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Lexus is currently in the process of
reinventing itself with the introduction of the new GS.
The most prominent feature of the redesign is the
"spindle grille" which is gradually becoming the
corporate face of Lexus. Thankfully, the front end
design has toned down from the concept with just enough
edginess to keep it from drowning out in the luxury
middle class. While Lexus focuses on chasing the
coattails of the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series, it
may be forgetting the relative newcomer to the luxury
game, the Hyundai Genesis.
Introduced back in 2009, the Genesis is becoming a thorn
in luxury carmakers’ sides offering a surprisingly high
level of refinement, standard equipment, comfort, and
power at an affordable price. The Genesis gets
redesigned for the 2012 model year with more power, a
retuned suspension, updated styling, and a new top of
the line R-Spec. The existing V8 gets a bump in engine
displacement to an even 5.0 liters and fitted with
direct injection to give the Genesis a healthy 429
horsepower. That easily trumps the engine offerings in
the GS until a rumored GS-F arrives (if ever that is).
Even the base 3.8 liter engine in the Genesis now
produces more power at 333 hp than the essentially
unchanged 3.5 liter engine in the GS350 rated at 306 hp.
However Lexus, known for its love of hybrids, will offer
the GS450h fitted with an Atkinson Cycle 3.5 liter V6
and the usual hybrid equipment. Total output is rated at
338 hp. While not even coming close in power to the 5.0
liter engine in the Genesis or other manufacturer's top
offerings, the GS450h leads the segment in fuel economy.
Although Lexus hasn’t upgraded powertrains in the GS as
much as one would have hoped for, they’ve spent their
focus on improving the interior. The GS now features one
of the largest infotainment screens offered in any
vehicle. At 12.3 inches, the screen in the GS may be
larger than those in some of your laptops. And if you’re
reading this on an iPad, imagine have another 2 inches
of screen real estate. With that much space available,
you’re able to simultaneously view navigation maps,
vehicle information, audio and climate control settings,
etc. A new infotainment system known as Lexus Enform now
gives you the ability to check Facebook, listen to
Pandora, or look up traffic, weather, sports, fuel
prices, and whatever else your heart desires.
While Hyundai may not be able to go toe-to-toe with
Lexus on every feature, you have to keep in mind the
starting price. At $34,200, the Genesis is priced lower
than Lexus ES350, let alone the GS350.
Official pricing for the new GS350 hasn’t been released
yet, but expect around $48,000. That’s a substantial 14
thousand dollar difference, enough to buy your son or
daughter a Hyundai Accent along with your Genesis. Not
to mention the 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty that comes
standard on every Hyundai.
When Lexus first appeared on the scenes in 1989, it
revolutionized the luxury car segment. It was able to
offer an equivalent level of luxury and refinement of
its competitors at a substantially lower price. The
original GS debuted a few years after following those
same principals. But that Lexus as we knew it is
disappearing. Instead, Hyundai has come in to fill that
role. |
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