First, the visuals. On the stand at the Chicago Auto Show it’s easy to see the new grille, replete with a more aggressive front fascia with larger air intakes and redesigned headlamps now fitted with LED accents. On the side, new 17-in. alloy wheels are complemented by brushed aluminum trim for the windows, plus more pronounced rocker panels that flow back into a new rear fascia with dual asymmetrical exhaust tips and redesigned taillamps.
Under the hood, the Lambda 3.8-liter has been significantly improved. Thanks to direct-injection technology and a raised compression ratio, this 4-cam 24-valve aluminum V-6 now puts out 333 bhp, a gain of 43 horsepower with no increase in displacement. What’s more, peak torque has increased from 264 lb.-ft. to 291. As before, this Lambda engine has variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust sides, plus a variable intake manifold and a steel timing chain. And thanks in part to a new variable-vane oil pump, the engine is also 7 percent more efficient than before, which equates to impressive highway fuel economy of 29 mpg, a 2 mpg improvement.
Also significant, all the new 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedans will be fitted with a Hyundai-developed 8-speed automatic transmission. That’s two more ratios than before, in the interest of increased smoothness and efficiency. Hyundai says this new transmission is 6 percent more efficient than the former 6-speed, and will offer Shiftronic manual shift capability. Moreover, all 2012 Genesis sedans will benefit from larger brake rotors (4-piston calipers on all V-6 models) and suspension calibrations that are said to minimize the traditional compromise between handling precision and ride comfort.
The 5.0 R-Spec: Our Kind of Car
Although we haven’t driven the sporty new 5.0 R-Spec model yet, we already know it’s our kind of car. To begin, it has a great new engine, a direct-injected 5.0-liter Tau V-8 that produces 429 bhp at 6400 rpm and 376 lb.-ft. of torque at 5000 rpm. It’s a bored-out version of the 4.6-liter V-8—which is still available in the Genesis—also boasting a raised compression ratio and direct injection. To help cope with the new power, the Tau’s V-8 block has a revised bed plate for added rigidity, as well as camshaft carriers to improve valvetrain stability. With continuously variable valve timing on intake and exhaust, plus low-friction coatings and a variable induction system, the engine—which will be standard equipment on the large 2012 Equus sedan—gets nearly the same fuel economy (16/25) as last year’s 4.6-liter V-8 (17/26).
As you’d expect of a sporty new Genesis, the R-spec has more aggressive chassis tuning. To that end, the anti-roll bars are 1-mm larger front and rear, and the car is available with optional Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 summer performance tires on 19-in. wheels with a premium machined finish. Moreover, the steering calibration has been tuned to match the improved performance of the car, which also boasts the larger front brake rotors of the 2012 Genesis V-8 (13.6 in. versus the 13.0s on the 2011 Genesis 4.6).
In addition to all the new styling cues for the 2012 Hyundai Genesis, the R-Spec has unique headlights with dark chrome inserts, plus a badge on the trunk and specially embroidered floor mats. The R-Spec will be offered in only three colors: Black Noir, Titanium Gray and Platinum Metallic. All three will be offered with a black leather interior and a black-leather steering wheel to help differentiate the R-Spec from the standard Genesis 4.6 model.
Besides daytime running lights, which are standard on all the 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedans, the 3.8 Premium Package model is available with a new lane-departure warning system, power-folding outside mirrors, heated rear seats and a rearview camera. Also adding a pleasant technological twist on that particular Genesis model is a thin-film-transistor (TFT) gauge cluster and readout.