Philpott Hyundai

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Walk Around

The 2010 Genesis Coupe has a quirky, hybrid look, a mix of several styling themes. Some of it works and some of it doesn't. On the upside, it's distinctive. On the downside, it's distinctive. One thing about which there is no confusion is that the Genesis Coupe is not merely a sporty, two-door knock down of the company's award-winning sedan. The only visual feature it shares with the sedan is the company's stylized H logo.

The front end is an intriguing collage of swoops and scoops. Two sharp hood creases squeeze past the upper grille to pinch down on top of a lower grille flanked by horizontal polished ribs on flat black insets pushing the fog lights to the extremes of the lower fascia, which itself wraps around the front tire wells to emphasize the broad stance. Projector-beam headlights peer out of compound housings slashed into the fenders. The busy front end is not going to look any better with a license plate bolted to it, a realization that might have buyers living in states requiring two plates sorely tempted to scoff at that particular law.

Side view shows what at a quick first glance could be the Infiniti coupe. There's a nice balance between hood and boot, which are split by a perfectly proportioned glasshouse. Right-sized tires on airy alloy wheels fill round wheel wells. Topping it off is something called a Z character line that broadcasts sportiness to passersby. The curves of the body catch the light and shadow and a Z-shaped reflection breaks up what would otherwise be a large expanse of sheet metal along the sides of the car.

To the extent there's any Hyundai legacy in the Genesis Coupe it's found in the hindmost view. Were it not for the car's mass, followers might think they were tailgating a Tiburon, the smaller, lower priced, less-sophisticated sporty coupe (phased out during the 2008 model year). There's the same lower valance with almost identical wide spaced exhaust tips, a similar oval ness to the taillight rear bumper fascia trunk lid grouping and the same tucked-in tapering of the rear quarter panels behind the rear tires. This isn't to say the look is other than pleasant, but the clear visual linkage to that older, lesser coupe is strong enough that it could dim the new coupe's up-market prospects, at least to those following behind.

Interior

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The Genesis Coupe interior shows cost-cutting doesn't have to mean cheap. Yes, most of the larger pieces are hard plastic, and pizzazz is not a word that comes readily to mind when describing the gauges and array of switches and knobs on the center stack. But for the most part, where function and feel matter, the Genesis Coupe measures up.

Seats, those in front at least, are comfortable but sufficiently assertive to hold the backside in place during spirited motoring, especially in the 2.0T with its basic black cloth. The 3.8's leather is a nice touch of semi-luxury, but it's slippery, as well as sweaty in the hot months and clammy in the cold. It's that old debate between cloth and leather.

The back seats are only for small children and, in some states, lower insurance premiums.

The steering wheel feels good, with just the right rim thickness and cross section. The shift knob, steering wheel and driver's seat hip-point triangulate well for 90-percentile males. The column-mounted shift paddles for the Shiftronic automatics are at the fingertips of hands at the 10-and-2 o'clock positions and are within reach from 9-and-3. The up/down slot on the console mounted shift gate opens toward the driver, where it's a natural tug at the lever. The foot pedals are where the driver's feet expect; heel and toeing in the six speed manuals could be easier but doesn't demand a stretch or awkward ankle twist. Unlike the buttons for the power windows, which are placed on the door armrest at such an odd angle that to use them requires twisting the wrist into an almost painful contortion.

The primary gauges are analog, with coolant temperature and fuel gauges embedded in the base of the speedometer and tachometer, respectively. Basic, bright red needles communicate their information quickly and surely. The aforementioned knobs, buttons and rocker switches for the audio and climate management controls are large and logically located, with audio controls up top for ready access requiring minimal shift of the driver's line of sight away from the road ahead, to which a low dash gives bay window-like visibility. Quite the contrary is true for lane checks; despite a recessed lower sill that expands the glass area, the rear quarter windows offer limited visibility, in large part due to the large C-pillar.

Cargo area isn't commonly a strong point for coupes, and the Genesis Coupe does not challenge that perception. With 10 cubic feet of cargo space, the Genesis Coupe holds more than the 2009 Mazda RX-8 (7.6 cu. ft.), less than the BMW 328i/335i coupe (15.5 cu. ft.).

Nor is a roomy cabin traditionally a coupe's forte, another standard to which this coupe adheres. That said, the Genesis Coupe holds up well against those competitors in terms of front seat roominess. Front-seat head room tops that in the RX-8 and 3 Series coupe by about one inch. The same holds for front-seat leg room, which bests those two by more than two inches. Hip room in those front seats is wider by almost three inches than in the RX-8's seats. (BMW, like most German carmakers, does not publish figures on hip room.) If rear seats must be added to the chart, the Coupe truly fares not well, trailing in head room by more than two inches, in leg room by between just under one inch and more than three inches, but eking out a win by one inch over the RX-8 in hip room.

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