G90 backseat gives more than satisfaction

Published : Nov 22, 2015 - 18:42 Updated : Nov 22, 2015 - 18:43

MOJAVE DESERT, Nevada -- Under the scorching sun of Nevada’s Mojave Desert, the G90 -- destined to be sold as EQ900 in Korea -- the first flagship sedan under the Genesis brand, has been tested for various road conditions and climates in order to penetrate the global market, especially North America.

Hyundai Motor invited several media outlets to the backseats of the G90 at the Hyundai-Kia California Proving Grounds. Due to security and safety issues, the steering wheels were manipulated by professional drivers and engineers who knew the nooks and crannies of the 17.7 million square meters designed to emulate nearly all features of roads drivers would encounter, including bumps, cracks, pebbles, off-road terrain, uphill and downhill, winding bends and more.

“We are constantly testing the car, including whether it could endure the heat and various shock factors on U.S. roads,” a Hyundai spokesman said, introducing the 10-course circuit that has been used by industry journals such as Motor Trend. He added that each G90 drove more than 160,000 kilometers of the circuit, equivalent to driving across the globe four times.

And the result?

The backseat is beyond satisfactory.

Having inherited the platform of Hyundai’s luxury sedan Equus, which has been widely popular among the elite who prefer to remain in the back while being chauffeured, the seats have plenty of legroom and the stability required for a premium sedan.

Hyundai’s’ new G90 at the company’s California Proving Grounds in the Mojave Desert in Nevada. Hyundai Motor

The “modern ERGO seats,” which gained German civic group Aktion Gesunder Rucken’s accreditation for their comfort and back protection, embraced the back and shoulders perfectly. The moment I leaned back, it naturally hugged me so I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to get up, perfectly in line with the carmaker’s description of the “First Class VIP Seat.”

The smooth acceleration was thanks to Hyundai’s signature Lambda engine --the 3.3 turbo charger and the 5.0 engines -- which also helped comfort in the back even when driving at speeds in excess of 240 kilometers per hour. On the pebbly road, winding road or cemented, cracked roads, the 1-centimeter thick fender in the seat managed to reduce shock delivered to the body.

Hyundai also took extreme care in ensuring silence.

“We have made a vacuum in between the layers of the wheels so that it could reduce the noise of the shock to the shock absorber. This has helped us decrease the noise by three decibels. The three-layer sealing weather strips on the doors and the noise-blocking glass used for the windows have managed to contain the noise to a minimum level,” a Hyundai Motor America spokesman said.

“I say the G90 steering is a bit more stable than the Lexus 460L (which is considered a market competitor pricewise). That may have helped reduce noise and raise the comfort,” Michael Csakan, an engineer at the proving ground, said.

The G90 will be rolled out in May 2016, and Hyundai said considering shipping and other logistics, sales will start in the second half of the year.

By Bae Ji-sook, Korea Herald correspondent (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)