- 2014 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Reviews
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On the outside is where the Genesis Coupe saw the most change last year. Overall, the new exterior looks smartly at home next to sedan models like the Elantra or Sonata—or even the new Veloster coupe—yet there’s no mistaking that this is the assertive, slung-back profile of a rear-wheel-drive coupe.
With its blacked out grille and lower air dam, combined with all-new lower aero work, running lamps, and fog lamps, the Coupe got a visually wider look in front (without the dimensions actually changing much). Enhancing those visual tricks are headlights have been reshaped and detailed, and a recontoured hood with dual air intakes up by the cowl.
From the side, two rising ripples in the sheetmetal almost meet to create a Z-shaped component at the back of the side doors, while the window line itself, which drops just a slight bit at the rear window (and actually meets up with one of the ripples).
Taillamps are now packed with LEDs, and they have new contouring, but in back the Genesis Coupe has changed the least. And there’s an all-new lineup of 18- and 19-inch wheel designs that are more (and more deeply) styled. The Genesis Coupe’s color palette has been revamped, too, with five new exterior colors and a new cloth interior scheme.
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Last year’s refresh brought stronger engines and a new eight-speed automatic. We can say that with these changes, whether you choose the 2.0T base engine or the 3.8 (V-6), you can’t go wrong. With either engine, you have a choice of a standard six-speed manual or Hyundai’s new eight-speed automatic, which includes paddle-shifters. And with the eight-speed automatic now getting rev-matched downshifts for 2014, we anticipate that the slow, laggy shift behavior we didn’t like about it before has been mostly excised. The manual is a safe bet for true driving enthusiasts, though.
The 2.0-liter turbo four makes 274 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, with peak torque reached at just 2,000 rpm, and the 3.8-liter direct-injection V-6 in the 3.8 models makes 348 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
Thankfully, very few of the front-wheel drive Hyundai driving characteristics carry over into the Genesis Coupe. Shift action is clean and precise, clutch takeup is neat (new carbon-coated synchronizer rings should make manuals even quieter for 2014) and, most importantly, the steering is a tried-and-true hydraulic system, tuned just right.
As with many of the newer turbocharged fours with twin-scroll turbo arrangements, the 2.0T doesn’t have much if any lag, or require you to work it the way that you had to in earlier Genesis Coupes; you can simply roll into the throttle and tap into a wave of torque that takes you all the way up the rev range. The Lambda V-6 engine in 3.8-liter versions responds to the throttle much quicker—and more energetically, of course—than its predecessor. It’s not intensely torquey down low in a muscle-car sense, but it’s an engine that you ‘get’ right away, with a nice build of power and torque up the rev range.
Also adding to the 3.8 models’ appeal—Hyundai hopes—is that it’s added a sound box essentially to make the V-6 more vocal inside the car (by literally piping some of the engine sound into the cabin), without making the neighbors irate. This sounds a little boy-racerish—and we were skeptically expecting something along the lines of old Chevy Eurosport resonators—but it’s well executed, with a rich, sonorous note not kicking in especially vocally until you’re deep into the throttle or in the engine’s upper ranges. Hyundai has added a similar feature to 2.0T models for 2014, but we haven’t yet sampled it there.
And in a nod to Hyundai’s frugal, practical side, both engines can run on regular gas if you so desire, and it only cuts output to 260 hp/260 lb-ft for the four and 344 hp/292 lb-ft for the 3.8.
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While the Genesis Coupe is a sports coupe first and foremost, it’s still pretty impressive inside. It takes good care of front-seat occupants, and with a spacious trunk and a reasonably refined cabin experience—plus improved interior materials—it’s as good for long weekend hauls or the commute as it is for the racetrack. The exhaust note of the 3.8 has been made more urgent (and sonorous) with a soundbox; and for 2014, they’ve applied a similar strategy to the four. This year, R-Spec models get better seat bolsters for their sport seats, and manual versions get a Hill-Start Assist feature.
Features have been improved on the 2014 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, although prices have been raised more than $2,000 so there’s no claiming there’s a bigger bang for the buck. Those higher prices bring standard fog lamps, cruise control, an auto-dimming inside mirror, and heated mirrors to all models–on top of Bluetooth, an iPod/USB interface, keyless entry, A/C, and a trip computer–and Hyundai Assurance Connected Car telematics are now included for three years if you get BlueLink services on upper trims.
Step up to the R-Spec and you get a track-tuned suspension, 19-inch wheels on summer tires, Brembo brakes, a Torsen limited-slip diff, as well as appearance extras.
Images: Hyundai Cars
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