The 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan is one of those cars that looks a lot more expensive than it really is, says Cars.com Senior Family Editor Kristin Varela. She was pleasantly surprised by how well Hyundai's sedan fit her family’s needs. Varela reviewed the 3.8-liter V-6 version, and the model's peppy power, sharp looks and loads of convenience features were a hit with her husband and three kids.
As face-lifts go, the 2013 Hyundai Genesis coupe's is more substantial than most. The result is a fresh look for Hyundai's rear-wheel-drive sports car that works well with the rest of the design, which is largely unchanged.
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The Genesis coupe's grille has always looked a little diminutive, but for 2013, it's gigantic, mimicking the shape of the Sonata Hybrid's grille. The gaping hexagon, combined with new headlights and fog lights, make the car look more menacing. That'll likely appeal to sports car enthusiasts, though they'll probably despise the faux vents on the restyled hood.
The Hyundai Genesis coupe hasn't been on sale for long, but the Korean automaker has decided to give the sports coupe a fairly robust mid-cycle refresh that includes a new interior, new exterior appearance and more powerful, fuel-efficient powertrain options for the 2013 model year.
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Starting with the exterior appearance, Hyundai has added a little more flare by revising the front end with new headlight, hood, grille and fog light designs. Out back, there are new LED taillamps. In the cabin, the Genesis coupe gets new instruments, a padded, stitched dash, and a brake lever that's now leather-wrapped (when equipped with leather upholstery). Front seats now have a seat belt assist guide to make buckling up easier, and the driver's side seat gets a walk-in assist function to make it easier for rear passengers to hop in.
Hyundai posted three photos of its 2013 Genesis Coupe (above and below) to its global Facebook page this week. The company doesn't say when to expect a U.S. reveal of the car, but we anticipate seeing this new face sometime in 2012 and at one of the major auto shows this season, which begins with the 2011 L.A. Auto Show next week.
To us, this basically looks like a new front end has been added to the existing body. While the front is an improvement, it doesn't mesh well with the profile styling, which is relatively unchanged. The Facebook post also mentions that the 2012 Genesis Coupe will be a V-6 product, making us wonder if the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder base model will no longer be offered.
Two more images are below.
I was impressed by Hyundai’s upgraded engine offerings for the 2012 update of the Genesis sedan. You can read about all of them in my full review after checking out the video. Unfortunately, the changes outside the engine bay are so mild that it’s hard to tell with the naked eye.
Despite some pessimistic reporting earlier last month, July turned out to be a good recovery month for the auto industry. More than 1 million new vehicles were sold, and sales were up 4.7% from a year ago. Despite the rosy sales figures, the average time it took a model to sell increased slightly in July to 58.8 days from June's 58 days.
This month’s Movers and Losers list shows that many of the fastest-selling vehicles once again come from Hyundai. The 2012 Hyundai Elantra remained one of the fastest-selling volume vehicles in July, taking just six days to sell. You could say everything at Hyundai is a fast-seller: The 2012 Sonata and Tucson also took six days to sell. The new 2012 Hyundai Accent sedan (10 days) and hatchback (seven days) also sold like hotcakes. Overall, the Tucson, Accent, Sonata and Elantra represent roughly 80% of Hyundai’s sales for the month.
This month’s Losers list includes the addition of two hybrids — the 2011 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid (159 days) and 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (150 days). The Toyota Yaris sedan (165 days) also merged on to the slow lane, though that model is due to be replaced.
If it’s not unbearably hot where you live, you may be shopping for a convertible. If a convertible has never appealed to you because it didn’t come in the form of an SUV, then you must listen to this podcast about Nissan’s all-new Murano CrossCabriolet. Editors Joe Bruzek, Bill Jackson and Joe Wiesenfelder discuss this unique entry as well as Hyundai’s two-door sport coupe and Porsche’s redesigned hybrid SUV.
We’re still scratching our heads over naming an affordable two-door sports car after a large, near-luxury sedan, but let’s not have that hold us up in discussing the 2011 Hyundai Genesis coupe 2.0T R-Spec. The car fell into the capable hands of editor Joe Bruzek, who knows a thing or two about rear-wheel-drive coupes. Find out what he thought of this performance-oriented, no-frills edition.
You might think the rakish looks of the new Mercedes-Benz CLS would mean it would be inhospitable to families with children of child-safety-seat age … but you’d be wrong. MotherProof discovers that the redesigned luxury sport sedan/coupe — whatever you call it — has some of the best Latch access on the market, making installing car seats a breeze. Getting the kids in and out might not be as easy, though.
My 3-year-old son had a tough time climbing into his seat during a recent test because there was so little room between the front and rear seats. Though I was pleasantly surprised he wasn’t kicking my seat that often. Check out the full report on the CLS63 and one well-heeled transport probably not used that often for kids.
2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class: Car Seat Check
2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Car Seat Check
2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost: Car Seat Check
This is a momentous podcast — our 100th, to be exact. To mark the occasion, we have upgraded our recording equipment to deliver a much-improved listening experience. You’ll still have to listen to "faces for iTunes" editors Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and David Thomas as they talk about this week’s cars, but now you get to hear them in separate channels, in stereo and with minimal popping P’s.
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