All-new 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan to Open at $38,000

The next-generation 2015 Hyundai Genesis—successor to the 2009 North American Car of the Year—will debut this spring with an MSRP of $38,000. That price represents a fairly steep $2,800 jump over the starting point of the current model, but the automaker boasts that the new Genesis remains a strong value despite that 8 percent increase. According to Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America: “The all-new Genesis rivals the best premium sedans in the world, at a price point many thousands of dollars less. Our 2015 Genesis represents a bold step forward for Hyundai and reinforces the successful strategy of marketing our premium models under the Hyundai brand umbrella, rather than a costly separate luxury brand sales channel. As a result, we’re able to pass the benefits of this strategy directly to our valued customers.” 

Practically speaking, that means that the 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan has been significantly restyled, with the exterior showcasing what the brand calls its "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0" design language and the cabin upgraded to match. In terms of new standard hardware, the regenerated Genesis brings:

• Navigation with an 8-inch screen that doubles as a rearview monitor
• A 4.3-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD cluster display
• SiriusXM Travel Link
• The latest iteration of Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system
• Paddle shifters for its eight-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual-shifting functionality
• Enhanced passenger seating, now with power height and lumbar adjustment to complement the driver's 12-way seat, with both boasting leather surfaces and heating capability
• A telescoping column for its leather-wrapped, multifunction steering wheel
• Rear windows with a "one-touch" power up feature
• A driver's knee airbag, for a total of nine
• Hill hold control
• Power-folding outside mirrors
• Rain-sensing wipers

Now, getting down to the nitty-gritty here, even with all those goodies added to the current model's robust roster of standard content, and despite that previously mentioned price bump, Zuchowski wasn't kidding about the price advantage for the 2015 Hyundai Genesis. Compared to its putative rivals like the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Lexus GS and Cadillac CTS, the Genesis is from $7,100 to $13,400 less expensive, while also offering a noticeably bigger interior.

Note: The MSRP of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis with the brand's new multi-mode all-wheel-drive technology, currently available only in V6 models, starts at $40,500; for the rear-wheel-drive V8-powered Genesis, the starting price comes to $51,500.