2010 Hyundai Genesis Gets Touch-Screen Nav

Ask.cars.com gets all kinds of questions, but today’s seems especially interesting, especially to potential buyers of the Hyundai Genesis. The 2010 Genesis will have some big equipment changes such as a new navigation system, which will get a touch-screen in some trim levels. Other trims will stay with the knob-based system similar to iDrive. For more specifics on the nav system as well as other changes to the 2010 Hyundai Genesis, check out the full post on Ask.cars.com.

When Will the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Go on Sale, and What Will the Changes be? (Ask.cars.com)

Hyundai Genesis Tops J.D. Power's Vehicle Launch Index

A successful vehicle launch can make all the difference for automakers’ financial prospects, so getting those first eight months right is critical. That’s why J.D. Power and Associates formed the Vehicle Launch Index: To quantify the success of all-new and redesigned models during those crucial months following a launch.

Out of 27 models, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis topped the list this year, with a VLI score of 689 on a 1,000-point scale. It was followed by the 2009 Ford F-150 (673), 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan (663), 2009 Nissan Maxima (636) and 2009 Subaru Forester (631).

The VLI examines several factors dealing with commercial success and quality, including turn rate, revenue produced, dealer gross profit, how much is spent on incentives, credit quality and residual value. J.D. Power also takes into account its quality and design studies, including the Initial Quality Study and Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study.

The Genesis has enjoyed heaps of praise following its launch, including being named Cars.com’s New Car of the Year. So it’s certainly not hard to understand how it nabbed the VLI’s top spot. Even so, the car hasn’t set the sales world on fire.

J.D. Power Releases 2009 APEAL Study

The reasoning behind J.D. Power and Associates’ Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout study is to find out “how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive” for each customer.

The overall winner in the 2009 APEAL study was Porsche, which maintained its dominance in the top spot for the fifth straight year. Rounding out the top five were several other luxury brands: Jaguar, Cadillac, Audi and BMW.

Individual categories included one decent upset: In the Midsize Premium Car category, the Hyundai Genesis beat out both the BMW 5 Series and the Jaguar XF. Other winners of interest included the Dodge Challenger, Volkswagen CC, Ford Flex and Nissan Maxima — all relatively new models.

Hyundai Advances Dealers Cash for Clunkers Funds

The government hasn’t finished registering dealers for its Cash for Clunkers program yet, and rules for how funds will be distributed haven’t been released to the public or dealers. Hyundai isn’t waiting, however. The company is supplying cash funds to dealers now in advance of CARS going into effect. In fact, it already paid one car shopper last week for turning in a 1995 Ford Explorer while purchasing a new Hyundai Elantra Touring.

Hyundai is being aggressive with its latest incentives, as the company is one of the few to see sales success since the economic downturn. It’s still offering its Assurance plan, and this month it launched a gas incentive good for $1.49-a-gallon gas for a year.

You can check out our up-to-date guide to Cash for Clunkers here, as well as a full list of eligible vehicles (by mpg) here.

Hyundai Expedites Benefits of Cash for Clunkers (AutoRemarketing.com)

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The Hyundai Genesis won praise from almost all corners, even nabbing Cars.com’s New Car of the Year award. Now Hyundai has introduced the 2010 Genesis Coupe, which shares the rear-wheel-drive performance chops of the sedan. Reviewer Mike Hanley is on hand for the review and looks into whether it should keep the Genesis name. Read his full review to find out.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Review

Rhys Millen Drifts the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

Sure, it might be easy to drift a new Hyundai Genesis coupe, which is a rear-wheel-drive sports car meant for performance. But can famed race driver Rhys Millen get the back wheels of the 2009 Cars.com New Car of the Year, the Hyundai Genesis sedan, smoking in circles? Check out the video above to see if he has the goods.

Rhys Millen Drifts the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Video

Rhys Millen and teammate Stephan Verdier put on a drifting clinic for us at a rally in Elkhart Lake, Wis., last week. The two devastated a slew of tires all in the name of good fun. If you just ate lunch, you may want to watch this video in about an hour.

Deal or No Deal: Cars That Impressed at Road America

Last week, Cars.com’s editors took part in a rally at the Road America racetrack in Elkhart Lake, Wis. There were dozens of new cars on hand to take on the track or local roads. More so than in past years, we were surprised by many new models, and not always in good ways. Here’s what resonated most.

IIHS Names Hyundai Genesis a Top Safety Pick

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced this week that Hyundai’s new flagship sedan, the 2009 Genesis, is a Top Safety Pick. The designation applies to Genesis sedans assembled after November 2008, which received some interior tweaks to move the car from an Acceptable frontal crash rating to Good. (In ascending order, IIHS ratings are Poor, Marginal, Acceptable and Good.) You can find the manufacture date of a car on the sticker just inside the driver’s door.

“In the first tests [on pre-December 2008 models], the dummies had hit the steering wheel through the airbag, so there were high forces on the driver dummy’s head,” IIHS spokesman Russ Rader said. “And the forces on the dummy’s right leg also indicated there would likely” be injury there as well.

“Hyundai made some modifications to Genesis models, and we did another test,” Rader said. “They modified the [front] airbag, and they added padding in the knee bolster area. And in the second test, the injury measures on the right leg improved to Good.”