Hyundai’s upmarket Genesis marque has unveiled a stylish electric grand tourer that hints at a future direction for the luxury Korean brand.
Although the X is battery-powered, it seems heavily inspired by traditional luxury cars from the likes of Bentley and Aston Martin. There’s the conservative, if elegant three-box profile, for a start. And a radiator grille, despite the car not needing one because there’s no radiator, although Genesis claims that this grille, and the air intake below it improve airflow, reduce air resistance, and increase the car’s electric driving range.
The cabin is equally traditional. One of the strengths of an EV is that there’s no need for a large transmission tunnel, something normally seized on by engineers, who are able to maximise the sense of space inside the cabin, and break down the divide between driver and passenger.
But the X’s interior is very much driver-focused, a large console separating the two front seat occupants, and even turning away from the passenger to remind them who’s top dog in the car.
Interestingly, the passenger even gets a different-coloured seat to the driver, and while the interior does contain leather, the upholstery is actually made from leftover pieces of material used in things like seatbelts and airbag covers, which are woven together to make a fabric.
This is only the fifth concept from Hyundai’s relatively new luxury arm, which was established as an independent brand in 2015. Cars like the G70 and G90 saloons have been helping establish the marque in markets like Korea and the US, but the brand is only now gearing up for a launch in Europe.
Genesis hasn’t revealed any meaningful technical information, including how fast or powerful the X is, or how far it would take to charge, or how far that charge would take you. And, of course, there's no talk of an on-sale date because, sadly, the X is merely a concept.
But Genesis hints that we should expect to see styling cues, including the grills and the ‘two lines’ treatment seen in the lamps at both ends, in the next generation of Genesis cars.
Keyword: Genesis reveals striking X concept EV