Photos

Camouflage can’t hide the prototype’s smart roof line. (Photo by KGP Photography)

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Hyundai has begun testing redesigned prototypes of its future luxury car that are similar in appearance to the Genesis concept car that debuted earlier this year at the 2007 New York Auto Show.

The latest prototype’s grille is trapezoidal, instead of the former prototype’s round-cornered rectangle, and the grille slats are no longer vertical, but horizontal like the original concept.

The new car’s headlights are more pointed, and they stretch back along the fenders, again mimicking the shape of the Genesis showcar’s lights. The prototype’s front bumper has been toned down, with more conventional foglamps integrated with a rounded lower air intake.

Although the sedan’s profile hasn’t been altered since the first prototype, the latest version shows a shark-fin antenna mounted on the roof. Nine-spoke wheels are nearly identical to those used on the showcar.

What this means to you: Hyundai continues to fine-tune the look of its first true luxury sedan before it goes on sale in 2008.