It seems that the Genesis luxury sedan is a real success in the United States: dealers have presold 700 units and more than 20,000 consumers have expressed interest in the car.

Maybe this is why Hyundai will pend $80 million on a marketing campaign for its new Genesis — by far the most the automaker has spent to launch a vehicle in the United States.

Hyundai expects to sell only about 30,000 units of the rear-drive Genesis annually in the United States. But executives think the car, which will be priced between $30,000 and $40,000 and offered with both V-8 and V-6 engines, will help draw customers to Hyundai dealerships.

"Genesis will help sell all Hyundai vehicles," said Joel Ewanick, vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America.

"This car will allow us to reach new customers and talk up quality like we never have," Ewanick said. "They've given us enough resources, and we will spend the money over a short period of time — over the summer. We have to make every cent count. We will be talking to a broad audience to use this as a brand lift."

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