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Genesis G70 to reportedly get Sonata N-Line turbo engine

The Genesis G70 is still relatively new, but that doesn’t mean Genesis isn't going to tinker with it. This report from Car and Driver claims that the new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder going in the Hyundai Sonata N-Line will also be making its way into the G70Â’s engine bay. Hyundai estimates this engine will produce 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque in the Sonata. ThatÂ’s a significant improvement over the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used as the base engine in the G70 today, which makes 252 hp and 260 lb-ft. Doing the math, the G70 could be getting a boost of about 38 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque. Increased power from the turbo four would make the 3.3-liter, twin-turbo V6 less of an upgrade at 365 hp and 376 lb-ft, unless Genesis squeezes out more power. We wouldn't complain about that. The news does casts doubt on the future of a manual transmission option. Genesis offers the manual in only one trim of the G70 now, and thatÂ’s paired with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. Take that engine away, and we can only hope that Genesis feels itÂ’s necessary to mate up a manual with the new 2.5-liter turbo. As of now, the Sonata N-Line is the only Hyundai announced to use this engine, and itÂ’s being paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic in that application. Car and Driver says the manual take rate on the G70 so far is only 4 percent, which isnÂ’t a promising statistic. The most obvious time for this powertrain news would be paired to a mid-cycle refresh of the G70. As itÂ’s still a relatively new car, we donÂ’t expect to see that until 2021 or 2022. We'll let you know if any of this conjecture becomes reality.

2021 Genesis GV80 bares it all on Instagram

Genesis is nearly done turning the GV80 concept it unveiled during the 2017 New York Auto Show into a production model. It's tentatively scheduled to make its debut during the 2020 edition of the event, but low-resolution spy shots posted on Instagram have given us an early look at the SUV. Uploaded by user Allcarnews, the photos look like they were taken in one of the Hyundai-owned brand's storage or testing facilities. They suggest the aforementioned design study accurately previewed the model, though its styling has evolved during the transition from a concept to a production car. The headlights look bigger, which isn't surprising considering how small the concept's were, and the grille has grown in size. The new look brings the GV80 in line with the recently-updated G90, the flagship of the Genesis range, without simply copying its face and pasting it onto an SUV. The proportions don't change much, but the rear end received comprehensive modifications. On the concept, the rear lights were pairs of thin, horizontal LEDs shaped like the ones up front. On the production model, they look like much bigger units that stretch well into the quarter panels. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Instagram leak also reveals part of the GV80's interior. There's a tall, slanted center console separating the two front seats. The driver will use an electronic dial to shift into gear, while a round touchpad and an array of buttons will let the front passengers navigate the infotainment system displayed on a wide screen embedded into the dashboard. Some trim levels will receive a digital, driver-configurable instrument cluster, but base models will settle for a set of analog gauges. Genesis will build the GV80 on the same rear-wheel drive platform that will underpin the next-generation G80, and the two models will share a long list of mechanical components including a V6 engine. The South Korean firm previously warned not to wait for another evolution of its V8, so there's little reason to believe the GV80 will get an eight-cylinder option, but a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain will likely join the range a couple of years into the production run. All-wheel drive will be available; it will either be offered at an extra cost, or fitted as standard on some trim levels. We expect the Genesis GV80 will break cover in early 2020 and go on sale shortly after as a 2021 model.

Genesis G90 gets comprehensive updates for 2020

Genesis confirmed Wednesday at the L.A. Auto Show that the redesigned G90 unveiled in 2018 in South Korea will make its way to America. The comprehensively updated flagship will arrive in time for the 2020 model year. We've grown accustomed to seeing automakers make small, frivolous mid-cycle updates to their cars. Genesis proudly bucked this trend by giving the G90 a ground-up redesign that ushers in the next evolution of its styling language. Its front end is dominated by a huge, shield-shaped grille that likely looks a lot less stately when partially masked by a license plate bracket, and angular headlights divided by an LED strip. The rear end receives horizontal lights connected by a light bar. Genesis pointed out it changed every single body panel except for the roof and the four doors. Most of the changes found inside are technology-related. The G90 is the first Genesis model equipped with an over-the-air software updating system, though smaller models like the entry-level G70 will certainly get this feature sooner or later, and it receives a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The materials used include real chrome, leather, and open-pore wood. The 2020 G90 lineup will consist of two trim levels named 3.3T Premium and 5.0 Ultimate, respectively. It doesn't take a seasoned analyst to decipher what each number stands for. The Premium model offers a turbocharged, 3.3-liter V6 engine that makes 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. Downsizing be damned, the Ultimate gets a 5.0-liter V8 rated at 420 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive come standard regardless of cylinder count, and all-wheel drive is offered at an extra cost. Buyers who select the six-cylinder can expect to achieve 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The trade-off for adding a pair of cylinders is surprisingly small; the V8's fuel economy checks in at 16 and 24, respectively.  Genesis will publish pricing information for the 2020 G90 in the coming weeks, and the model is scheduled to go on sale across America in December 2019. To add context, the outgoing 2019 model starts at $70,340 including a $995 destination charge when ordered with the V6.

Hyundai appoints William Lee as global head of Genesis

SEOUL — Hyundai on Tuesday named its former North American chief, William Lee, to oversee its premium Genesis brand following the departure of Manfred Fitzgerald to pursue new opportunities. Lee faces the challenge of rejuvenating Genesis sales in the U.S. market and making headway in Europe and China, both tough markets to crack for luxury car sales. "The company expects Mr. Lee, in his new capacity, to lead the brand's further global expansion by leveraging his overseas business operations expertise," Hyundai said in a statement. "North America is an imperative market for the Genesis brand," it added. The news follows the appointment this month of Mark Del Rosso, a former president of Audi America, to oversee Genesis operations in North America. Genesis U.S. sales halved to 10,312 last year, although sales have picked up this year. The United States is the biggest overseas market for Genesis, which generated 72% of its sales in South Korea last year. Before his stint at Hyundai Motor North America, Lee oversaw Hyundai's Brazil operations and the U.S. unit of advertising arm Innocean Worldwide. Hyundai said in a recent earnings conference call that it has set up Genesis sales operations for China and Europe. Hyundai Motor Group's heir apparent Euisun Chung introduced the Genesis brand in November 2015, bringing in Fitzgerald, a former Lamborghini executive, a few months later to help the automaker shed its value for money image. Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Genesis Hyundai Luxury

2021 Genesis GV70 spied for the first time at the Nurburgring

The first Genesis crossover, the GV80, has been seen a few times, both as a prototype in spy shots, and as a concept a few years ago. Now we get our first look at its smaller, upcoming sibling, the 2021 Genesis GV70. It shares a number of design cues, but features some unique touches of its own. The nose of the GV70 clearly identifies it as a Genesis. It has the large, likely pentagonal grille with a metallic mesh insert and the horizontally divided headlights seen on the GV80 and the new G90 sedan. The hood also sits higher than the fenders, and the fenders blend into a strong shoulder line. Unlike the GV80's shoulder line that extends all the way back, the GV70's line seems to dip down earlier, and there's a lower crease in the doors that seems to rise to meet it. The GV70 has a unique profile and window treatment, too. The D-pillars lean forward more than those on the upright GV80. There's also a piece of chrome trim that snakes up the A-pillar around the windows, and then follows the C-pillar back down. It's somewhat similar to the chrome on the Hyundai Palisade. The back of the GV70 again echoes the GV80 and G90 with its wide, split taillights. It does have some unique touches of its own here, too. Most notable are the upright exhaust tips poking through the rear bumper. They're framed by a diffuser-esque indentation. Genesis reportedly will introduce the GV70 in 2021, following the GV80's launch either this year or next. We would expect it to use a version of the rear-drive chassis underpinning most current Genesis cars. It will likely also offer both the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 found in the Genesis G70. Don't expect the G70's manual transmission to be available, though.

Genesis poaches Italdesign and ex-Lamborghini design chief Filippo Perini

Only a couple of days after Kia landed ex-Infiniti and BMW man Karim Habib, the Hyundai Group scores another coup. Genesis lured Filippo Perini away from his job as head of design and innovation at Italdesign to lead the South Korean luxury brand's Advanced Design Studio Europe. Genesis said it hired Perini for his "expertise in both advanced and production design, as well as in leading design teams in streamlining digital design processes." From his side, Perini gets to bring his 24 years of luxury expertise to the evolution of the Genesis brand and Genesis' effort to reach brand perception parity with the segment goliaths.   And Perini has impressive experience. He started in 1995 as a designer at Alfa Romeo for five years, eventually taking over Alfa's exterior design. His pencil work has been seen on everything from the 1995 Alfa Romeo GTV to the 2001 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. A two-year stint at Audi turned into a job as head of exterior and interior design at Lamborghini in 2004, with Perini taking over Lamborghini's entire design department from 2006 to 2016. In those roles, he participated in or oversaw the designs of the 2006 Miura Concept, Reventon, Estoque, Aventador, Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, Urus, Aventador J, Veneno, Huracan, and Asterion LPI 910-4. Or, put more simply, almost every Lamborghini that has created the momentum Lamborghini enjoys today. In 2015, Lamborghini sold 3,245 cars, a record for the brand at the time. The Sant' Agata carmaker will sell more than 8,000 cars this year, and has had to unveil plans to cap production. In 2016, after Giorgetto Giugiaro and son Fabrizio left Audi subsidiary Italdesign, the Volkswagen mothership put Perini in charge. In his short tenure, he's done the Huracan-based Zerouno, the China-market FAW A50, and the DaVinci we saw earlier this year. Seems it was time for a new challenge. Perini will report to an alum in Luc Donckerwolke, the chief design officer at Hyundai Motor Group who ere ago designed the Lamborghini Murcielago. Perini takes over the European Advanced Design Studio next Monday, Sept. 16.

Genesis pledges to introduce GV80 and GV70 crossovers soon

Hyundai established its upmarket Genesis division to lock horns with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. All three brands sell more crossovers and SUVs than sedans in America, so the burgeoning South Korean firm is preparing two high-riding models it hopes will hit the competition where it hurts. The first Genesis-branded soft-roader will borrow key styling cues and its name from the GV80 concept (pictured) unveiled during the 2017 New York auto show. Motor Trend learned it will begin arriving in showrooms in early 2020, meaning it will break cover before the end of 2019, possibly at the Los Angeles auto show opening in November. The concept's high-tech, hydrogen-powered drivetrain won't make the leap from the show floor to the showroom floor, however. Most examples will come with a V6 engine – a V8 is unlikely at best – and a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid model could add electrification to the SUV's resume later in the production run. When it lands, it will compete in the same market segment as the Q7, the X5, and the GLE. The model offensive will continue in 2021 with the launch of a compact crossover tentatively called GV70. Little is known about the model, and we haven't even seen it as a concept yet. But Motor Trend added the two GVs will represent the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Many of the company's recent concept cars are currently zig-zagging towards production, bouncing back and forth between the requirements of executives, the dreams of engineers, and the realities of the new car market. The on-again, off-again Essentia coupe that stole the spotlight at the 2018 edition of the New York show will add a dose of emotion to the Genesis range when it makes its debut in the early 2020s, according to the magazine. And the Mint is the latest concept to escape from the minds of the company's design team. It's a city car, though it's not shaped like a conventional econobox, and it might get fast-tracked to production, too.  What remains to be see is whether the Mint will join its peers in American showrooms. None of the German brands that Genesis identifies as rivals sell their smallest models here.

Genesis GV80 SUV spied showing off its production lights

The Genesis SUVs are certainly late to the game, but we’re seeing evidence theyÂ’re getting closer to production. This particular tester appears to have both production headlights and taillights shining through the camouflage. Our previous set of GV80 shots still featured the tester units, and these give the front end a much more polished look. WeÂ’re definitely fans of the slim LED fixture Genesis is using up front — headlight fixtures just keep getting smaller, allowing manufacturers more freedom with front end design. ThereÂ’s too much camouflage to see any wild LED DRL signature through there, but it looks like the crossover is going to have a pretty neat headlight design. Then those LED taillights are seen poking through in back, too. All we get to see are three red horizontal lines in the small section thatÂ’s opened up. Horizontal design could signal something like a full width wraparound taillight fixture. ItÂ’s tough to tell with the intense cladding out back, though. As for other changes between this tester and ones weÂ’ve seen previously, this one doesnÂ’t have the weirdly gigantic exhaust outlets on it. ItÂ’s difficult to discern any kind of an exhaust system in the darkness under there, but we imagine Genesis has it tucked up and away from sight. Then we get to see the large crossover with brighter wheels versus the black itÂ’s been testing with. The wheel design is already pleasing to our eye, looking grand and luxurious.  Strangely enough, the front end actually has more cladding around the diamond mesh grille than the last test car we saw. That one appeared to be doing some mountain endurance testing, though, so Genesis may have needed to open it up a bit to get maximum cooling. Genesis hasnÂ’t given us a solid date to expect the GV80 yet, but it is supposed to be revealed at some point in 2020.

Genesis GV80 crossover spied with less camouflage, huge wheels

We got our first good look at the Genesis GV80 in spy photos earlier this year, and now we're going for round two. This one drops some of the camouflage and is more revealing than the first bout of winter testing we saw. Instead of cladding and armor up front, it's mostly just skin-tight printed camouflage. This defines some elements for us like the air intakes on the corners of the front bumper and even the headlights. The grille itself is more visible than before, and the diamond mesh grille design is even clearer. Genesis clearly isn't shy in showing that particular element off, and it looks even bigger than what we can see uncovered. The hood itself still has all the padding on it, but there most likely isn't anything too nutty under there anyway. We're sure your eyes are popping out of your heads as much as ours are at the size of the wheels. The previous GV80 we saw had much more conservative, smaller wheels than this one does. If we were to put a number on it, we'd say they're 21s. That's no surprise given the giant wheel frenzy we're in today, but you do always give up soom comfort for that style. This particular wheel setup will most likely be reserved for the highest trim GV80s out there. The deal out back is largely the same as before. We're still greeted by the lovely tent-hatch thing that conceals the SUV's final form. Two massive outlets for exhausts are chiseled out, but the exhaust itself appears to only exit from one side on this test vehicle. Perhaps this indicates different powertrain choices will have a different number of exhaust port outlets, or that one side of the production exhaust won't actually be functional. Curiously enough, this GV80 is tugging along and testing with a BMW X5 — it's pulling it from a tow hook in the rear. We saw shots of a Kia Sorento prototype doing the same exact thing the other day. Whatever they're doing, it's peaked our interest. Genesis has previously said the GV80 will debut sometime for 2020, but we're halfway through 2019 at this point. It doesn't seem like we're terribly close to being able to buy a Genesis crossover, but that far-off release date sure doesn't seem very far off anymore. Featured Gallery Genesis GV80 spy photos View 15 Photos Spy Photos Genesis Crossover SUV Future Vehicles Luxury

Hyundai Group design chief wants more differentiation between models and brands

Luc Donckerwolke, the man who oversees design at Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, is determined to get more differentiation into the model range. He not only wants greater visual separation between all the models in the range, he also wants more distinction between Hyundai Group cars and others in the respective segments, and global distinctions so that a Hyundai in China doesn't necessarily look like one built for North America. He told Autocar, "We will not have a global design language because otherwise it's too rigid. [The alternative is] more work, but it's more flexible." Donckerwolke gets an extreme look at the results of homogeneous design, because an enormous number of cars on the road in South Korea are Hyundai Group products. "[Our] core task is to differentiate the design philosophy of the three brands, not least because we have a big [around 70%] share in Korea. We need to differentiate each model, otherwise the landscape is too homogeneous." Top-down, each brand gets a design brief. Hyundai will be Hyundai's "sexy, seductive and sensuous, sporty, eager and stylish," holding onto its value proposition while adding emotion. Kia will be "young, challenging and cool — cooler than before," said brand design chief Byungchul Juh, with Donckerwolke adding that it's about "streetwear — bold, fresh and young." And Genesis is "haute couture." Donckerwolke characterizes the design philosophy as not "Russian dolls but ... chess pieces, with a look that reveals its own charismatic character. For example, Kia's used to be about the tiger nose grille, separate headlights and the lower intake. Now it's going to be more of a mask that will deliver sportiness and a presence." Kia designer Juh said, "There will be a distinct version of tiger face for each segment, and we'll keep the tiger nose grille. In principle it's the same, but there's a different interpretation for each segment, and more of a 3D feeling. We're moving from a nose to a face." The sketches we've seen of Kia's coming small global crossover take a first step, and we're told the next Sportage will make more impact than the new Tucson. As for Hyundai, the next Sonata will "be the design flag-bearer." We wait to see how much of the vehicle all of this affects. But right now, look at the 2020 Elantra and Sonata from the front three-quarter; ignore their front fascias, and they're two sizes of one sausage.