![]() Up- and downshifts drag, and we were able to count off full seconds before getting what we wanted after stomping through the kickdown switch. Eight speeds allow for a fine balance of economy and zest, but the transmission is slow. As opposed to many other automakers that use transmissions from outside suppliers, Hyundai chose to design its own slushbox. Regardless of engine, every 2012 Genesis will have an eight-speed automatic. Finally, the Genesis doesn’t get the same exuberant color palette as does Hyundai’s other big 2012 intro, the Accent, so we’d like to see the R-Spec offered in hues other than black, less black, and gray (Black Noir Pearl, Titanium Gray Metallic, Platinum Metallic). Six-cylinder cars upgrade to the 13.0-inch front rotors from last year’s 4.6 model both V-8 cars now wear 13.6-inch front discs. We’d probably be happier with just the motor. Larger wheels-19 inches on the R-Spec-might also be partly to blame. What we were able to discern is that the moderately higher spring rates somewhat negate the other 2012 Genesis’s breakthroughs in the ride-and-handling arena, rediscovering some of the flintiness that other models thankfully left behind. A further 1-mm bump in rear-anti-roll-bar diameter supposedly cinches it down a bit more, but we didn’t get a chance to toss the car into any aggressive hairpins to verify this. Although the working-class associations of “5.0” had us hoping for a bit more Woodward growl from the tailpipes, this engine’s muffled voice falls short of even its Teutonic targets’.Īside from the bigger V-8, the R-Spec differentiates itself from lesser Genesis models with various suspension and brake tweaks. Hyundai expects 0 to 60 mph to take 5.1 seconds we predict a 4.8-second sprint. But at higher speeds-both road and engine-the car pulls like Germany’s best executive Q-ships. At part throttle and right off the line, it doesn’t feel much spunkier than the 4.6. The 5.0 is a bit peaky, needing 6400 rpm and premium gas to produce all 429 hp and 5000 rpm to hit its max torque of 376 lb-ft. Mileage is only slightly affected, with the 5.0 earning 16 mpg city and 25 highway ratings from the EPA, 1 mpg down on the 4.6 in both categories. ![]() Otherwise, it’s the same engine, carrying over the 4.6’s variable timing for both intake and exhaust cams. Compared with its smaller ancestor, the R-Spec V-8 adds direct fuel injection, which enables a higher compression ratio of 11.5:1 instead of the 4.6’s 10.4:1. As mentioned above, the 5.0 and the 4.6 are closely related. The 5.0-liter is really a 4.6 with a larger bore-96 mm versus 92-so Hyundai isn’t throwing away a bunch of R&D dollars by discontinuing the smaller engine.īewinged-Japanese-Coupe Badge on a Korean Luxury Sedanīut you want to read about the R-Spec, we know. The 5.0 will replace the 4.6-liter as the base engine in the Equus for 2012, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the 4.6 fade from the options list of the Genesis as well. The base motor yanks the car forward with even more vigor and does so with a seasoned smoothness. The 15-percent power increase in the 3.8 (333 hp) moves it closer to the 385-hp, 4.6-liter V-8, which now surpasses the six’s output by 52 ponies-43 fewer than last year’s. Additionally, last year’s car’s propensity to slam over big divots and lumps and bottom out as though it used Slinkys as springs is gone, with far fewer imperfections making their way into the cabin. The balance is vastly improved for 2012, with the ride smoothing out and the car staying a bit flatter in hard cornering, thanks in part to a 1-mm-larger rear anti-roll bar (18 vs. As it was introduced, the Genesis paired a flinty ride with floppy, blasé handling. Additionally, Hyundai has made small tweaks to the suspension of all cars and fitted all with a new grille and fascias, new headlights with LED accents and daytime-running lights, redesigned rocker panels, and new taillights.Īlthough the 5.0 is the sexiest item on the upgrade list, the most important is the tweaked suspension. The 3.8-liter V-6 in the base Genesis gets direct injection, which boosts its output from 290 hp to 333, and a new eight-speed automatic transmission-developed by Hyundai itself-is fitted to all Genesis sedans. The 429-hp 5.0-only available in the Equus and new Genesis R-Spec-headlines a suite of changes Hyundai is making to the cheaper of its luxury sedans for 2012. Hyundai has yet to express interest in this sort of enablement. With Hyundai’s new 5.0-liter V-8 between its fenders, the coupe would be a liter-for-liter Korean response to the Ford Mustang GT 5.0, and the Vanilla Ice references could turn into Vanilla Rice jokes. Hyundai has repeatedly said it would not- cannot -put a V-8 in the Genesis coupe, but the 2012 Genesis sedan presents the best reason yet for the company to do so (even if it had to put it in the trunk, like Rhys Millen already did).
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