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Hyundai’s Luxury Sub-Brand Genesis Will Be Launched in December

It has been on the lips of many automotive journalists for quite a long time, but up until now, it was just a rumor. Today, Hyundai has confirmed that it is setting up its own luxury sub-brand called Genesis, starting this December.
Genesis Badge 1 photo
Photo: Hyundai
The new brand will set itself apart from its mother with a distinct design identity, emblem, naming structure and even customer services, according to a statement released by Hyundai on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, further details are not being offered at the moment, but Korean media is reporting that the first car that will pick up the new nomenclature will be a fresh version of the Equus that will bear the name G90. Some time ago, this name would’ve stepped on the trademark patents of Infiniti, but since the Japanese brand changed the names of its models, this shouldn’t be an issue anymore.

And it looks like Genesis will take full advantage of it, the first cars that the brand will sell being named G80 and G70. The former will be used for the Hyundai Genesis sedan we know today, while the latter will designate a midsize model that will come later on.

The Genesis sub-brand will also get an SUV later down the road, as well as a sports coupe, completing the range with every normal body type out there. This plan would be put in motion over the next four years, starting this December.

The South Korean manufacturer is hoping that, this way, it will catch up to the traditional luxury carmakers such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. However, if the past is any indication, the chances stand at 50:50 right now.

Two examples from the Asian continent are pretty much self-explanatory. While Infiniti is still struggling to make its way onto the market as a valuable player, Lexus is giving the Germans some headaches, especially in the US. The Nissan subdivision's failure doesn’t rest on anything but the fact that it failed to set itself apart correctly from its founder.

In the meantime, Lexus has managed to make customers understand that it is a standalone brand, and even though it is owned by Toyota, it offers cars for an entirely different demographic.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to Genesis, Hyundai will create a Prestige Design Division that will be led by Luc Donckerwolke, the man who used to be in charge of the design for Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Skoda and Seat, amongst others. This division will only overlook the design of the cars sold under the new sub-brand and will be under the supervision of the current Chief Design Officer for Hyundai, Peter Schreyer.

"The Genesis models will provide technological innovation, excellent driving performance and luxury to customers. Every Genesis model will be created with the needs of our customers in mind, so the resulting car will perfectly meet their needs without any unnecessary burden or excess," said Woong-Chul Yang, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor.

Initially, the Genesis cars will reach markets on the North American continent, followed by China, Korea, and the Middle East. Europe is left for last as the Germans still have a strong grip on the luxury segment.
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