2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Long-Term Update: Design

Now that our long-term 2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 has settled into the fleet, it is quickly becoming the go-to car for a night on the town. Not only does the car have a stylish, upmarket look to its exterior design, its interior is also luxuriously appointed and equipped with a host of accoutrements that truly enhance the driving experience. The large single frame grille calls to mind a certain German competitor with a four-ring logo, and while it is derivative, the rest of the car has a contemporary, well-tailored look with a stylish rake to the rear window.

The ergonomic design of the cabin greatly enhances the comfort and convenience of the Genesis-the dual zone climate system is straightforward in its presentation, with easy to use knobs for temperature and large buttons to raise or lower the fan speed. The radio is positioned below, again with easy to use knobs for volume and station selection.

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The Genesis also benefits from a large console mounted rotary knob that can be used to control the radio or nav system, depending on which function is selected in the large, 9.2-inch high definition dash-mounted screen. And the voice controls are equally simple in operation with printed prompts on the screen to ensure that both occupant and car on the same page when it comes to completing a task.

Redundant controls galore

In addition to the switches and rotary dial on the console and dash, there are also redundant controls for cruise control, vehicle information, radio volume and the phone on the steering wheel. While this may strike some as overkill, what it does allow you to do is to get familiar with the switches that make the most sense to you, which in turn, makes operation of the vehicle intuitive. The ease of operation blends nicely with the overall character of the Genesis, which has a quiet cabin, a strong 311 horsepower 3.8-liter V6 and a smooth shifting 8-speed automatic. 

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The high end touches, like the wood and metal accents, power rear sun shade and ample rear seat legroom (we had two 6-foot plus young adults in the back with plenty of room to spare), contribute to the feel that this is a grown-up luxury car with all the bells and whistles to justify the nearly $50,000 sticker. Having accumulated nearly 2,000 miles on the odometer, the Genesis is delivering about 21 mpg, down slightly from our earlier 22.9 figure, but also attributed to heavier use in city driving. The mileage is still within the margin of error for the official 18 mpg city/29 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined from the EPA.

See Past Reports on our Long-Term 2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8…

Introduction

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