Trying something new is often encouraged, but has Genesis got what it takes to succeed where others have failed?
We all know who Lexus is, don’t we? It’s what happens when Toyota decides that German luxury isn’t quite good enough, so swoops in with a group of highly skilled engineers, crafts people, designers, and marketing people to try and get a slice of the pie. Lexus has been around for more than 30 years, and while its cars may not be selling as well as BMW’s, we know what we’re going to get: impeccable build, reliability, and some sort of pointy grille. Lexus innovated, stuck to its guns, and isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Next question: remember Infiniti? Don’t all rush at once, we can wait. See, Nissan’s attempt to take on the Germans in Europe was ambitious but, after launching with a bang, died with a whimper. Its cars had been a hit in the US, so why wouldn’t they work in Europe? At launch in 2008 the firm made a couple of strange decisions – bar paint and interior colourways there were no option boxes to tick, and there was no diesel option until much later. While diesel is the fuel of the devil now, back then it was the darling of the industry. From there, no matter what the firm tried, they were never likely to be a permanent fixture on your street when a BMW 320d was an alternative.
What has all this got to with Genesis? Quite a bit actually. Genesis faces the same challenges that both Lexus and Infiniti faced. It’s the posh motor arm of Hyundai, which makes solid, reliable cars (and exciting ‘N’ cars as well) that are smart, and fit in to pretty much everyone’s lives. None of them really scream luxury though. We know Hyundai is capable of doing luxury properly for a couple of reasons: 1) Despite the fact that Genesis has been going in the US since 2016, Hyundai had been doing the luxury ‘thing’ for a bit beforehand. 2) Hyundai released a ‘proper’ luxury car in the UK in the mid-aughts: the Hyundai Genesis. It cost £50,000 (ish) and was a sort of attempt to take on the 5 Series. It was not a huge success.
Commercial hit it was not, but it was a proof of concept: Hyundai could do a luxury car that drove decently, was full of toys, and came with decent road presence. If you ever saw one on the road, that is.
Making a name for yourself where others have failed is tough, but take a look at the firm stumping up the cash to actually make this happen. Hyundai is a colossal company, one that sits firmly in ‘too big to fail’ territory. The chances it would take a risk like launching a new brand in Europe a year after Infiniti left and have even the tiniest doubt is miniscule. People in expensive suits have done brain melting maths to make sure the right call is being made.
For Genesis to work out properly, it needs to nail a few things. The first is, obviously, the cars. They need to not only look right, but ‘feel’ right as well. The materials need to be on point, any touch point can’t have harsh plastics ruining your day, every button prod must be smooth and chunky enough to make you feel like your money hasn’t been wasted. Basically: it needs to feel expensive. There doesn’t need to be a Genesis R with a massive V8 leaving elevens all over the joint (at least not yet), rather a car you know that when you get in it you won’t stick to the seats. A smooth, refined, quiet drive is up there as well. Luxury doesn’t sound like an unsilenced 2.0-litre four pot on the limit. With the promise of electrified products on the way, that’s unlikely to be a problem.
One of the reasons cited for Infiniti tanking was a lack of heritage, something us European types rather enjoy. This one’s out of Genesis’ hands. Whether it tries to lean on Hyundai’s back story, or tries to conjure one of its own to capture hearts, minds, and wallets is up to people in suits again. Your new G80 doesn’t come with a lineage heading back to before WWII, and while that really shouldn’t matter… we’re a sentimental bunch over here.
Price point is a big one. Go in too high and your well-heeled (or financed to the eyeballs) customer-base will fire money at Germany without a moment’s notice. Go in too low, they’ll assume Genesis is a value proposition, and guess where their money goes. There’s a culture of ‘braggesty’ to overcome: “Oh this? It wasn’t that expensive at all, only £MORETHANYOUTHINKBUTNOTSOMUCHIWORRYBECAUSEIHAPPENTOBEDOINGBETTERTHANYOU, which is really great when you consider what it does.” Find that spot and The Joneses will be legging it to sales spaces – why would they want to look like every other 3 Series owning family anyway?
Finally, the image has to be right. The image, of course, being nowhere near close to what these cars are going to be actually used for, but so long as the folk searching for a new Genesis see plenty of impeccably dressed people heading to glamourous events, important meetings, or enticing engagements, they’ll probably be fine. After all, while beloved child number three is destroying a sandwich all over the rear seats it’s nice to dream, right?
Does Genesis have what it takes to succeed where others fail? You’d hope so. Another alternative to the usual is always welcomed, even if comparatively few actually buy them. Wait ‘til the small SUVs come in, if Genesis manages to get them right… we’ll be seeing a lot more of them.
Keyword: Does Genesis Have What It Takes To Conquer Europe?