Hyundai Motor's premium concept HCD-14 Genesis makes world debut

Hyundai Motor America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co., staged a world premiere of the HCD-14 Genesis concept at Cobo Center. The luxury concept also hints at the company’s future premium convenience features by showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as innovative eye-tracking and gesture-based controls. Sales of Hyundai’s luxury vehicles have been posting significant gains worldwide, especially in the U.S., China and the Middle East.

In 2012, Hyundai’s top end models such as the Genesis and Equus, saw a 24 percent sales increase outside Korea compared to the previous year. In particular, in the Middle East region, sales of the two models reached 4,132 units, an increase of more than 45 percent from a year earlier. For the first time, Equus was named 2012 Car of the Year by the leading Middle East car magazine, Sport Auto.

In the U.S., Hyundai’s largest luxury market outside of Korea, Hyundai has been steadily expanding its market share as well. Following the success of the Genesis, which was chosen as the 2009 North American Car of the Year, Equus sales are showing strong momentum since its launch at the end of 2010. In the 16th annual Strategic Vision Total Value Awards, the Equus beat competitors like BMW and Mercedes to take first place in the luxury car segment.

Hyundai also exhibited its first PHEV system at the show. Based on a mid-sized sedan concept, the PHEV showcased Hyundai’s latest technological developments. Hyundai aims for mass production of PHEV based on this system. Powered by 2.0 GDI engine, the next-generation PHEV runs 32km on a single charge in all-electric mode, and when the battery power falls to a certain level, it automatically switches to hybrid mode, enabling longer driving distances. The battery can be fully charged at home in about three hours.

While the HCD-14 Genesis exterior design makes a statement all its own, the driver’s environment is where its technological innovation breaks new ground. Ergonomics engineers eliminated the traditional centre stack, developing an intuitive driver interface system that allows the HCD-14 driver to better keep his eyes on the road. Using state-of-the-art driver eye-tracking and 3-D hand-gesture recognition, HCD-14 Genesis is able to recognise driver commands free from the distractions associated with manual controls. Once a specific feature is selected via eye-tracking, thumb controls or gesture recognition can be used to select navigation, infotainment, audio, HVAC, and even smartphone connectivity functions. This intuitive interface provides the driver with complete control while keeping his eyes safely above the cowl plane, using a windshield heads-up display (HUD) for minimal driving distraction. This proprietary interface represents Hyundai’s vision for future vehicle HMI and sets a new benchmark in active driver safety technology.

The HCD-14 Genesis powertrain features the award-winning Hyundai Tau® V8 engine, displacing 5.0-litres, with direct injection and Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT), for impressive power, low emissions and superb efficiency. HCD-14 Genesis uses optical recognition to identify the driver and initiate the starting sequence, while gear selection for the 8-speed automatic transmission is performed via paddle shifters. HCD-14 Genesis exhaust is ceramic-lined and was tuned for minimal backpressure, maximum high-rpm horsepower, and a deep baritone note, with cooling fins integrated into ultra-wide exhaust tips.

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