2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Road Test Review

By Bob Plunkett

Slip into the driver's bolstered bucket of the 2015 Genesis 3.8 R-Spec, Hyundai's rear-wheel-drive sports coupe packing a goosy V6 engine tied to a manual stick, track-tuned suspension, Brembo brake calipers and Torsen limited-slip differential.

Now crank the shifter to the bottom rung of six forward gears, ease off a way-tight clutch and roll to the starting line facing Homestead-Miami Speedway's spaghetti-wiggly 2.1825-mile infield road course spread across swampy Florida marshes. When the starter's flag drops, stomp the throttle, but hang on:  This thing charges down the flat Homestead track in a thrilling spurt of horsepower and torque.

Hyundai's genuine sport coupe looks as hot as it runs.

It hunkers low on seemingly huge 19-inch alloy wheels capped by summer rubber mounted below a wedge-shaped package that tips forward to suggest swift movement, even when parked. The chiseled body shows aero-slick edgework and a severe rake to the windshield, a broad-grin front fascia and grille, angular projector beam halogen headlamps plus LED DRLs, two wide doors on wavy flanks of the 2+2 cockpit, and the tail with LED lamps, blackout rear diffuser and chrome-tipped exhaust pipes.

Hyundai also pins the Genesis nameplate on a luxury sport sedan, and the sports coupe shares the sedan's rear-wheel-drive (RWD) platform but with 4.6 inches pared from the wheelbase length.

For Genesis as a sports coupe, the wheelbase measures to 111 inches and the track width of the wheels runs to 63.0/63.6 inches (front/rear).

The coupe employs a MacPherson strut dual-link front suspension mounted on a solid subframe and an advanced 5-link design in the rear plus stabilizer bars front and rear.

The hydraulic RPM-sensing rack-and-pinion steering system gets a quick 13.8:1 ratio. It has a good linear feel and responds quickly to a driver's inputs.

Standard safety systems on all coupe models include an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) plus brake assist (BA), electronic skid control (ESC) with traction control system (TCS).

Hyundai forges new trim designations for the 2015 Genesis Coupe -- Genesis Coupe 3.8 Base, Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec and Genesis Coupe 3.8 Ultimate.

All trims tote the same big engine, Hyundai's Lambda V6, teamed with either the shift-it-yourself 6-speed manual stick or an 8-speed electronic automatic with steering-wheel paddle-shifters and rev-matched downshifting.

The twin-cam 3.8-liter Lambda V6 employs direct-injection technology and Hyundai's dual continuously variable valve timing (DCVVT) equipment. It rips -- pumping 348 hp at 6400 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 5100 rpm.

Top speed for the coupe clicks to 149 mph (electronically limited), and the 0-to-60 acceleration time falls in the lower 5-second range.

Genesis Coupe 3.8 Base edition rolls on standard 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels with staggered Bridgestone Potenza RE92A tires -- 225/45VR18 in front and 245/45VR18 in the rear. The high-performance R-Spec and Ultimate models get 19-inch alloy wheels with staggered high-performance summer-compound Bridgestone Potenza RE050A rubber -- 225/40YR19 up front and 245/40YR19 in back.

The R-Spec and Ultimate models also share unique track-tuned suspension calibrations with firmer coil springs and matched damper rates, a front strut brace added and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars (24mm front/20mm rear).

Further, brakes for R-Spec and Ultimate models upgrade to a Brembo braking system with 13.4-inch ventilated front rotors and 42-mm four-piston fixed front calipers, and 13.0-inch ventilated rear rotors with 32-mm and 28-mm four-piston rear calipers.

Genesis Coupe 3.8 fits like a snug leather driving glove. The cockpit, with twin front buckets and two articulated rear seats, seems sporty with standard leather seat bolsters and high-friction cloth inserts. The leather steering wheel uses a premium grade of leather. The instrument panel crash pad features a stitched-seam appearance, while the instrument cluster consists of electroluminescent gauges.

Hyundai establishes MSRP figures as low as $26,750 for Genesis Coupe 3.8 Base M/T. Top model Genesis Coupe 3.8 Ultimate A/T tallies to $34,600.