GENESIS HAD THE UNMITIGATED NERVE TO TAKE ON THE BEST BMW AND AUDI COULD OFFER, BUT CAN ITS G90 REALLY TAKE ON BAVARIA AND WIN?

BY EVAN MONROE

One sedan market segment that has been largely untouched by dramatic sales declines over the last year (as U.S. buyers increasingly turn to SUVs and crossovers) is the ultra luxury echelon, populated by models like the BMW 7 Series, the Audi A8, and the Cadillac XTS. In formulating its first premium sedan, Hyundai’s upper tier badge, Genesis, envisioned for its most exalted model, the G90, a range of amenities and sweep of performance standards that would make a Hyundai Accent driver think he or she was on an entirely different planet. And, in essence, they would be. Unveiled at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, the Genesis was aimed squarely at makers with more than a half century of market experience advantage, yet was a hit among critics from the first. Well powered, well suspensioned, and with simply remarkable t and finish, it also offered, not surprisingly, an eye opening price advantage for those not addicted to status nameplates. Tweaked slightly for the 2018 model year, the G90, at just over $68,000, beats both Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series starting prices by about $15,000, but makes the XTS a relative bargain at its $47,000.

For 2018, body style stayed relatively intact, happily, as we think its swoopy contours and resulting .27 drag coefficient quite lovely. There are 5liter V8 and 3.3 liter twin turbocharged V 6 power plants available for the all wheel drive model (420 and 365 horsepower, respectively, and we actually prefer the comparative smoothness of the latter), and Adaptive Control Suspension with electronic damping control comes standard. A massive 12.3 inch main navigation and informational display touchscreen highlights tech in the forward compartment, but 21st century gear doesn’t dominate the experience. Instead, interior design is gratifyingly demure damn near approaching Germanic in its understatement and the rear compartment essentially offers all the wonders of a limousine (particularly the optional dual 10.3 inch entertainment systems). And that vaguely Teutonic sense might not be just your imagination, as the driver’s seat has been approved by Aktion Gesunder Rücke, a Bremervörde based organization dedicated to the prevention of back pain.

2017 Genesis G90