Luxury car brand Genesis might be a part of the Hyundai Motor Group, but it is poised to be apart from it in a key way starting next year.
Autocar reported that the South Korean brand is expected to make a custom-built platform for 2027 electric and hybrid drivetrains. The platform is the foundational structure of the car, including the chassis and underbody.
The goal is to highlight the brand's unique luxury style by providing a signature experience for car owners.
Genesis European leader Peter Kronschnabl said customers are looking for "relatively direct steering" and a chassis that's "not too soft," according to Autocar.
"Genesis … has certain specifics as a brand," he said in the story, "be it on the drivetrain, the chassis set-up, interior packaging, or other core attributes … It was decided that in order to fulfil the requirements of the brand's driving dynamics, Genesis needs its own platform for the future models."
Genesis isn't a brand for car-buyers on a budget. The electric GV70 starts at $64,380, according to the company. The Tesla Model 3 is listed at $36,990, for comparison.
Genesis sells gas vehicles as well, stacking up 1.5 million sales worldwide since launching in 2015.
That's "faster than any luxury marque in history," Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz said in an Electrek story. "This is remarkable: some people are talking about Tesla and some about Lexus, or other companies. And we said to ourselves: 'Hey, how long did it take them to reach one million sales?'"
The platform move is being billed as a strategic one as the leaders adjust to an evolving market.
While EVs remain popular globally — sales grew 20% last year to 20.7 million rides, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence — the American market is down. Cox Automotive reported that sales dropped 2% to just under 1.3 million vehicles, partly due to the early termination of tax breaks that incentivized purchases.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 Kronschnabl said Genesis is responding to global market trends by reversing course on its "all-electric" pledge and will start to offer hybrids. A universal platform will make production smooth. Details are scarce on whether there will be a custom powertrain to go with it, according to Autocar.
Genesis leaders said they can see why skeptics would question the investment in a unique platform for a sub-brand. But Hyundai is a large, global outfit that enhances the luxury models' reach, Hyundai's European CEO Xavier Martinet said.
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