This is really sharp. I'm impressed. I've heard this is coming to the UK, probably with a turbocharged something-or-other. I'll be even more impressed if us Euros get a big diesel.

Damn! Why can't Mercury do something like that?

I think Hyundai's designers and engineers are cutting checks that their half-baked US dealer network can't cover.

Hyundai's build talent is running and hiding from their sell talent.

I guess we have to come down from the El Camino high sooner or later but it's going to take awhile.
*golf clap for Hyundai*

@Euromobile: Really sharp, indeed. Gotta give kudos to the Koreans on this one. Also, Hyundai Canada just released this year a whole line up of performance parts, all installed and under warranty by Hyundai. This is going to be major boost in the sales I bet.

don't like the kinked rear window - looks disjointed, as if the front of one car has been grafted onto the back of another. every new coupe that hyundai brings out, i always think the next one will be styled right.

I can't tell if a Hyundai reminding me of a Lexus is good for Hyundai,
or if a Lexus looking like a Hyundai is bad for Lexus?!?!?!

...or maybe I'm just thrown off by that STRIKING New York Auto Show graphic?!?!?!?

You know what they should make?????

A Genesis Sportwagon!!!!!!

@POLAЯ - DISCIPLE OF THE EL CAMINOS: You're certainly on a wagon kick as of late, eh?

If someone told me that was the next Honda Prelude, I'd believe 'em. Wow, the Koreans are doing what the Japanese did in the 1980's. How many times must this formula be demonstrated to the 'Merican car manufactures before they get it?

Hyundai cries because of it's lack of views compared to the El Super Chief.

Looks like a fusion of design elements from Acura and Infiniti G35 to me. I like it ok, but I still absolutely can't stand that melted 'H' in the grill. I know it's supposed to be all 'Korean Tao' derived and stuff, but it just looks asymetrical to me. Not that I'm an arbiter of fashion or anything.

@camp6ell: if you look at the minor cut line that runs tangent to the top of the front tire, it works. but because it's broken off a major line (the beltline), it makes it look disjointed. i'm still debating. probably would work just for this, but if they started doing it on all cars, it would lose the effect.

It's tastefully boring.

It's squinting...like it's nearsighted or something.

Why "Genesis Coupe"? Like the Pathfinder Armada and Montero Sport, this car is different enough from its namesake to warrant a unique name...

Ugh, that bumper is just terrible. Why do they ruin all the concepts? It's like the production engineers think "this is close enough" when in reality it's just close enough to look like crap.

@Ray Wert:

...................SPORT.....................

It's all very nice untill you get to the front end, methinks. It's like they are begging the new owners to swap on an fast & furious bodykit. Too bad that went out of style several years ago...

@estern: Now the Koreans are redemonstrating it to the Japanese.

@ZX2.0: FnF bodykits were never in style.

And what's with the 71-T-Bird-esque Bunkie beak?

[www.jephtasclassiccars.com]

I suspect they are trying to win over the Malaise-Era obsessed Jalops here. They must be paying close attention...

i think the last gen tiburon was better looking. and for a lot less money. they are going to have to do more if they want genesis pricing.

(and i'm a very satisfied 07 santa fe owner, not some hyundai-hater. in the case of the santa fe, i feel that i got a bargain and the car looks and feels way higher than it costs. i've owned an RX300 and Rendezvous as well)

I'm sure it will be a "Tiburon" when it comes to the USA, the same way previous Tiburons were known as "Hyundai Coupés" in Europe.

Of course, they may be going for a whole new schtick this time 'round.

Time will tell.

Maybe it's the booze talking, but I'm having a real hard time getting excited about this. Is it supposed to be a budget G37 competitor? A Mustang (and soon Camaro) competitor?
The styling is "it's gonna' be boring after looking at it for a year" typical asian sport coupe. It doesn't appear to bring anything new to the table other than the Hyundai name, and that doesn't make my panties all wet.
I look at this and all I can see is "poser-mobile".
Sorry, it's early, I don't mean to be a party pooper. Here; Wow, look at that back window! My bitches will be able to peep the fanage while rollin' in my Geni-coupe! There, I feel better now.

@Aaron Stein:

I couldn't get over how bad the ground clearance on the Rendezvous was. I've never seen so much exposed suspension gear so close to the ground.

I think the Rendezvous had less ground clearance than my MINI does LOL

Pick on the styling all youse want but the '84 Corolla and '90's 240s weren't exactly teh hotness. Two words: rear-wheel drive. If my 100won coins weren't all going into my G8amino fund, they'd be pointed at this.

@graverobber:

It's the booze.

Anyway. This is a sharp looking car. I think Nissan is going to be the most upset about this one. An ostensibly real G37 (read: RWD) knock off for an Altima coupe price. Especially if the numbers aren't that far off the pace for the segment.

It's like there was a party on its flanks, and everybody came!

If this wasn't RWD it would only be good for a long boring " meh... ". Instead, it's totally worth a " Oh, RWD. Meh... ".

Looks pretty bland. Maybe it will be more striking in the flesh.

@POLAЯ - DISCIPLE OF THE EL CAMINOS: Better than a Genesis Sportwagon, a Genesis Shooting Brake!

I dunno, I like this. Alot. I hope it's still a hatchback, but either way, a good affordable RWD sports coupe has been sadly missing in the market. Even if it's built to the kinda ok standards of the Tiburon, they've gone ahead and used a better recipe. Also, I can get behind the chances of a turbo-four and a V8 being offered in the same car.

It does seem as though Hyundai's biggest weakness is its bland copy-cat styling. There certainly is alot of Altima Coupe/G37 in the rear. But the front does look pretty "Hyundai" wahtever that may be. The grill could be bigger though. I think that would make a significant difference and give it a more aggressise front end. It does appear a little soft.

Seeing a picture of this with a Mustang would go a long way to helping me decide how I feel about it. I just can get my head around how big of a car this us supposed to be. Is it closer to a Tibouron or a Mustang. It does have smaller car styling. I think having styling of a smaller car and the dimensions of a larger may hurt its appeal.

I'll stop rambling now.

@Maymar: A mustang is certainly affordable, especially with $4,000 cash back right now. I test drove a GT yesterday. It is up to you whether you think it is "good".

After the drive I was thinking about the base Mustang V6. A 4.0 liter V6 with 230 hp...pathetic, when a something like a Camry or Altima V6 has ~ 270. Granted they are not RWD, but I am just talikng about the engine.

@ZX2.0: Oh if only they made it look like that TBird, I would absolutely be in heaven! And I don't believe in Heaven (though I have been through hell lately, most notably here on line!). That particular TBird was one of the better looking maliase versions, and it looked better in earth tones (brown, gold, tan, copper).

I think the front-end needs a complete visual redesign, and the taillights shouldn't extend so far onto the rear quarterpanels. Other than that, I guess I like it....still looks too much like a Tiburon though, when it would be better for them to try to differentiate as much as possible the Genesis line from all of their previous models, methinks.

If I were buying or leasing new right now, I would strongly consider this. The only "new" cars out there that aren't totally derivative of 5-year old designs are priced in the stratosphere. Complain about the broken lines, windows and grille all you want, but the Hyundai desginers are taking chances and, imho, succeeding a hell of a lot better than BMW, Volvo, and the Japanese. This car is interesting and exciting visually. At least to me. In pictures.

@UDMan: The original Hyundai Scoupe looked like a miniature contemporary Thunderbird, even went as far as knocking off the turbine design from the T-Bird alloys for its plastic wheel covers.

yea I know comparing things to concepts is pointless, but when they showed this at the LA Auto show it seemed pretty complete and final.. but

the Koreans prolly got a cheaper price on the terrible front quarter and scrapped the beefy hood and front fender for this nastiness...

too too bad.

the front is bland. the back 1/2 is nice. the value is great!!
they are heading in the right direction for sure. great leap forward.

That dip in the rear window is probably a saving-grace for a coupe. Every 2 door has the worst blind-spot. This virtually eliminates that. It looks elegant. Not as aggressive as the G37, but not as 2Fast2Furious as the long in the tooth 350z...and do I even have to mention how much better this looks than the Eclipse? AND the current Tiburon (for which this does NOT replace) is a beautiful car. Not that I don't own one...

Looks very Korean. Which is to say it looks Japanese...but...different.

I typically appreciate cars from the inside out. Engine/drivetrain, then driver's controls and seating, then finally sheetmetal styling.

So...a cheap, RWD sports car with halfway decent suspension?

Sign me up.

That's a sharp-looking car. I thought the previous Tiburons were ugly, but this is nice.

@wookie1901: Actually, that's not a bad point. Just, if I were looking at a Mustang (especially given that I won't be able to afford a new car for a few years), it'd be hard not to pick the G8-amino instead. This (I hope) will be a little lighter on its feet, more a car built to handle that might just happen to go reasonably fast in a straight line, instead of the Mustang's brute force V8 that can incidentally kinda handle. Different approaches that end up with similar results.

Not bad. Not great, but not bad. The rear-drive certainly helps.

Also: You should trademark Genesis Priddy, Wert. You wouldn't want the writers of the next Bond flick scooping it up for their Bond girl without paying up, would you?

Just another non-original design from Hyundai! In history, their vehicles always have looked like other vehicles. The Tiboron always looked like the Toyota Solara, and now this new design still looks like the newer Toyota Solara!

I have read a lot of comments that say they don't care for the styling because it is too bland. Am I the only one who thinks the exact opposite, that it is ugly because it is too busy-looking? It has three different character lines on the profile and they seem to oppose each other rather than be complementary. On top of that is has that funny little kink in the window.

I am all for cheap RWD but I would have a hard time putting down my hard earned cash for this, no matter how well it performed.

C'mon, I just had dinner...

@graverobber: I'm with you, and I'm fairly certain that in my case it is the booze talking. Sup, St. Pat. Irish Heritage FTW.

I'm kinda on side with a recent writer in, I think, EVO magazine, who said that he's sick and tired of people saying that the quality is nowhere near that of a Japanese, European or American car, but still very good for a Korean car!

I think they've had enough practice. They themselves say they're ready to go pro, so let's start comparing them on an even playing field. And in that sense, it doesn't impress me. If Ford or GM came out with this, we'd be on them like shit on velcro for uninspired design, a halfassed effort, mediocre quality, and so on and so on. It's a decent looking car, but it sure doesn't make me want one. RWD, V8 option, very nice... still rather step up to a Bimmer, a Mustang, a Challenger. So good effort, Korea, making progress, but you're not there yet.

@Ray Wert: I thought Polar was kicking ass because he works for Jalopnik now ;) You can't buy his kind of chaotic magnetism, but you can rent it...

I like this car. Alot. A performance car for the Proleralliat with a normal income. Maybe someday they could do an AWD model, too. They just need to redo the badge. I have never liked the melted "H." They should have tried to make it more European instead of Asian in its flavor. Something with more geometry.

@POLAЯ - DISCIPLE OF THE EL CAMINOS: Keep on keepin' on.

I think this thing looks great. Much better than a rehash of some poorly made car from the sixties or seventies. This at least is trying to bring something new to the table. At least as new as a rehash of something made in the eighties. And I think I even like the rear window thing; it's a unique styling quirk. Go Hyundio go.

I can't stand the looks of this thing. It's busy up front, bland out back, and fugly all over.

I couldn't disagree more Benson. This is another anonymous looking car with no distinct style that will blend right in with every other modern silver appliance on the road.

The Mustang, Challenger and Camaro all have distinct styling that is not only timeless and original but also stark contrasts to the sea of dull colored modern cars on our roads. They also have performance and heritage. The Mustang is an American Icon like Coke, McDonalds, and baseball.

This car doen't compete directly with real muscle coupes but it's obvious the Koreans had the Mustang in their sites with the pricing and packaging. Those jonesing for a Mustang aren't going to seriously consider this car but for the real muscle haters on this site Korea has given them a bland car which they can brag about the feel of their window switches, 10 year warranty and 100,000 miles of character-free driving.

The riced up Civic an SRT-4 crowd will dig this car and harass the rest of us at stoplights and on freeways.

Sadly, like all Hyundai's, this car looks like a vulgar derivative of someone else's work. Most notably, the basic shape and proportions are clearly a mix of Infinity G coupe and Nissan Z. However, unlike Nissan's far more elegant work, Hyundai also felt the need to gussy up the car with poorly implemented "Banglesque" flame surfacing. Put all this together with a nose that looks like it's just smelt something it didn't like and some really cheap lower intake bits, and you have a car that Pontiac might have flushed onto the market a few years ago (from a styling standpoint).

Perhaps there is a good car under those body panels, but, to my eyes, it still looks like Hyundai has no real ideas of their own.

Old Hyundais were at least identifiable by their goofy Korean/Asian styling. The new ones look like Chinese knock-offs of existing cars or are watered down into oblivion.

Holy cow that thing is hideous