Genesis, Hyundai Motor Group’s luxurious automaker, had a plan of solely promoting new electrical autos beginning subsequent yr, however that plan appears to have modified.
As a substitute of going all-in on EVs, the Korean firm will put money into bringing as many hybrids as attainable as quickly as subsequent yr to market, in line with Genesis boss Mike Track, who spoke with TopGear on the sidelines of this yr’s Goodwood Pageant of Pace.
The hybrid stopgap
This yr is proving to be a roller-coaster experience for automakers who’re attempting to make it within the EV sport. Some noticed enormous beneficial properties in gross sales, whereas others, together with Tesla, noticed their numbers drop as shoppers appeared to make use of a “wait it out” tactic. Firms like Normal Motors, Volkswagen and Kia are turning to hybrids to ease the transition to an all-electric lineup and to adjust to upcoming emissions rules. Genesis is getting in on the motion now, too.
At present, Genesis doesn’t promote any hybrid or plug-in hybrid, however with the brand new technique in place, we’re sure to see them all through the model’s lineup. “We are going to apply it to as many fashions as attainable,” Track stated.
Whereas this would possibly come as a shock, it shouldn’t. Kia, Hyundai’s sister firm inside Hyundai Motor Group, already stated that it’s engaged on including extra hybrids and plug-in hybrids throughout its portfolio of manufacturers, so addressing the hybrid problem at Genesis was in all probability only a matter of time.
That stated, the luxurious automaker continues to be dedicated to having an all-electric lineup … sooner or later. “Electrification continues to be our imaginative and prescient. We could have 100% electrified autos, however the market and the purchasers now need hybrid greater than EV, so we actually wish to carry Genesis hybrid into the market as quickly as attainable,” the model’s boss advised TopGear.
To solidify this, the identical Mike Track stated that Genesis is engaged on a brand new EV platform that, in line with Edmunds, could be unique to the luxurious model and never shared with Hyundai and Kia, just like the E-GMP platform that underpins fashions just like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60.
Genesis’ present EV portfolio (from left): Genesis GV60, Genesis Electrified GV70 and Genesis Electrified G80
As for what’s going to energy the brand new Genesis hybrids, we don’t know. They’ll possible use an analogous setup because the upcoming Kia hybrids, however we’ll have to attend and see what that shall be. An earlier report means that the GV70 SUV would get a range-extender hybrid for the 2026 mannequin yr in america, that means it might be marketed as quickly as subsequent yr.
If the most recent X Gran Berlinetta and X Gran Racer Imaginative and prescient GT ideas have something to do with actuality, Genesis would possibly cram a V6 and an electrical motor underneath the hood of its upcoming hybrids. Within the Berlinetta, the powertrain makes at least 1,071 horsepower, whereas the Racer Imaginative and prescient GT ups that determine to a ridiculous 1,540 hp.