Genesis — How Hyundai Built a Luxury Car Brand

Genesis at a glance

Origins: the Hyundai Genesis saloon

Hyundai began the project in 2003 as "Concept Genesis" and described the result as a progressive interpretation of the modern rear-wheel-drive sports saloon. The development programme took 23 months and included reliability tests over 800,000 miles (about 1.29 million km).

The production car was shown as a concept at the 2007 New York show and presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2008. Sales began in Korea on 8 January 2008 and in the United States in August. Engines included the Lambda 3.8-litre V6 with 216 kW (290 hp) in US form and the Tau 4.6-litre V8 with 280 kW (375 hp), later 287 kW (385 hp). The Genesis was named 2009 North American Car of the Year, the first time Hyundai won that award, and US buyers took 21,889 saloons and coupés in 2009.

A second-generation Genesis (DH) followed in November 2013. By then Hyundai had spent seven years in the luxury segment, and that experience was one of the reasons it gave for the next step.

A separate brand from 2015

On 4 November 2015 Hyundai announced Genesis as an independent luxury brand. The project was led by Chung Eui-sun, then vice chairman and later chairman of the group, from planning through recruitment. He hired senior people from European premium makers: Manfred Fitzgerald, formerly of Lamborghini, became the first global head (2016–2019); Luc Donckerwolke, who had worked at Bentley, Lamborghini and Audi, became chief creative officer; SangYup Lee, designer of the Bentley Continental GT, took charge of design; and Albert Biermann, previously at BMW M, led performance development.

The first Genesis model was the G90 flagship, called EQ900 in Korea, which made its debut on 9 December 2015 with a 272 kW (365 hp) 3.3-litre turbo V6 or a 313 kW (420 hp) 5.0-litre V8. The second-generation G90 followed in 2021. The Hyundai Genesis saloon was renamed Genesis G80 in 2016–2017, and both cars went on sale in the United States in late 2016, at first in Genesis areas inside Hyundai showrooms. The naming system was simple: G plus a number for saloons, GV plus a number for SUVs, and "Electrified" for battery versions. The first Genesis showroom, in the Gangnam district of Seoul, was designed by the architect Rem Koolhaas.

G70, GV80 and the SUV years

The compact Genesis G70 arrived in September 2017. It used the rear-wheel-drive M2 platform shared with the Kia Stinger, with four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 with 272 kW (370 PS). In North America it won both the 2019 North American Car of the Year and MotorTrend's 2019 Car of the Year. For Europe, Genesis added the G70 Shooting Brake estate in 2021.

The first SUV, the Genesis GV80, was revealed on 14 January 2020, followed by the smaller GV70. The SUVs changed the scale of the brand: annual sales jumped from 77,135 in 2019 to 132,450 in 2020 and 201,450 in 2021. The GV70 and Electrified GV70 are also built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery.

Electric cars and new markets

Genesis showed its first production electric car, the Electrified G80, in April 2021. The GV60, unveiled on 19 August 2021, was the brand's first model on Hyundai's dedicated E-GMP electric platform. It uses 800-volt charging, which can take its 77.4 kWh battery from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes at a 350 kW charger, and offers 168 kW (228 PS) with rear-wheel drive or up to 320 kW (435 PS) in the AWD Performance version. Its Face Connect system recognises the driver's face to unlock the car and set the seat and mirrors. Euro NCAP gave the GV60 five stars.

Genesis entered Europe, including the United Kingdom, in May 2021, starting with the G70. The brand is also sold in China, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Oceania. In September 2021 it announced that all new models from 2025 would be electric or fuel-cell powered, with carbon neutrality targeted for 2035; in August 2024 the plan was revised to include hybrids as a transition.

Magma, motorsport and Genesis today

Magma is the brand's performance sub-brand, used for special high-output trims; the GV60 Magma of 2026 has 478 kW (641 hp). On 12 September 2024 Hyundai Motorsport announced that Genesis would enter the FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMDh class. The team, Genesis Magma Racing, and its GMR-001 car were presented on 4 December 2024, with Cyril Abiteboul as team principal, for entry into the WEC in 2026 and the American IMSA series in 2027.

Sales reached 225,189 in 2023 and 229,532 in 2024, and cumulative sales passed one million in August 2023. The range now covers the G70, G80 and G90 saloons, the GV60, GV70 and GV80 SUVs and electrified versions. All models are listed in the Genesis catalogue; the parent company's own story is in the history of Hyundai. For comparison with Japanese luxury brands, see the history of Lexus and Acura. Its SUVs are compared with rivals in the best luxury SUVs.

Genesis timeline

Landmark Genesis models