The New Genesis Brand: Six Models by 2021

The Car Guide recently drove the 2017 Genesis G90, the first model fully developed for the new luxury brand Genesis. It certainly won’t be easy for the Korean manufacturer to get a share of the premium-vehicle market, but it will be patient and is determined to succeed at some point.

One thing’s for sure, the manufacturer wants to prevent Genesis models from being considered as tarted-up Hyundais. The message was loud and clear, and was even printed in bold characters on the welcome letter at the official media drive of the G90. Obviously, we’ll see some mechanical component sharing with Hyundai, but according to the manufacturer, Genesis models will benefit from dedicated platforms and components. If they want to rival the German brands, they simply cannot “rebadge” Hyundai products.

• Also: Five Questions for the President of Hyundai on the New Genesis Brand
• Also: Here Is The 2017 Genesis G80

That’s also why models will be sold through their website or in boutiques, rather than in Genesis “zones” attached to Hyundai dealerships. The two brands will be separated.

For now, two models are offered in the lineup, the G80 which is in fact the old Genesis sedan as well as the G90, the brand’s flagship. The manufacturer seeks to rapidly expand their portfolio so it can measure up to the competition. Michael Ricciuto, Genesis brand director, mentioned that by 2021, we’ll see the arrival the G70 compact luxury sedan, a sporty coupe and two SUVs, a midsize and a compact. The coupe will be the first to appear next year, but since luxury SUVs are trending right now, the manufacturer will want to launch one as soon as possible.

No high-performance division has been announced, as for now, the manufacturer prefers concentrating its efforts on higher-volume models.

Check out our first drive review of the first real Genesis, the 2017 G90.