Hyundai Genesis Luxe Sedan Gets Upgrade to V8 Power

by David Kiley (RSS feed)
Feb 12th 2011 at 3:01PM

The Hyundai Genesis sedan has been slowly gaining favor with the luxe crowd since its introduction in 2008. But the one complaint from serious would-be buyers was absence of a V8 engine. The Korean carmaker has now solved that.

Hyundai unveiled the 5.0 liter V8 2012 Genesis R-Spec sedan, which will produce 429 horsepower and 376 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a an eight-speed automatic transmission, which included a manual shift mode.

The new Hyundai bests the current V6 top-of-the-line engine, which was pretty good to begin with--with 385 horsepower, and the ability to hit 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds.

Other enhancements intended to appeal to the luxe sports sedan buyer: unique R-Spec transmission tuning, larger brakes; recalibrated sport steering; sport suspension tuning; 19-inch alloy wheels mated to 235/45R19 tires or Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Summer Tires. The car comes with "R-Spec" badging as well. Colors offered include Black Noir, Titanium Gray, and Platinum Metallic exterior paint, with standard black leather.

Pricing is not yet set, but Hyundai officials tell us to expect prices of $45,000 to $50,000 when it goes on sale this summer.

Tags: Chicago Auto Show, hyundai, hyundai genesis, hyundai genesis R-Spec, Hyundai Gensis Sedan, v8 engine