By the mid-2000s, Hyundai was no longer content with being seen as a maker of cheap and cheerful cars. The automaker set its sights higher, determined to move upmarket with powerful, rear-wheel-drive luxury sedans that could rival the established German offerings. Its first experiment came with the Equus full-size sedan, but for a more mainstream audience, it launched the first Genesis sedan, which was introduced for the 2009 model year in the US.
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