This is the day we and thousands of car enthusiasts from around the world have been waiting for. Blame Hyundai for the massive hype as the first prototypes of the Genesis (BH) have been running around since 2005. During the development, the Genesis has gone through one major facelift to keep up to date. These shots, of two different prototypes all appeared on the same day meaning Hyundai intentionally rolled out two undisguised prototypes of the new luxury sedan out onto public roads.First impression: bland. These shots indicate Hyundai took a major dive from the impressive design of the Concept to cater the tastes of the Korean market. The whole front fascia is different from the sleek iteration found on the Concept that debuted last April at the New York Auto Show. There is a strong scent of the Lexus LS460. Examining the rear fascia, there is a very strong scent of the BMW 5-Series with the flowing-up LED taillights resembling the LS460 as well. Overall, we're disappointed with these latest images and we'll hold our judgments from there until we see some quality studio shots.
If the exterior doesn't work, which is a BIG minus for us folks in North America, the interior, powertrain, and most importantly, the pricing should be impressive enough to get the Genesis onto many car shopping lists. We've already seen that the interior will turn out very nicely with an iDrive-esque user interface tacked on there. The engine options should turn out impressive as well with a standard 3.8L V6 280-300hp and an optional 4.6L V8 with horsepower ranging from 360 to 380. The pricing of the Genesis will start a cut below the $30K-mark and will top out in the low $40s.
The domestic-market Genesis will make its official debut on January 9th, 2008. The North American Genesis will first appear at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13th. We look forward to those studio shots. For now, we direct you to the jump where more low-res images of the undisguised prototypes are posted.
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