Genesis: A Guide to Everything You Need to Know

Genesis hasn’t even been around for a decade, but it has left its mark on the world of luxury cars.

As a luxury spin-off from Hyundai, Genesis entered the market as a direct competitor to other similar brands such as Lexus and German juggernauts BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Even with that goal, Genesis remains a niche player, especially in Australia. Sales are much lower than those of its rivals, but the company is comfortable in its position as it wants to maintain its model range and expand into new technologies – especially as it envisions a shift to become electric-only by 2030.

That doesn’t mean he can’t have fun, though, as he recently unveiled his performance sub-brand Magma, previewing souped-up versions of its GV60 electric SUV and G80 sedan.

It also recently launched its Taxi service at the Nürburgring uses the G70 sedan to give customers the chance to take a hot lap through the “Green Hell”.

If you’ve come across the name Genesis but aren’t sure what it’s all about, here’s everything you need to know.

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What is Genesis?

Genesis Motor is a luxury brand within the Hyundai Motor Group, established as a standalone brand in 2015 and arriving in Australia in 2019. The head office is located in Seoul, South Korea.

The Genesis name was first brought to light way back in 2003, when Hyundai rolled out its first Genesis vehicle in the form of a luxury concept car.

The first Genesis would not be launched until 2007. That car was the Hyundai Genesis, which a press release at the time labeled a “progressive interpretation of the modern rear-wheel drive sports sedan.” A Genesis Coupé followed in 2008.

After internal debate, it was decided that these two cars would be launched as models under the Hyundai name, rather than under their own luxury brand.

Genesis was launched in 2015 as a standalone brand, with Hyundai US spokesperson Chris Hosford citing three main reasons behind the decision at the time. The reasons were:

• Genesis had already had seven successful years in the luxury car market
• Genesis was among the top three segment sellers
• Customers expressed interest in a separate Genesis division

The second-generation Hyundai Genesis was renamed the Genesis G80, while the brand’s first unique model was the G90 sedan, which was launched in December 2015 and remains a flagship for Genesis.

The G90 was the successor to the Hyundai Equus, a large luxury sedan that first went into production in 1999.

These were followed by the smaller G70 sedan, a rival to the BMW 3 Series launched in 2017. The brand launched its first SUV in 2020, which came in the form of the GV80.

The same year, Genesis launched the GV70, while two new electric vehicles (EVs) followed in 2021. These were the Electrified G80 and the GV60, the latter of which shares Hyundai’s e-GMP platform used in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. .

Genesis has also unveiled a series of concept vehicles, the first of which was the 2015 Vision G. Although first shown as a Hyundai model and predating the launch of the standalone brand, it carried Genesis badging and was eventually merged into the G90. .

What followed was a new concept every year, starting with the New York sedan in 2016 (which became the G70), then the GV80 SUV, the Essentia grand tourer and the Mint city car. There were no concepts in 2020, although Genesis unveiled the X coupe the following year, followed by the Neolun SUV earlier this year.

Genesis also has a number of studios worldwide, designed to offer customers the opportunity to view and experience models in a more intimate setting than a typical dealership. The first opened in 2016 in Hanam, South Korea, and has since been followed by others in South Korea and international locations such as China.

In Australia, Genesis has just seven stores: two flagship studios in Sydney and Melbourne respectively, plus another five conventional (but still company-run) dealerships.

Unlike other markets such as the US, Genesis does not sell vehicles in Australia through Hyundai dealers, although the vehicles can be serviced through these dealers.

Genesis models are currently sold in countries including South Korea, China, the Middle East, Canada, Australia, the US, Europe, Taiwan and Japan.

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What can you currently buy at Genesis?

Genesis sells five models in Australia.

Genesis’ Australian lineup is as follows:

All prices are exclusive of on-road.

You’ll notice that Genesis has adopted an alphanumeric naming convention: the sedans are prefixed with “G,” while the SUVs are labeled “GV.” EV versions of its internal combustion engine cars add ‘Electrified’ before the model designation.

The higher performance versions of each model will carry the Magma name.

It offers three electric models, although only one – the GV60 – is on a dedicated EV platform. The Electrified G80 and Electrified GV70 share their platforms with the combustion-powered G80 and GV70, respectively.

While most of Genesis’ vehicles are sedans or SUVs, it offers one wagon: the G70 Shooting Brake, which was developed with Europe in mind.

It also has a single coupe SUV, the recently introduced GV80 Coupe.

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Which brands does Genesis compete against?

Because it is positioned as a luxury brand (and the luxury division of a mainstream brand), Genesis competes mainly with brands such as Lexus, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The GV70 is the Korean brand’s best-selling model in Australia, competing with the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Lexus NX and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.

The larger GV80 is a competitor to the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, with the GV80 Coupe going up against the X6 and GLE Coupe.

Genesis offers two alternatives to electric SUVs such as the BMW iX3 with its GV60 and Electrified GV70.

In the sedan arena, Genesis’ rear-wheel drive G70 competes against the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Genesis also offers the G70 in a Shooting Brake body style, which is similar to the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant cars.

The G80 is larger than the G70, which means it goes up against German offerings like Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The Electrified G80 is more expensive than its combustion counterpart and competes with the BMW i5.

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How popular is Genesis in Australia?

Genesis is a niche brand and has sold in far fewer numbers to its competitors so far in 2024.

Genesis has sold 951 cars so far through the end of August this year, while Lexus has shifted 8,662, Audi 10,228, Mercedes-Benz 13,264 and BMW 17,304.

The best-selling local model is the GV70, with 593 units sold so far this year. It was the only model to break the 500 unit mark, while the GV80 was the only other car to exceed 100 with 235 sales.

The GV60 has registered 55 sales so far, while the two sedans – G70 and G80 – have registered 29 and 39 sales respectively till the end of August this year.

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What’s next for Genesis?

The company has previously confirmed that its new vehicle launches will be electric from 2025, ahead of a move to an electric-only lineup from 2030.

However, it recently confirmed it would introduce hybrid models, after previously indicating it would skip them as it moves to an electric-only lineup.

Some current models are expected to get electric power in the coming years, and others could soon be on the chopping block. Hyundai Motor Group is also developing a next-generation EV platform called eM, which will be able to adapt to different applications and allow the automaker to reduce costs by about 20 percent.

The Korean giant is reportedly aiming for a range of up to 800 km with batteries of up to 113.2 kWh, paired with motors ranging in power from 200 kW to 450 kW.

Vehicles on this next-generation platform will also support over-the-air updates and higher levels of autonomous driving.

The GV90 will be the first to arrive and will be Genesis’ largest SUV yet, and it is reported that it will go into production in December next year.

While there are no details yet on powertrains, the eM platform is being touted as an evolution of the established e-GMP architecture that underpins most new electric models from Hyundai, Genesis and Kia, including the Kia EV9.

Unveiled ahead of the New York Auto Show in March this year, the Genesis Neolun concept is expected to preview the upcoming GV90.

After the release of the flagship GV90, the second generation GV80 is expected to be launched on electric power only.

It is reported that the first electric GV80 prototype will begin testing sometime in the first half of 2025. After that, it is expected to go into mass production in the second quarter of 2026 and use the new eM architecture.

Genesis is also reportedly developing an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) version of its GV70.

The GV70 EREV is expected to include both a battery – possibly a large 40 kWh pack – and a combustion engine, giving a potential total driving range of more than 900 kilometers.

The G80 will reportedly be the only remaining Genesis sedan in a year. While it currently offers internal combustion and electric power, it will likely be another that goes all-electric in the next generation.

Genesis also recently unveiled high-performance Magma concept versions of both the gasoline-powered G80 and Electrified G80 EV, while also detailing a longer wheelbase version for greater rear comfort.

The loser in all this is the G70, which will likely meet its end soon as plans for a second generation have been scrapped.

Interested in a Genesis? The specialists at CarExpert are happy to help you find a deal.

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