MIAMI BEACH _ In a sign that Genesis is growing to become a formidable new competitor in the luxury car market, the Hyundai Motor Co. spinoff announced pricing last week for its first sport utility vehicle, the midsize 2021 GV80. Prices will range from $48,900 to $70,950 when it goes on sale this summer. It will be followed in less than a year by the smaller GV70, giving Genesis two SUVs in a lineup that, until now, consisted of three sedans: the compact G70, midsize G80 and flagship G90.
The GV80's appearance is a new direction for the fledgling brand that had used a variation of Hyundai's "Fluidic Sculpture" design language.
"They asked me what is Fluidic Sculpture 3.0 going to look like," recalls Luc Donckerwolke, chief design officer for the Hyundai Motor Group in an interview during the vehicle's unveiling in Miami Beach. "And I said there is not going to be a Fluidic Sculpture 3.0. We're going to start new something new for Hyundai and something new for Genesis. So this is where a sense of sportiness is created for Hyundai, and athletic elegance created for Genesis, with a completely different feeling."
This wasn't as difficult as it sounds given that Hyundai vehicles are front-wheel drive, and Genesis vehicles are rear-wheel drive. The heart of the new look, dubbed "Athletic Elegance," uses two lines as a visual signature as character lines on the side of the car, on the front and rear lighting, as well as throughout the interior.
It's an idea first seen on the Essentia and the GV80 concept cars.
"We basically said, let's establish an almost subliminal relationship with two lines. And when somebody sees two lines, it's going to automatically be a Genesis, like the Nike swoosh," Donckerwolke said. "You might not know the brand, but the swoosh, you know it and say, oh, it's clear, I know it's a Nike."
It's most noticeable on the dual horizontal headlights and taillights. Which are used to give the GV80 a distinctive appearance day or night. But getting the elegantly thin headlamps to work proved trying.
"Engineers will love you when you do big headlamps," said Sang Yup Lee, senior vice president and head of Genesis design. "But when it gets smaller, it's very difficult to get an adequate amount of the light to go through the lens. When you go smaller, the technology has to be really advanced, and this is where we are not only showing this distinctively different character, but also showing our technological advantage in our lamp engineering."
Designers paid equal attention to the interior, where two lines define the horizontal motif of the instrument panel, which incorporate the climate control vents in long unbroken strips. "Many car companies have metal lines all the way across, but there are cut lines. Here, you don't see any cut lines. It's something that we're always proud of because for us, on a luxury car, the last 10% of execution is so important. We put a lot of effort on where you see, but also where you don't see."
And there are other noticeable niceties, such as knurled metal trim accents, and a clear plexiglass transmission knob and quilted padding on the sides of the transmission tunnel. "In traditional race cars, quilting would cover the transmission tunnel and the exhaust pipes in order to provide some padding, so that when you touch the transmission tunnel, you will not get burned," said Donckerwolke. "We want some elements that have heritage, but in a modern way."
The Genesis GV80 will be powered by either a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with rear or all-wheel drive or a turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 with all-wheel drive. Both engines will be paired with an eight-speed automatic, and offered in ascending Standard, Advanced, Advanced+ (V-6 only) and Prestige trim levels.
Standard driver assistance features include forward collision avoidance-assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-change assist, evasive steering assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, highway driving assist, driver attention warning, blind-spot collision avoidance-assist, rear cross-traffic alert, parking distance warning, and rain-sensing automatic wipers. The GV80 also boasts an impressive tech package, with three USB ports, a rearview camera, 12-speaker premium audio with 14.5-inch infotainment screen with AM/FM/XM/HD Radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth.
Expect to see full specifications closer to the GV80's on-sale date.
The GV80 new design language lends the neophyte luxury automaker a distinctive voice, one that doesn't crib its look from other manufacturers. "Genesis is a young luxury brand and we want to build the brand legacy with a very strong design DNA," Lee said.
Look for the new design on the redesigned G80 sedan, the third generation of the car that established Genesis. The new midsize luxury sedan shares its architecture with the GV80 as well as its look.
"The Genesis design DNA begins from the logo itself," said Donckerwolke in a statement released last week. "The crest of the logo becomes the crest grille and the two lines of the wings become the Quadlamps. In other words, the design starts with the brand, and design is the brand."
