2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0

Hyundai might be aiming this second-generation Genesis sedan directly at the Mercedes-Benz E-class. And it might plagiarize from another European luxury carmaker, Audi (see its tailpipes, interior trim, and grille). But what Hyundai has actually built here is the spiritual successor to the first Lexus LS400. That’s especially true of the rear-drive, V-8–powered Ultimate version we’ve just tested.

We mean that as a compliment, by the way. Yes, the new Genesis is more car than the 25-year-old Lexus in every possible way. It’s larger, quicker, much more powerful, 661 pounds heavier, and a little thirstier. But its calm, quiet demeanor is spot on. The Genesis’s baby-butt-smooth 5.0-liter V-8 reminds us that, while luxury carmakers are abandoning V-8s in favor of forced-induction six-cylinder engines, the bent-eight remains the configuration of choice for those who prioritize silken operation. The engine teams with an eight-speed automatic to deliver a seemingly frictionless propulsion system.

Don’t take the powertrain’s hairlessness to mean it’s wimpy. The 420-hp engine hustles the 4601-pound Genesis to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and on through the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 105 mph. That’s about a half-second behind the Mercedes E550 4MATIC in both measures, but that Benz is a rocket ship—one that will be replaced by a turbo V-6–powered car this fall. The 19-inch Hankooks help produce solid braking (from 70 mph in 167 feet) and roadholding (0.86 g) results. Our decibel meter says that the Genesis is quieter at idle (39 dBA) and at a 70-mph cruise (70 dBA) than the impressively serene Mercedes.

Surely, though, just as in aspirational Hyundais and Kias before it, the Genesis’s chassis systems reveal the car’s second-tier status, right? Nope, not this time. With some suspension-tuning help from Lotus Engineering, the Genesis is surprisingly well balanced. The body’s motions are disciplined, displaying none of the floppiness of the Kia K900, which sits on the current Hyundai Equus platform. Wheel-impact quality and overall ride stability are an order of magnitude better than in the first Genesis.

And compared with the handling prowess of its predecessor, well, this car actually has handling prowess. We were cruising at a comfortably elevated pace on an empty expressway when we hopped off at an exit with an unexpectedly tight right-left feature. Not only was the Genesis unruffled by the experience, but we actually had fun ushering the big boy through this passage. Fun. In a Hyundai luxury car. Didn’t see that coming.

The spirited zing is partly due to steering that feels as if it were tuned by the same people who did the suspension. It is linear in its response and has a modicum of feel while isolating your mitts from bad vibrations.

While the interior fittings aren’t quite up to the standard set by the best from Europe, the cabin’s overall design and function vault the new Genesis out of the near-luxury ghetto. The big navigation and information screen is crisp and bright and easy to, um, navigate. The seats are cushy but supportive; our example had cream-colored leather that, along with the medium-blue exterior, gave the thing a pleasantly but not oppressively nautical feel. Rear-seat room is generous, and the bench is nicely formed with a supportive bottom cushion. Our only minor quibble is with the start-up/shut-down jingle that the car makes as a sort of salutation to the driver. It sounds conspicuously—distressingly—like those soothing tones played at the end of NBC’s The More You Know public-service announcements.

We suppose that for more than $50,000, the Genesis 5.0 should be good. Ours, with the Ultimate package, had a head-up display, big-screen navigation, a Lexicon sound system, electronic dampers, power trunklid, and something called Dual-Mode Vent Control. That brought the price to $55,700. Hyundai believes that most buyers will choose V-6–powered cars, which are available with either rear- or four-wheel drive. Those start as low as $38,950. Still, if you want the full neo–Lexus LS400 rolling-bank-vault experience, get the V-8.