It's not often that a car company can completely change its image in just a few decades, but Hyundai Motor Corp. has managed to do it. Twenty years ago, they were seen as making cheap, terrible cars that fell apart easily. Nowadays, they've transformed into a respected manufacturer with a reputation for quality, affordable cars. The launch of their Genesis brand marked the next stage in their evolution and their first serious foray into the premium automobile sector.
In the US, Genesis has been around for a few years now, but they're planning to make the brand global in the coming years. Reviews of their latest models have suggested that the luxury Hyundai brand might be a serious dark horse, able to take away some market share from the traditionally dominant German automakers. So who exactly is this upstart company making such a splash in the premium sector? Let's round up the key facts about the up-and-coming Genesis brand.
10 They Were Founded In 2015
Hyundai's luxury efforts first started in 2008 with the launch of the Genesis sedan, which at the time was marketed under the main Hyundai brand. In just seven short years the car saw significant success in the US and Chinese market, so much so that Hyundai decided to spin Genesis off into a separate marque.
Genesis the standalone company was founded in 2015, with its headquarters in the same place as its parent corporation, in Seoul, South Korea. Given its short time as an automaker, Genesis has produced a remarkable number of cars, with over 200,000 units sold in its first three years.
9 They Have A Lot Of All-Star Talent
To make this rapid ascent into the mainstream market reality, the company hired a huge range of top talent that they poached from other automakers. The senior staff list makes for a very impressive reading: Genesis brought in executives from many of the world's best studios to work on their inaugural lineup.
For starters, the company's Chief Operating Officer is Luc Donckerwolke, a former design director at Bentley and Lamborghini. There's also Albert Biermann, who currently heads Genesis' performance division but was previously the head of BMW M. The brand's chief designer is Filippo Perini, who previously worked as the head of design at Lamborghini. There's many more high-profile staff at the company, but that should give a flavor of the level of talent that Genesis has been able to attract.
8 There's Currently Three Sedans In Their Lineup
Moving on to their lineup, Genesis currently has three sedans on offer, the G70, G80, and G90. The G80 and G90 are replacements for the Hyundai Genesis and Equus respectively, but the G70 is an all-new design.
The premium sedan market might seem like an obvious starting point for any company looking to prove themselves among the big players, but it's also one of the most competitive sectors there is. The three German brands, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, have all battled it out for supremacy for years, and even established brands like Lexus have struggled to take much of their market share. So, it seems Genesis still has their work cut out to make a success of these three models.
7 They Offer Two Crossovers As Well
As well as their original sedans, two crossover SUVs now form part of the brand's lineup. The GV70 and GV80 are also competing in a crowded sector, but they aim to stand out partly by being a significant amount cheaper than their rivals. Of course, that means more scrutiny has then been placed on their quality and finish, but so far most reviewers agree that these cars hold up against more expensive competitors.
Car and Driver even gave the GV80 an incredible 10/10 rating, calling it a bargain and praising its range of luxury features. It seems then that the brand is off to a great start in the SUV sector, although how well that critical praise translates to sales remains to be seen. SUV sales are booming at the moment, and hopefully, Genesis will be able to take a share of this growing market.
6 They're Very Reliable
As well as being very luxurious, Genesis appears to be doing very well on the reliability front too. The industry-leading survey, JD Power, put the brand at the top of its 2019 table for initial quality, which is a major achievement for such a new brand.
For context, it's beaten out the likes of Lexus and Subaru, both of which have historically been strong performers in the category. Of course, it's too early to tell how well Genesis cars will last in the long term, but the initial results seem to be very promising indeed.
5 They've Got Global Ambition
It's not just America and China that Genesis plans to expand into in the last few weeks, they've begun their launch into the UK and Europe as well. They know it won't be easy to get a foothold there, as traditional German brands hold even more of a monopoly over that market than they do in the States.
But still, European boss Dominique Boesch says he believes Genesis has "the ingredients to stand out," and is confident in the long-term prospects for the company. There's no word yet on whether they'll expand to any other markets, but given their current strategy, it seems very likely that they will.
4 They're Transforming The Way They Sell Cars
Unlike many traditional dealerships where a customer can be passed from salesperson to salesperson, the Genesis approach is very different. Instead, they're using an online-based model to sell their cars and trying to change their current dealerships into gallery-style showrooms. Under the new plan, a "personal assistant" will also help them through both the sales process and aftercare of the car.
Their website states that the approach is based on the Korean principle of son-nim, where an owner should always feel at ease during both purchasing and ownership. It's a unique strategy that does go some way to differentiate themselves from their rivals, and it seems to be working. According to GoodCarBadCar, Genesis' US market share has crept up from 0.11% to 0.24% between 2020 and 2021. That's still not a lot, but it's definitely in the right direction.
3 They've Made Some Stunning Concept Cars
Concept cars are always great opportunities for a manufacturer to show off their wilder ideas, and Genesis has certainly not disappointed. Their most recent concept is the Genesis X, a stunning GT coupe that's all-electric and seemingly quite production-ready.
Previously, they've made the more restrained Mint concept, which focused on a smaller luxury car for the city. There's also the Essentia, which is pictured above. It's another electric concept but even more low-slung and futuristic than the X, and it looks a lot more expensive than Genesis' current lineup pricing would suggest.
2 They're Building Social Spaces For Owners In Europe
As mentioned previously, cracking the European premium market is tough, but one way Genesis hopes to be different is by offering an experience. The brand has announced plans to open "studios" in several major European cities, which will apparently be "spaces to relax" and also host exhibitions from time to time.
Not much more is known about those plans yet, but it's an exciting development that would really offer a new angle to the car ownership experience. There's no word yet whether the brand plans to expand these studios into other markets, but if the European trial goes well then more studios may arrive very soon.
1 There's A New G70 Shooting Brake On The Way
The most important thing for any car company is to keep developing their cars, which is why it's very good news that Genesis has already announced another upcoming model. The G70 shooting brake is designed to tap into a more niche sector of the market and directly rival cars such as the Mercedes CLA and Jaguar XF.
It's a great-looking car and one that adds another string to the bow of Genesis' lineup, allowing it to attract a wider range of customers. It seems like, for now, the brand is very much on the up and if recent success is anything to go by, it might not be long before car fans start to see a lot more Genesis cars on the streets.