Road Test: 2009 Hyundai Genesis

It's all about the numbers. Longer and wider, with a longer wheelbase and shorter turning radius than BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, and Lexus ES. Lower coefficient of drag, 0.27, and better fuel economy than most. A stiffer body than those of the Bimmer, Benz, and the Lexus LS 430 (Hyundai sees much of the Lexus range as its competition). Its optional Tau V-8 is "best-in-class," making more horses (375) than V-8s in the 550i, E550, GS 460, or Infiniti M45 and does 0-to-60 mph in well under six seconds.

On Namyang's tight handling course, the Genesis's suspension handles transitions reasonably well. Push it hard, though, and the front tires scrub into the pavement....The car is biased considerably toward understeer, and there's no steering with the throttle, electronic stability control on or off. As with most any Lexus or Mercedes, you can't turn ESP off completely. The speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering is a bit numb and on the light side, offering less feedback than an Infiniti M35 provided for comparison, and requiring small corrections on the banks of Namyang's high-speed oval.

Source: AutoCrave

2009 Hyundai Genesis 700 Units Presold

The Hyundai Genesis sedan won’t launch in the U.S. until later this summer but Hyundai says that dealers have already presold 700 units of its luxury car along with more than 20,000 customers who have expressed interest in the car. Hyundai will spend more than $80 million on a marketing campaign for the new Genesis - the most it has spent to launch any vehicle in the U.S.

Rich appointments, rear-wheel-drive, a choice of powerful engines, and a starting price of $30k is a good story to sell customers on, and the Genesis sedan is being looked at as the halo car in Hyundai's lineup. That helps justify spending the most launch money on any Hyundai ever, even though only 30,000 Genesis sedans are scheduled to be sold per year. Genesis marketing begins with a 15-city tour involving about 100 sedans, and will include television ads plus the Internet and plenty of viral events. We're very anxious to see if Hyundai can deliver a legitimate Lexus GS competitor for over $10,000 less..

Source: TheyReviewed

Sony HDR-TG3E Is World Smallest Full HD Camcorder

Sony announces the world's smallest and lightest Full HD camcorder, the HDR -TG1 or HDR-TG3E in Europe. The new camcorder comes in a pure titanium body with scratch-resistant Premium Hard Coating and features a ClearVid CMOS Sensor for HD picture quality, Face Detection technology along with a color balance and skin tone function. The built-in zoom microphone records with Dolby Digital 5.1ch surround sound and the BRAVIA Sync function enables control of playback functions using TV remote.

This diminutive camcorder weighs in at only ten ounces. It has an ultra-portable body measuring just 1.3-inches wide by 4.7-inches tall by 2.5-inches deep. It is a full-featured camcorder that can record 1920 x 1080 HD video and 4-megapixel digital photos directly to Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo™ or PRO Duo Mark2 media cards. Its size and full recording capability makes it the world's smallest full HD camcorder.

The camcorder features advanced video and audio technologies with simple, intuitive operation. It is equipped with a high-quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® 10x optical zoom lens and 2-megapixel ClearVid™ CMOS sensor with Exmor™-derived technology, engineered to minimize picture noise.

The Sony HDR-TG1 camcorder will ship with supplied accessories including 4GB PRO Duo Mark2 media card for about $900. There is also an optional travel kit (Sony ACC-TCH5) that includes a battery, travel charger and pouch for about $100. Plus, there is a custom-fit case (Sony LCM-TGA) with brushed metal accents available as an accessory for about $50.

Source: Gadget Show