Genesis Debuts Neolun and Magma Concepts in NY With X Gran Berlinetta in Attendance

With top brass and key figures from Genesis mingling with dozens of piranha-like media and press, the press and media debut of their 2024 concept lineup was nothing short of a bombshell for the industry. In most high-marquee automotive press events, you're usually lucky if you get to see more than two concepts or new models.

Not at the Genesis House in New York City's historic Meatpacking District, no less than five unique concepts and soon-to-be production-ready models graced the awaiting North American press for the first time. autoevolution was lucky enough to be among the crowd that night. As it turns out, the Berlinetta moniker is not one specific to mid-2010s Ferraris.

The Genesis X Gran Berlinetta EV concept takes a familiar name already associated with supercars and takes it to a level unprecedented until now. Inspired by the Gran Turismo GT Vision line of hyper-futuristic concept cars inspired by the PlayStation racing series, the X Gran Berlinetta is a member of this club in all but name. It made its digital debut at the Gran Turismo e-sports final last fall for crying out loud.

In what looks like a Ford GT mixed with a Model S Plaid, the proportions of the X Gran Berlinetta toe the line between a video game psycho car and something that could theoretically go into production one day. No word yet on the particulars of the EV drivetrain.

But there's only a handful of concepts in the world right now that look as menacing as this one. How happy then that a few of the others were just a first-down or so in the other direction. To the left of the spaceship EV concept was something you're far more likely to see blitzing tracks and right-hand lanes across North America soon, the GV60 Magma Concept.

It's the perfect segway to talk about Genesis Magma, the South Korean alternative to Cadillac V-series, Mercedes-AMG, and BMW M-Division. It only figures that Genesis would bring a sporty fling to their lineup to joust sabers with the snotty elite of German and American luxury brands. Hyundai's luxury brand has been thoroughly cleaning German and American clocks in the sales department lately, and a sporty subdivision seemed inevitable.

As it turns out, the time to strike is now.The GV60 Magma Concept explains the design philosophy of Genesis Magma more succinctly than any PR pitch. With an already iconically charming appearance even in its non-sporty standard form, the GV60 is what the Mini Cooper should've always been.

But kitted out with a subtle but aggressive aero package, trademark metallic orange paint, and a set of black alloy wheels that balance between a rally car and a supercar in appearance, you know exactly what kind of clientele Genesis Magma is gunning for.

The same is true of the G80 Coupe Concept, similarly decked out in stunning Magma brand-specific orange paint. Admittedly, this concept made its debut last year at the 2023 New York Auto Show. But you probably wouldn't have been able to tell that if we hadn't told you.

Such is the faith that Genesis has in this vehicle when it hits showrooms soon. So, too, did the Genesis G80 fitted in a similar Magma kit. It's perhaps the G80 that undergoes the most profound transformation when given the Magma treatment.

What once looked like a Rolls-Royce from the Far East now looks like a Bentley Continental GT with a delightfully South Korean flair. But by a country mile, the star of the show in New York that evening was the Genesis Neolun Concept, an all-electric SUV so sleek and so well-executed (at least on first impressions) that even the most die-hard EV hater can't help but marvel at how it melds the realms of retro styling and contemporary Genesis design language into something that just works somehow.

With bodacious but proportionate dimensions reminiscent of a Dodge Durango, the Neolun Concept adds ultra-contemporary styling cues native to the Genesis brand. What this combo creates might be the coolest concept car we've seen jump out of renderings and into our mortal reality in years.

If Lexus, Caddy, and BMW aren't taking notes here, they should be. Don't be surprised if Genesis Magma wipes the floor with these performance brands the very same way it did with their normal cars. Consider that your mic-drop.