Speculations on the Genesis Lineup

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind) 05/22/2016 at 00:24 • Filed to: Genesis

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Honestly you guys can probably expect a GHK (Genesis-Hyundai-Kia) related post from me almost weekly. There is soooo much going on, and I’ll be honest for a second, the Hyundai brand (the cars, not the corporation) has been perpetually screwing itself over and it’s all coming to a boil (more on that after the Memorial Day). Right now though, I’m going to do some of my famous speculating for you all! If there is anyone that can pull a rabbit out of his ass and tell you it’s Charmin’, it’s this charmin’ chap right here! Alright, we have shit to do so let’s hop to it!

Genesis G90

3.3T (365hp and 376lb-ft)

2016 LS460 L (386hp) $78,820

2017 740i (320hp) $81,300

2016 A8L 3.0T (333hp) $81,500

2016 XJL Portfolio (340hp) $83,200

This means the base model will probably start between the current Equus Signature ($61,500) and the Equus Ultimate ($68,750). My guess would be around $66,000 . This makes the G90 a bargain, but Genesis will be giving you a larger car with less power than its predecessor and that shows the new found premium for the badge.

5.0L (420hp and 383lb-ft)

2016 A8L 4.0T Sport (450hp) $90,500

2017 750i (445hp) $94,400

2016 XJL Supercharged (470hp) $95,000

2016 S550 (449hp) $95,650

As you can see, the Genesis flagship is underpowered in comparison to these rivals. (Lexus doesn’t make an LS that competes in this segment, and this is where the S-Class enters the US market). Consider the V8 to be a feature rather than the model in this case. I would expect a $15,000 discount compared to the competition to make up for the number loss. That means around $75,000 to get into the 5.0L model.

I would expect HTRAC (an AWD system formed by placing “Hyundai” and “Traction” together, but only the two Genesis models will have it...) to be a little above a $2,000 premium over the RWD models and be available with both engines. My bet is that a fully loaded G90 with the 5.0L will be the just under the $90,000 mark. Also remember that there is a longer wheelbase version that will be coming as well which will obviously have the 5.0L standard and likely push the fully loaded price to just barely over $100k .

Genesis G80

As on the G90, expect all models to get HTRAC as an option (even in the US). So far, the Genesis advantage is pricing, power relative to price point (not necessarily performance), and larger vehicle sizes for the class (which is why the performance will be inline with the segment).

3.8L (311hp and 293lb-ft)

2016 BMW 535i Sedan (300hp), $55,850.

2016 Audi A6 3.0T Premium Plus Sedan (333hp), $57,400.

2016 Cadillac CTS 3.6L Luxury Collection (335hp), $53,285.

2016 Infiniti Q70L 3.7 Sedan (330hp), $51,350.
2016 Infiniti Q70 3.7 Sedan (330hp), $49,480.

2016 Lexus GS 350 Sedan (311hp), $50,000.

*The 4-cyl cars in this category aren’t really something the G80 will compete with. In general though, the 4-cyl models are about $5k cheaper than the models above.*

The current Hyundai Genesis Sedan 3.8 is priced at $38,750. There is no reason for the vehicle to start so low anymore without an efficiency minded 4-cylinder. Expect some mix of the Signature Package ($3,900), Tech Package ($3,500), and Ultimate Package ($3,500) to become standard equipment. I also expect the price of the “new” Genesis G80 3.8L to start around $42,500 but have about $6,000 worth of standard features and upgraded interior materials. That price point still places a V6 G80 sedan around $2,500-$5,000 cheaper than all of the sub-300hp 4-cyl versions of the segment’s competition.

Genesis is most likely going to use the 3.8L to split the market between the efficient 4-cylinder models like the A6 2.0T and 528i, and the the 6-cylinder segment listed above. Hyundai has a price advantage regardless. Eventually the 245hp, 2.0T 4-cylinder from the Hyundai Sonata (and many other models) will find it’s way into the Genesis G80, but at the moment there is a large cat in the room that is causing an issue for Genesis.

3.3T (365hp and 376lb-ft)

*2016 Jaguar XF 35t (340hp), $50,490. [35t Premium, $51,900].*

Here’s the issue, the Germans don’t need to care about this Jaaag. They will follow the same route they have been on. An example is the 2017 Mercedes E300 will have a 241hp 2.0T and start over $50k in the US. However, Genesis does NOT have the luxury of “ignoring” a lightweight Jaaag in the market. So the 340hp, $50k Jaguar XF places a price cap on the Genesis G80, but luckily they can offer a more powerful V6 for around $46k and still keep the value advantage. But yeah, I bet that Jaaag is a brutal wrench in the cog works that are marketing.

5.0L (420hp and 383lb-ft)

2016 BMW 550i (445hp), $66,300.

2016 Cadillac CTS V-Sport (420hp), $69,995.

2016 Infiniti Q70 5.6 (420hp), $62,850.
2016 Infiniti Q70L 5.6 (416hp), $64,550.

The 5.0L was discontinued after ONE model year! Now, it was around $52k for the extremely brief time it was available to us, and I don’t think that needs to change. Now with the official luxury branding, a 420hp V8 sedan for the same price as a 240hp 4-cyl sedan sounds like a great deal if you aren’t big on fuel economy!

A moment of candor for you, I wouldn’t even consider this V8 coming back so soon if it wasn’t for that Jaaag. The 3.3T handles everything Genesis needs from the G80, especially since there is no engine above the 5.0L within the Hyundai Group’s production offerings. That said, we know that an “N” performance brand is coming, so something is going to happen to push that V8 closer to the Lexus’ “F” 467hp, 5.0L V8. I wouldn’t expect any supercharged or turbocharged V8s coming from the Hyundai Group anytime soon. By my estimate, we are another 5 years from 500hp Hyundai’s, and like the Japanese brands, I think that power will be coming for the addition of electric motors rather than blown V8s.

That’s all I’ve got for you right now. I’ll try to figure out where the G70 sedan and coupe may sit, as well as the Compact and Midsize CUVs. For now though, this is enough excitement for me.

LOREM IPSUM > Wobbles the Mind 05/22/2016 at 02:47

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They’ve come a long way from the Pony.

Still though, an 80-100 thousand dollar Hyundai just seems like an insane concept... nice as they may be.

samssun > LOREM IPSUM 05/22/2016 at 04:01

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And a $2500 discount for the V6 vs. the German entry 4s still isn't enough for people buying the badge. It needs to be dramatic enough for people to do a double take, not just the difference of one option box being checked. Drop the 300-ish horse V6 and put the 3.3T in everything, then undercut the 4-bangers.

random001 > Wobbles the Mind 05/22/2016 at 11:40

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Is the “N” line supposed to be the new R-Spec? Because R-Spec.

Wasn’t the 5.0 in for at least 3 years? I mean, it was in 2 for the R-Spec, and at least one, if not two for the new model? I saw a new on in the showroom just the other day, but it might have been a leftover ‘15.

Wobbles the Mind > random001 05/22/2016 at 12:51

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I think the 5.0 was introduced in the 2012 (?) Genesis Sedan and the 4.6 was kept for a year or two as well. Then the 2014 Genesis Sedan (last model year of the 1st generation) the 5.0 was made the only V8 option. The second generation was a 2015 MY with the R-Spec available. For the 2016 model year Hyundai discontinued the 5.0. I know that Hyundai never bothered to update the Genesis Sedan to the 2016 model year, so you can still con figure a 2015 Genesis Sedan.

“N” is the name of Hyundai’s performance arm (like SRT or Nismo). The issue is that the models that make sense for a performance brand are becoming Genesis models and I’m not sure the two brands will want to share performance names. So R-Spec may be a Hyundai thing exclusively.

random001 > Wobbles the Mind 05/22/2016 at 17:03

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Yeah, I think the 5.0L had a 2 year run as the R-Spec (2012, 2013) along side the 4.6, and the 14 and 15 only had the 5.0, no 4.6, so they had 4 years of the 5.0. 5 if you count the non-updated 2016.