more than one passer-by commented. The Genesis sedan presents a stylish and upscale grille that makes it seem expensive and elegant, whereas the Tiburon-like nose of the coupe makes it seem cheaper than it is – a characteristic that even the scalloped headlights can seem to overcome.

The long-snout/fastback profile is typical of a sportier coupe than those of its prime competitors, as is the rear-wheel drivetrain that exhibits a bit of wheel slip on launch and in higher-speed corners, before the traction control system takes over to get everything back in line.

Rear seat access and usability match up pretty equally with the others, with Genesis displaying typical coupe constrictions in head and leg room. The rear seat bottom is large and the two people sitting back there will find good thigh support. However, that means less leg play for knees and front seat occupants will have to sacrifice a bit of their own leg room for rear passenger comfort. Passengers shorter than five-ten will have their hair rubbing against the fast receding roofline.

The rear windows are cut down into the rear quarter panels to alleviate a bit of the claustrophobia typically associated with riding in the rear seat of coupe. The design adds a unique flair to the otherwise conventional coupe bodyside bland design.

The seatbacks go down in one piece to expand trunk space that is otherwise usable, with a flat floor and wide opening (but be careful of those gooseneck hinges, lest your loaves get crushed or your eggs cracked).

Up front, occupants will find full back support and decent bolstering. The cockpit has everything within easy reach of the driver, though some buttons are a bit small for quick identification. The centre stack design features a torque/time/instant economy display over an all-in-one touch-control screen for radio, heating and ventilation and navigation systems. And the wheel features the typical controls for cruise, radio and phone operations.

It all adds up to a coupe that can’t seem to make up its mind what it wants to be. If indeed Hyundai does have another Tiburon on the way, then perhaps Genesis should move upmarket more to compete against the Audi, BMW and Infiniti coupes of the world.