Photo: Genesis
AMG turned into Mercedes-AMG. And then, there’s also AMG-Line and not-exactly-AMG models such as the A 35, C 43, and E 53. Genesis, on the other hand, doesn’t want to dilute its brand by setting up a performance division which might be lessened further down the road.
When asked about a performance-oriented G70, Manfred Fitzgerald made it clear to Car & Driver that “we’re trying to set our base.” Marketer or not, a brand as young as Genesis has to establish the basics before dreaming of throwing down the gauntlet.
At the present moment, the G70 can’t do better than the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 that Kia uses in the Stinger GT. Be it rear- or all-wheel drive, this engine offers 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet. It might be down on power compared to the BMW M340i xDrive (382 hp), but the Lambda II T-GDI is torquier.
Genesis also has insight going for it, with most of the executives, chief engineers, and designers coming from other automakers. Albert Biermann, who’s head of research & development, used to be the chief engineer at BMW M before Kia and Hyundai convinced him to start from a clean sheet of paper.
What Biermann achieved with the Hyundai i30 N, Veloster N, Kia Stinger GT, and Genesis G70 in every available flavor is no fluke by industry standards. On the other hand, Genesis has a long way to go before it can compare itself to premium and luxury competitors.
Genesis is also struggling with the dealer franchising model in the United States, let alone the absence from the European continent. When it launches in Europe, the South Korean automaker will focus on the United Kingdom before turning its attention to Germany and subsequent markets.
Over in Australia, the luxury offshoot of Hyundai plans to open the first wholly-owned Genesis dealership in the world in March 2019 in Sydney. Later in the year, locations will be opened in Melbourne and Brisbane too. Genesis already has the tooling to produce RHD vehicles, which is good news for prospective customers in the United Kingdom.
On a related note, the GV80 is right around the corner, the first crossover from Genesis.
At the present moment, the G70 can’t do better than the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 that Kia uses in the Stinger GT. Be it rear- or all-wheel drive, this engine offers 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet. It might be down on power compared to the BMW M340i xDrive (382 hp), but the Lambda II T-GDI is torquier.
Genesis also has insight going for it, with most of the executives, chief engineers, and designers coming from other automakers. Albert Biermann, who’s head of research & development, used to be the chief engineer at BMW M before Kia and Hyundai convinced him to start from a clean sheet of paper.
What Biermann achieved with the Hyundai i30 N, Veloster N, Kia Stinger GT, and Genesis G70 in every available flavor is no fluke by industry standards. On the other hand, Genesis has a long way to go before it can compare itself to premium and luxury competitors.
Genesis is also struggling with the dealer franchising model in the United States, let alone the absence from the European continent. When it launches in Europe, the South Korean automaker will focus on the United Kingdom before turning its attention to Germany and subsequent markets.
Over in Australia, the luxury offshoot of Hyundai plans to open the first wholly-owned Genesis dealership in the world in March 2019 in Sydney. Later in the year, locations will be opened in Melbourne and Brisbane too. Genesis already has the tooling to produce RHD vehicles, which is good news for prospective customers in the United Kingdom.
On a related note, the GV80 is right around the corner, the first crossover from Genesis.
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