Auto News 5

Namyang, South Korea -- Five years ago, Hyundai launched its first luxury car, the Genesis. Few car names have been so fitting, because the Genesis truly was the beginning of a change in perception and market reach for the Korean automaker. At the time, we said that Hyundai had “taken off its gloves,” launching a “no-holds-barred assault” on the luxury market with a car that was surprisingly impressive. The 2009 Genesis was a commendable effort complete with a powerful V-8 and rear-wheel drive—an ambitious feat for any car company, let alone one that had never done a premium vehicle of any kind in its then 41-year existence.