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Handling

The test route Hyundai laid out for us was ambitious, to say the least. Starting in Santa Barbara, Calif., we headed east over the mountains to Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif. The roads took us through tightly twisting mountain passes, long high-speed sweeping turns, straights that went on for miles, and even a little bit of urban commute and Interstate action. The racetrack experience gave us a chance to test the Genesis unfettered by the fears of law enforcement or plunging into a ravine.

The first thing we noticed about the Genesis is that the suspension is tightly controlled. It’s not harsh in the least, but if you’re expecting a mushmobile, you’re in for a shock; this big comfy four-door has the moves of a sport sedan. The steering is quick and precise, with good feedback for the driver. The suspension is compliant enough to soak up most bumps, so you’re rewarded with a ride that’s smooth under all but the harshest conditions. Yet there’s admirable control of body roll and the car is easily controllable in quick side-to-side maneuvers.

But that’s on the street; how does the Genesis do on a track? Pretty well, actually. Given enough room to play, the Genesis is downright entertaining. The car’s suspension is surprisingly balanced, and we found that the rear end was willing to break loose in a comfortably controllable way, even with the stability control in its fully active mode: Note that you can’t shut it off all the way in the Genesis, just make it less antsy about losing grip. On Buttonwillow’s East Loop – which is a tight and technical handling course – many journalists preferred the V-6 model thanks to its slightly better weight distribution, with more weight over the rear tires than the V-8. However, the power of the V-8 was undeniable, with the large engine pulling the car quickly from corner to corner.

We were also impressed with the brakes, both on and off the track. The pedal feel is firm, and the brake force is progressive. We thought that even the smaller brakes on the V-6 sedans were still very good, with little fade even though we literally got them smoking hot on the racetrack. That’s not to say that there’s no benefit to the bigger brakes on the V-8 models; they allowed us to brake later and carry more speed to the corners, again, without fade.