Seoulful Hyundai Genesis Coupe

"The Japanese are coming!," an analyst at General Motors is said to have warned the board of directors a few decades back. But, according to the anecdote, they chose to ignore it. The rest is history, and GM, together with other American carmakers, realised the hard way that underestimating the Japanese was one of their biggest mistakes.

But no one ever seems to have been given the heads up: "the Koreans are coming". With good reason too. Korean cars were never known for their good looks or reliability, let alone their performance, and naturally no one expected them to do what the Japanese did.

That was until Hyundai, one of the world's biggest car firms, decided to take on the world with its first rear-wheel drive car, the Genesis. The saloon went on to become the 2009 North American Car of the Year, an honour long shared by models from Toyota and Honda. If the Genesis itself didn't make the industry sit up and take notice, the award did. All eyes were now fixed on the rear-drive sports coupé that Hyundai built on the same platform. And, for a change, not many ridiculed the carmaker for being overambitious in pitching the coupé against the Infiniti G37 and the Nissan 370Z. This only heightened expectations further. Well, if the reviews it received when it was launched early this year in the US are anything to go by, the Korean carmaker has managed to meet those expectations. So we grabbed the first opportunity to drive it as soon as it was launched here.

the real deal

Styling wise, the Genesis Coupé is certainly a handsome car. The sloping character line that forms a Z-shaped crease on the sides merges into a dipping beltline, and these, together with the angular xenon headlamps and a fairly large lower valance opening, give the car an unmistakably aggressive stance.

If you missed the badge, the upscale contours could lead you into mistaking it for a sports coupé from a much bigger name. The only gripe I had about the exterior was the black plastic front grille, which could have been given a bit of chrome treatment.

But the good looks and the upscale feel end here. As soon as you open the doors, you come to know how Hyundai manages to sell this car for Dh110,000. Apart from the leather seats, almost everything else inside the car smacks of cost-cutting, as you're surrounded by unsatisfactory plastics. Another let down is the lack of paddle shifters and sat-nav. Although next year these features will be available, we expect the price to go up too.

The driving position is great however, and overall outward visibility is excellent, while the controls are mostly well laid out and intuitive, and the Infinity sound system is ear-pounding loud. But, the power window and side mirror switches are placed in an angled position, making these a bit difficult to access.

The driver gets electrically adjustable seats that are firm yet comfortable. At the back there are surprisingly spacious seats for a sports coupé, though adults might find anything but short trips uncomfortable. The boot also has liberal space, but the small opening makes loading it an awkward task. It gets all the usual bits and bobs, such as rear parking sensors, electrically folding side mirrors with integrated turn indicators, keyless ignition and a sunroof. A really nice touch was the blue backlight for the iPod and USB jacks that are hidden away beneath the front centre armrest, making these easy to find at night. Although other markets get a more fuel efficient 2.0-litre engine option, the Middle East gets just the 3.8-litre V6 unit. Fire it up and you'll realise that there's more to this coupé than meets the eye. The exhaust note is not as crisp as that of a 370Z or a Mustang GT, but it's loud enough to elicit a look or two from passersby. At just above six seconds to 100kph from standstill, it might also be a bit slower than its rivals, but the 299bhp engine with its 361Nm torque offers a thrilling enough driving experience.

The rigid chassis and suspension setup afforded a stiff ride, and I felt the car could have used a bit more refinement in ride quality. Handling-wise, the Genesis Coupé held its ground in corners and tackled most without any drama, and on occasions when it got a bit tail-happy getting it back in line required no effort.

And the knowledge that traction control, stability control, antilock disc brakes, and driver, passenger and full-length side curtain airbags come standard is reassuring, making the drive even more enjoyable.

It's a very, very good driver's car, this.

verdict

Overall, the Hyundai Genesis Coupé is a good looking rear-wheel drive sportscar. And for a price as reasonable as Dh110,000, it is arguably the best bang for the buck sports coupé on the market today. And, after driving it you won't shoo away someone who tells you Hyundai might dominate the world car markets in a couple of decades.

specs & rating

Model Genesis Coupé GLS

Engine 3.8-litre V6 Transmission Six-speed auto RWD

Max power 299bhp @ 6,300rpm

Max torque 361Nm @ 4,700rpm

Top speed 240kph

0-100kph 6.3sec

Price Dh110,000

Interior

Exterior

Trim

Transmission