The 2015 all-new Genesis, Hyundai Motor’s premium sedan brand, has strengthened its footing in the global luxury car league, armed with upgraded technology.

The popularity of the revamped Genesis has grown faster than its first generation model over the past year in its target U.S. market.

Hyundai Motor debuted the 2015 Genesis in the U.S. last April, five years after it launched the first generation luxury sedan back in 2009 in an effort to shed its image as a value-for-money carmaker.

The nation’s largest carmaker said it sold 4,242 Genesis vehicles in the U.S. during the first two months of the year, taking a 12 percent market share in the midsize luxury sedan market.

The new Genesis was the third best performer in that period after BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which sold 6,745 units and 6,965 units, respectively.

Behind the popularity of the new Genesis is not only improved driving performance but also world-class technological offerings to improve safety at a cheaper price than other global rivals in the segment.

Regarding driving performance, the new Genesis’ top trim 3.8, whose price reaches around $50,000 in the U.S. market, produces 315 horsepower and a torque of 40.5 kilogram meters. It also comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission for the first time, which improved fuel efficiency and acceleration, and reduced noise.

The 2015 Genesis boasts world-class safety features. For instance, it offers the lane keeping assist system, designed to force a vehicle to stay in its lane if it starts moving into another without turning its direction lamps on, a system aimed to prevent accidents caused by unintentional lane departure.

It also features an automatic emergency braking system that uses both cameras and radar sensors.

Its in-car gadgets such as a head-up display and a bigger high-definition navigation screen improves driving convenience.

The sleek exterior design and roomier interior offers drivers an additional pleasure.

The gasoline-powered 2015 Genesis, however, has made little progress in fuel efficiency. It gets up to 8 kilometers per liter in city driving, which is slightly below average for the class.

Despite a few drawbacks, for Genesis fans, it is a joy to see its evolution, as Hyundai Motor will continue to upgrade its successful premium sedan, which delivers not only the carmaker’s key features ― reliability, affordability and performance ― but also technology.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)