The luxury car market is dominated by the German trio – Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW (in that order) while Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo are fourth and fifth respectively. Now all these companies are known to be a bit expensive on the pocket as far as maintenance goes, but when you buy a car of that price, seldom do you crib about the service costs. However if you are the kind who thinks multiple times about cost of ownership, you will soon have an option. Hyundai is considering the launch of the Genesis sedan in India, German teutons take notice.
Hyundai has really come up well as an automaker. From hatchback to high-end luxury cars, Hyundai is doing it all today, which has made Volkswagen very worried. Today Hyundai is the fourth largest car maker in the world by volumes and with the current progress, it’s not long before it displaces Volkswagen, GM and Toyota for the top spot. The Hyundai Genesis was launched in 2008 and competes with the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6 and Jaguar XF. It is a vehicle Hyundai specifically made to rival European luxury car makers.
Hyundai showcased the Genesis coupe at the 2010 Auto Expo. If launched in India, the Genesis sedan is expected to be priced around Rs. 35 lakhs which is good value when you consider the features on offer. Equipment on the vehicle includes ESC, electronic active head restraints, 8 airbags, day time running lights, puddle lamps, heated rear seats with console controls, rear view camera, DVD navigation system, 8-inch touch screen Driver Information System (has a 64 GB SSD for storing multimedia) and lane departure warning system to name a few. But what is even more interesting are the engines powering the Genesis.
Hyundai has two petrol engines on offer on the Genesis sedan. A 3.8-litre V6 GDI engine which produces 333 HP of power and 394 Nm of torque. The second engine is a 5.0-litre Tau V8 unit which produces 429 HP of power and 510 Nm of torque, offered on the R-Spec model. Both these engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox with SHIFTRONIC. Power is fed to the rear wheels.
Hyundai just needs to plonk in a diesel engine into the Genesis and manufacture the car in India to make it an instant success. Do you think people will opt for the Hyundai Genesis over cars which carry a more exotic badge?
