LOOKS
When you’re going after luxury automakers like Mercedes, Cadillac and Lexus with your upscale offering, looks do matter -- a lot. A vehicle has to catch your eye or it won’t matter what else it has going for it.

The Genesis has been reimagined for this year and does deliver in this regard, with some sharp color offerings and an exterior design that is appealing and smooth; I won’t say it’s the most attractive vehicle I’ve seen in this class, but it definitely sends out some high-class vibes when it hits the street and you’ll know this is no ordinary car.

There are both coupe and sedan versions of the Genesis offered for variety, and I tested the sedan.

Getting past the exterior, the inside materials are well put-together and high-quality; including leather seating (with an option to upgrade to “ultra” leather) and a leather-wrapped tilt and telescopic steering wheel.

You get push-button start, and proximity key entry so you can just walk up and get going without even taking your keys out of the pocket.

There is ample space inside, though its not quite as cozy as Hyundai’s larger Equus luxury sedan. Trunk space is plentiful too.

For more flair, you can add the optional power tilt-and-slide panoramic sunroof, optional HID headlights, and optional power rear sunshade and manual rear side sunshades.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER
Under the hood is an area where the Genesis can be proud.
The Genesis I tested boasted a 3.8-liter V6 engine that offered 311 horsepower engine and 293 lb.-ft. of torque. You can also opt up to a V8 engine and get 420 horsepower (but the price jumps significantly if you do this).

The Genesis is initially a rear-wheel drive vehicle, but it’s upgradable to all-wheel-drive and that’s something you’ll want to do. It features an eight-speed automatic transmission.

I was impressed with the ride quality in the Genesis, which lived up to its classy look by maintaining a quiet ride inside and keeping the noise out.

Handling isn’t quite up to snuff as compared to some of Hyundai’s luxury competitors, but for a large-ish vehicle like this it did OK, thanks in large part to its independent front and rear suspension.

Speed is not a concern here either. Even with the Genesis’ V6 engine, you get quite an ample amount of oomph both from a stop and while you’re driving.

TECHNOLOGY
The tech setup inside the Genesis was impressively designed, easy to figure out and use, and it was also quite simple to set up/connect a phone and use the Bluetooth capability to make calls/transmit your music to the vehicle.
Voice commands also worked quite well.

Among the bevy of tech features that come standard are:
-- Rain sensing wipers and headlamp washer
-- Heated dual power outside mirrors with turn signal indicators (with the added cool feature of the mirrors folding in, and also shining the Genesis logo on the ground via it’s “puddle lamps” that are sort of like its own “Batsignal”)
-- Heated front and rear seats
-- 4.3-inch LCD multi info display (you can upgrade to a larger screen)
-- Auto dimming rearview mirror with compass and Homelink
-- Bluetooth/audio streaming
-- Hyundai BlueLink powered by Google (a helpful assistant is only a button away to help get you where you are going or answer questions)
-- AM/FM/CD/MP3/HD radio with seven speakers (which can be upgraded to a 17-speaker system if you want a better sound in your ride)
-- Satellite radio for 90 days free
-- Sirius TravelLink 3 years free
-- Tire pressure monitor

While it is not standard, Navigation system is an option you can add via the Ultimate package.

SAFETY
The Genesis took home some awesome government safety ratings; plenty of five-star ratings to go around. With safety being a key factor for many car buyers, this is a good feather to have it its cap. You also get some pretty impressive extended warranty offers on the vehicle (100K powertrain being the most notable).

You’ll also get Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control; ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist; 9 airbags including driver knee airbag; and anti-whiplash front head restraints.

There’s also plenty of safety options that can be added, including:
-- One helpful safety feature offered as an option in the Ultimate Package is the Heads-Up Display, which lets you look straight ahead (not down at your speedometer) to see how fast you are driving.
-- The optional Tech Package includes equally helpful features such as: Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist, Smart Cruise Control, and Auto Emergency Braking/High Beam Assist.
-- The optional Signature package includes Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-traffic Alert, and Parking Guidelines when you use the back-up camera.

It would be nice if more of these features (both safety and tech) came standard on a vehicle of this class level, but it’s nice to know they’re at least all available.

The Signature package runs $4,000; the Tech package is $3,500 and the Ultimate package is $3,500.

MPG
Official numbers for consumption on the Genesis are 16 city/25 highway/19 combined, about where my numbers ended up. These are somewhat disappointing numbers, as the Genesis is outclassed by many of its competitors (Cadillac CTS, Lexus GS, Mercedes E-Class) in the midsize upscale sedan category by a few mpg.

PRICE
The rear-wheel drive version of the V6-equipped Genesis starts at $38,000. My test vehicle, a Genesis all-wheel-drive model, was $40,500 to start, and edged all the way up to $52,450 once the Tech Package, Signature Package and Ultimate Package were added.
While these numbers aren’t exactly low, compared to what many luxury vehicles in this class will cost you, the Genesis is a bit of a bargain.

BOTTOM LINE
While Hyundai isn’t the first name that comes to anyone’s mind when they are looking for an upscale sedan to purchase, the performance and look of the Genesis make a compelling case that it should be a part of the conversation.

Between the Genesis and Hyundai’s even more impressive Equus luxury model, the automaker has proven it’s got a lot more to offer than most folks might realize.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.