Hyundai is banking heavily on its new Genesis rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan, with some officials at the Korean automaker hoping the car will justify a luxury spin-off brand to compete with Lexus and Acura.  In order to get the Genesis on American roads quickly, Kicking Tires reports, "it’s given the $33,000 car an excellent lease option: The Genesis can be yours for two years with $2,199 up front and $399 a month for 24 months."  The deal "fares pretty well -- especially when you consider the fact that Hyundai names the Cadillac CTS as a competitor."

Autoblog comments, "It's a deal that undercuts the Cadillac CTS by nearly $150/month, according to a retailer who sells both."  The offer applies only to V6-powered Genesis sedans, but "With 80 percent of customers expected to choose the V6 model (we would too), the lease program is bold enough to drive traffic."  The offer is available through the end of July.

AutoWeek adds, "A strong residual value from Automotive Lease Guide helped cut the cost of leasing.  The Santa Barbara, Calif., company, which sets residual standards for the industry, estimates that a 2009 Genesis will be worth 50 percent of its original sticker price after 36 months."

Canada's Globe and Mail comments, "some naysayers suggest the company's timing -- with the United States on the brink of recession and the housing marketing crumbling under 2.5 million foreclosures -- could not be worse.  Hyundai officials, product planners and designers are naturally taking the opposite view. They believe the 2009 Genesis marks a triumphant moment in the history of a company that has -- depending on how you aggregate the numbers and assign ownership -- emerged as the fifth- or sixth-largest car company on the planet, with annual sales of about four million."  If there are luxury buyers in a recession, it can't hurt to offer them a low monthly payment.

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