As has been the case for several years, Genesis used the New York International Auto Show to once again tease us with a stunning new concept car, the Genesis X Speedium Coupe. The new vehicle is a further development of last year’s Genesis Concept X.
Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis chief creative officer and 2022 World Car Person of the Year led the design, which further advances the brand’s “Athletic Elegance” design philosophy.
A peak at Genesis’s design future
The concept car was revealed off-site at Genesis House New York, a cultural space in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The car is named for the Inje Speedium, a racetrack 75 miles east of Seoul, South Korea.
“This car is an open-door moment in Genesis’ journey towards our future EV design,” said Donckerwolke. “This isn’t a show car — it’s a look into our design processes as we explore ideas for the next wave of EVs, one that incorporates Genesis’ DNA.”
While the car’s dual lighting elements remain unchanged on the side of the vehicle, but now wrap into the front and wrap into triangular shape that suggests the Genesis crest grille. There isn’t one, as this is a battery-electric vehicle and its cooling needs are much lower than those of an internal combustion engine. More noticeably, the roofline has been reworked, suggesting more of a hatchback configuration. The car’s unusual dual C-pillars remain unchanged from last year‘s concept.
The Speedium’s rear design’s interplay of convex and concave forms makes for a delightful interplay, capped by a V-shaped notch in the high-mounted brake light. But the whole design has a relaxed, natural feel, despite the tautness of this vehicle’s profile.
“We are giving each design element space to breathe,” said Donckerwolke. “It’s not about making the design elements compete with each other, but about orchestrating the elements so that they complement and respect one another.”
Company officials offered few details about the concept except to say it uses an all-electric drivetrain. Genesis previously indicated a battery-electric car will launch well before mid-decade. The question is whether this is it, and given it’s the second iteration of a design seen last year, odds are better than not that it will.
Other electrifying Genesis news
In addition, Genesis said production of its Electrified GV70 SUV is scheduled to start in December at its Montgomery, Alabama manufacturing plant. Korean specifications show the twin-motor Electrified GV70 will have a range of up to 310 miles and run 0-62 in 4.5 seconds. The battery-powered crossover is set to join the Electrified G80 sedan in the Genesis line-up, although plans for its launch have yet to be revealed.
“We are pleased to bring Genesis production to the United States for the first time,” said José Muñoz, president & CEO of Genesis Motor North America.
The new models should fortify the brand’s growth in the U.S. market. Genesis sold 11,723 units in the first quarter of 2022, it’s best quarterly sales result since launching stateside in 2016.
The strong numbers reinforce Genesis’s growing popularity, as the the automaker sold 49,621 units in 2020, up from 21,233 in 2019. Of course, the growth comes from its expanding model portfolio. In 2019, the company sold three sedans: the G70, G80 and G90. In addition, the company now sells two SUVs, the GV70 and GV80, that outsell the three sedans nearly two-to-one.
An added enticement for a new vehicle
To sustain that momentum, the automaker is introducing Genesis Priority One, a Genesis concierge service that provides a personalized purchase experience for the GV60, the brand’s first electric vehicle.
Buyers visit the automaker’s website and put down a $500 deposit. Genesis Priority One takes the process from there, although exact details were few, including how it differs from Genesis’s current concierge service. It will be available at the GV60’s launch in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York for a limited time.
When it reaches showrooms later this year, the GV60 will be offered as a base, rear-wheel-drive model using a single electric motor that generates 318 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque and provides 280 miles of range. The performance model adds a second motor on the front axle, producing 435 horsepower. It’s built on the E-GMP architecture used on the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
When will the larger gas powered luxury Coupe hit the market?