The sports coupe segment sells in relatively small numbers compared to four-door models from the same makers, but it’s nevertheless

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important for raising brand awareness and street cred.

This is evidenced by most every auto brand offering at least one two-door hardtop entry, with their sizes and prices varying dramatically. Some are compact front-drive models built off the backs of bread-and-butter four-door sedans or three- and five-door hatchbacks, the former including the now defunct Hyundai Elantra Coupe, best-selling Honda Civic Coupe, Kia Forte Koup and Scion tC (based on the Toyota Corolla), with the latter comprised of the Mini Coupe and VW Beetle, while others follow the same plan within the mid-size segment, such as the Honda Accord Coupe, Nissan Altima Coupe, and Volkswagen CC, although this last model falls into the four-door coupe category.

While

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such cars proved very popular in years past, sport coupe buyers are now leaning more towards rear-drive models based on unique platform architectures that were designed solely for their go-fast purpose like the current Ford Mustang, Toyota A-86/Scion FR-S, and the Subaru BRZ that shares the latter models’ underpinnings. While many try to peg the Genesis Coupe against the FR-S/BRZ due to its long sleek styling and impressive performance, it more appropriately falls into the same camp as the Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Nissan 370Z, being built by a company that also produces performance-oriented rear-drive sport-luxury sedans. Such is normally the trickledown effect of having a premium brand under the umbrella, the Camaro riding on Cadillac ATS/CTS architecture, the 370Z upon Infiniti Q60 underpinnings (or

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the other way around depending on how you look at it), while in the case of the Challenger, previous ownership by a premium brand, the big sport coupe sitting atop a shortened Chrysler LX platform (LC) that was modified from a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

In the same way that the new Genesis sport-luxury sedan can go up against an E-Class and in many respects come out the winner, the Genesis Coupe is a force to be reckoned with in its personal sport coupe segment. It’s hardly a new entry, having totally overwhelmed the market in 2008 as a 2009 model and then undergoing

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an extensive update for the 2013 model year that added a much bolder grille, a thin strip of available LED DRLs above the fog lamps, and LED taillights, a new 348 horsepower 3.8-litre direct-injection Lambda GDi engine in top-line models, a new optional eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shifters joining the standard six-speed manual, subtle suspension and wheel modifications plus a nicer interior including more soft-touch surfaces, a leather handbrake handle, plasmacluster air filtration, and even the option of red leather upholstery.

That last feature is no longer available, although optional red stitching on black is. My 2015 Premium-trimmed tester’s cabin was outfitted in a more subtle shade of black that provided a classier yet still sporty look, which while not all business certainly

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makes a purposeful statement just the same. The dash top features a stitched leather-like synthetic that flows all the way down both sides of the centre stack to knee level. Likewise, the door uppers are soft to the touch, as are the door panel inserts, while the padded armrests are stitched together to look like real leather too. Titanium-look metallic surfacing coats the steering wheel trim, my automatic-equipped tester’s shifter paddles, the primary gauge detailing, door trim, power mirror toggle switch, shifter surround and knob, plus the cupholders, for a bit of high-quality bling, but not so much as to make it gauche. No, the Genesis Coupe isn’t about flash at all, but more so it’s interior is now designed to attract upwardly mobile professionals, or at least not turn them off once they climb inside.

In

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Premium trim they’ll find themselves in comfortably supportive leather seats with aggressively wide bolsters that’ll keep them locked into place during hard cornering, while perforated leather inserts allow for breathability in hot weather and powered lumbar adjustment helps during long trips. Unlike most in this class, real adults can use the Genesis Coupe’s rear seats for more than just short trips, my five-foot-eight frame even enjoying a little extra headroom and reasonable legroom, not to mention plenty of space at each side for hips and elbows. Access to the trunk is a bit narrow, but that’s normal in this class. It’s actually a lot easier to stuff things inside than a Camaro for instance, while its 283 litres (10.0 cubic feet) of cargo space might be a bit smaller than the bowtie sportster, but it’s larger than some of its competitors and allows stowage of longer items such as skis via a folding rear seatback.

Back

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up front, I popped my sunglasses out of their nicely lined holder in the overhead console, pushed the engine start stop button on the instrument panel just to the left of the centre stack, adjusted my seat, the tilt and telescopic steering wheel plus the centre and powered side mirrors for the optimal driving position and sight lines, turned the traction and stability control off, pulled the shifter rearward into Drive before slotting it into manual mode, out of habit flicked my left paddle to make sure I was in first gear, and then let my right foot do the talking.

Yowza this thing hauls! And the big V6 sounds fabulous! It’s more of a snarl than a

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growl, the exhaust note from the dual pipes perfectly complementing the mechanical polyphony ahead of the firewall, all combining for an epinephrine release that’ll make the spine tingle as the tach spins freely and speedometer climbs upward. With each right hand pull of the paddle the ZF-sourced eight-speed shifts brilliantly, quick like a dual-clutch gearbox but smoother. This is a version of the same transmission you’ll experience when driving a new BMW 435i and numerous other premium sport coupes, but the power under the hood of the base Genesis Coupe is much more satisfying.

Along with its 348 horsepower the GC’s 3.8-litre V6 sends 295 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, a combination that beats the similarly priced Nissan 370Z by 16 horsepower and 25 lb-ft of torque and the slightly lower priced Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ

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twins by a no-contest 148 horsepower and 144 lb-ft! It out-muscles the muscle car lot too, at least in similarly priced base trim, with 48 more horsepower and 15 lb-ft of additional torque than the Mustang, 25 horsepower and 17 lb-ft over the Camaro, plus 43 horsepower and 27 lb-ft more than the Challenger. With base power numbers like this, how could anyone complain?

Never ask a journalist such a question, because we’re paid to criticize and therefore will always find something to gripe about. My point won’t likely resonate with the majority of Genesis Coupe buyers, however, because if last year’s fabulous base powerplant was what these consumers wanted it would still be available. I’m talking about the overachieving 2.0T, a 16-valve, DOHC, dual CVVT-enhanced,

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twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that delivered 274 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 275 lb-ft of twist from just 2,000 rpm, even outclassing BMW’s most capable four banger by 33 horsepower and 17 lb-ft of torque while delivering fuel economy numbers that made the GC more affordable day in and day out, a problem for those of us living in the city with North America’s highest gas prices.

As it stands today’s Genesis Coupe gets five-cycle EnerGuide ratings of 14.4 L/100km in the city, 9.9 on the highway and 12.4 combined with the manual, or 14.6 city, 9.6 highway and 12.3 combined with the automatic, still pretty decent considering

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the performance on hand, but the four was also lighter than the V6 and therefore reduced weight over the front tires for a more flickable feel, especially when uprated to R-Spec trim.

But while those of us lament the loss of the lovely little four there’s good news for the power mongers among us. Now that the V6 is standard, so is R-Spec trim. What’s more, the price of a GC with a six behind the grille has dropped from $37,199 last year to $29,499 for 2015, while Hyundai’s freight and pre-delivery prep charge remains $1,695. That’s a $7,700 savings! And only $2,800 more than the previous four-cylinder model’s base price. Ok, I’ll stop crying over the decommissioned 2.0T.

R-Spec

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trim, incidentally, provides a combination of performance upgrades to the suspension that transforms it from a great handling sports 2+2 into a sublime bit of super coupe kit. The base rims are now 19s shod in 225/40 high-performance summer rubber up front and the same compound measuring 245/40 in the rear, while a strut tower brace spans the width of the engine compartment, a Torsen-type limited slip diff keeps the rear end locked in place and performance dampers maintain control no matter the roadway or method of attack. What’s more, the brakes are large ventilated Brembos, 340 millimetres clamped down on with four-piston monobloc fixed calipers up front and 330 mm two-piston binders in the rear.

I’ve tested R-Spec models before and can’t help but recommend the car highly to anyone who loves driving. In my experience, scrubbing speed off ahead of a tight corner

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is an afterthought, the brakes so instantly reactive and wonderfully linear that heavy stomps won’t even throw the car off balance, this much to do with the GC’s wonderfully sorted undercarriage. On that note you don’t need to slow as much as you’ll likely expect, the car capable of handling feats that won’t only put a smile on your face, but might just leave you in a state of shock and awe. That such performance is now standard makes the 2015 Genesis Coupe’s sub-$30k price point beyond impressive, but rather one of the best sports car deals in the industry.

Of course, we expect as much from Hyundai. They’ve long been one of the auto market’s value leaders, but many still don’t realize that they’re building cars that are every bit as well made as their Japanese rivals, let alone North American manufacturers.

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Just a quick look around the cabin provides proof enough that Hyundai takes the need to change perceptions seriously. The GC’s interior is impressive, as previously noted, while its standard feature set is easily up to the level of competitors if not beyond. The base 3.8 R-Spec model includes power door locks with remote keyless entry and alarm, powered windows with auto up/down, a bright and clear Supervision primary gauge cluster, a leather-wrapped tilt and telescopic multifunction steering wheel and leather-wrapped gearshift knob, aluminum foot pedals and footrest, high performance sport seats with black leatherette bolsters, black cloth inserts and sporty red contrast stitching, plus automatic climate control, an AM/FM/CD/MP3/satellite audio system with six speakers, iPod, USB and auxiliary connectivity and Bluetooth hands-free, as well as cruise control, automatic projector beam halogen headlights, fog lamps, LED taillights, powered and heatable

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side mirrors with body-colour housings, a windshield wiper deicer, solar control tinted glass, a trunk lid spoiler, chrome-tipped dual exhaust, R-Spec badging, a front centre armrest with a storage compartment, rear folding seats with a trunk release, and all the expected safety features such as ABS-enhanced brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and emergency brake assist, stability and traction control, active head restraints and the usual assortment of airbags.

As good as the stock R-Spec sounds, my tester came equipped with an upgraded Premium package that removed all of the go-faster goodies and instead came shod in 18-inch rims wrapped in 225/45 front and 245/45 rear high-performance all-seasons. This trim is designed for those who are willing to trade off a little at-the-limit

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performance for a more comfortable ride and the luxury to go with it. Its very reasonable $32,199 price point, or $33,999 with the automatic, includes proximity-sensing keyless access with pushbutton ignition, a bright and clear full-colour high-resolution seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and a rearview camera, a superb sounding 360-watt Infinity audio upgrade with 10 speakers and an external amp, an eight-way powered driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a powered tilt and slide glass sunroof with sunshade, automatic HID headlights with auto-leveling, LED daytime running lights, and LED turn signal repeaters in the mirror housings.

If you want all of this luxury along with most of the R-Spec’s performance features, plus the availability of the brilliant eight-speed automatic gearbox, Hyundai doesn’t disappoint by offering the Genesis Coupe GT, also available with the

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six-speed manual. For $37,199 with the manual or $38,999 with the auto the GT combines the 19-inch wheels and tires, sport suspension, strut-tower brace, upgraded Brembo brakes and more from the R-Spec, with the enhanced infotainment, leather seats, etcetera from the Premium package, while also adding metal grain appearance interior trim, illuminated aluminum door scuff plates, an electrochromic auto-dimming rearview mirror with integrated HomeLink garage door opener and compass, plus acoustically-laminated glass.

While I would’ve appreciated spending time with the GT or R-Spec for obvious reasons, I’ve driven Genesis Coupes with said performance upgrades in previous years and can attest to their value to the true driving enthusiast. I’ve never spent time in a V6-powered model with the base GC undercarriage, mind you, so my stint

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in this Premium model was an all-new experience. First off, the larger sidewalls of the 18s make for a more comfortable ride that I must admit is nicer around town, while this model’s handling is still much more capable than most of the two-doors it’s up against. I was reminded of this immediately upon rounding the first curve, even the more relaxed Premium model capable of managing much more than I had asked from it. So I quickly picked up the pace and set the car up for a particularly sharp left-hander: child’s play. Like I said, where the R-Spec provides awe-inspiring road manners, the Premium is still a force to be reckoned with. It’s a more livable tradeoff that’s appealing to many, along the same vein as opting for the automatic transmission over the manual. Some are willing to put up with a little daily inconvenience and discomfort for those special moments when lack of traffic combines

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with a sweet stretch of convoluted roadway for (hu)man and machine to become one. I fall into that camp, which is probably why I chose my profession, but I fully respect those who are willing to accept a slightly tamer experience during such rare occasions for a more pleasurable daily driver.

Alternatively you can just stand there and stare at any one of the three models. Just consider for a moment that the Genesis Coupe has been on the market for three years since its makeover and eight years since its basic shape stole most performance enthusiasts’ hearts, and it still looks wonderful from every angle. The larger post-redesign grille might not be as gracefully penned as the original, but it gives

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the car a more menacing, purposeful look while following current trends of supersized air induction. Trends in mind, Hyundai, which was one of the first to deliver LEDs to the masses, integrates a particularly attractive set into the gorgeous jeweled headlamp design and the fog lamps just below, while the LED taillights are equally attractive with myriad lenses combining for a sophisticated upscale look. Hyundai finishes off the back end with a matte black diffuser style lower valance housing twin ovoid chrome tailpipes. From front to back it’s a sleek, rakish, personal performance coupe, with just enough refined luxury to give it near premium status and more than enough capability on the road or track to make many of those pricier luxury rides seems downright common.

While it’s lost a wonderful base powerplant, Hyundai can be forgiven because the 2015 Genesis Coupe’s even more impressive standard package makes it best of the best in the V6-powered performance coupe class.
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