Hyundai’s increasing presence in LA range from the budget-minded Accent to the luxury Genesis and Equus models. Of the two high-end models, the Genesis outsells the Equus most likely attributable to its more attractive pricing and the fact that it has most luxury features on present on most motorists’ wish list. On January 18, the Genesis racked up another accolade when Autoweek editors recognized the Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept as the “Best Concept” in its 2013 NAIAS Editors' Choice Awards at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The HCD-14 triumphed over the BMW 4-series and Ford Atlas in the Autoweek voting process.
The Autoweek editors noted, “The HCD-14, the latest in Hyundai's long line of conceptual offerings, could eventually become the next Genesis sedan in production guise – and that would take the Korean automaker to yet another level of sophistication in styling as well as technological prowess.” said Autoweek editors. Davey G. Johnson, Autoweek’s senior online editor, added, “You look at this elegant sedan and say, 'That's a Hyundai?' This is a gorgeous concept car.”
A total of 59 vehicles were included in the voting process. The Autoweek editors chose a Best in Show, a Best Concept, and a Most Significant. and a Most Fun vehicle. “We instilled the HCD-14 Genesis with a premium-sport 4-door coupe road presence,” noted Christopher Chapman, chief designer, Hyundai Design North America. He added, “It has a sleek and lightweight silhouette and inside, a driver-centric cockpit prioritizes dramatic sculpture and safety over infotainment button overload. HCD-14 Genesis gives a hint of the spiritual direction we can imagine for our premium lineup, and an indication of the focus we’re placing on the intuitive and instinctual relationship between driver and machine.
Hyundai notes that the HCD-14 Genesis features state-of-the-art driver eye-tracking and hand-gesture recognition, thumb controls or gesture recognition used to select navigation, infotainment, audio, HVAC, and smartphone connectivity functions. A windshield heads-up display (HUD) provides minimal driving distraction and the concept’s powertrain features Hyundai Tau® V8 engine with direct injection and Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT).
For those who can’t wait for the HCD-14 to become a reality, the currently available Genesis is available at your LA Hyundai dealer. The 3.8 liter V6 has a base price of $34,200 and the more luxurious 5.0 liter R-Spec will set you back $48,600. For a complete listing of the Autoweek editors’ picks, click on this link.
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