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Weekly Recap: Hyundai spins off Genesis as new luxury division

Hyundai is creating a standalone luxury division that will use the Genesis name in an ambitious move that could bring the Korean automaker more profits, sales, and prestige. The Genesis division launches in December in Korea, followed by a rollout in other markets, including the United States in 2016. The brand will have six models by 2020. They will all start with a "G" for Genesis, then have a number, like 70, 80, or 90 to represent their segment, Hyundai said. The vehicles will also get more upscale design to differentiate them from other Hyundais. Luc Donckerwolke, a veteran Volkswagen Group designer who joined Hyundai earlier this year, will oversee a new Prestige Design unit at the company. The current winged Genesis emblem will be restyled and worn by all of the brand's luxury vehicles. Hyundai says its new division will focus on technology, customer service, and will have "refined performance character." The current Genesis sedan offers a 5.0-liter V8 that makes 420 horsepower. Naturally, Hyundai is optimistic for its new Genesis brand, but it will face immediate challenges as it enters a crowded and competitive market with a long list of entrenched competitors. Brands with storied histories like Cadillac and Lincoln have struggled recently, and even top-selling brands Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus aren't immune to potential troubles. Rumors have persisted that Hyundai harbored luxury ambitions since it first launched the Genesis sedan in 2008. OTHER NEWS & NOTES SEMA shows aftermarket's strength Further evidence of the auto industry's momentum was on display at the SEMA show this week as carmakers and tuners again turned out in full force. The Ford Cobra Jet Mustang, a Chevy Silverado customized by Kid Rock, and a Kia Forte Koup Mud Bogger were among the prominent displays. The show attracts more than 140,000 people per year, including 2,400 exhibitors, who come to buy and sell products. SEMA is a barometer for customization trends in the aftermarket, a key reason automakers attend. "They represent things we are thinking about and want to get some exposure," Mopar boss Pietro Gorlier said. Honda previews next-gen Ridgeline In other SEMA news, Honda previewed the next generation of its Ridgeline pickup at the show with a race-prepped vehicle that will compete in the Score Baja 1000 this year. The hood, side profile, roof, and front fascia offer hints of what the new truck will look like in production trim. Art St.

Where is Hyundai's upscale Genesis brand going, and what is it, anyway?

"Genesis is the beginning, where everything sprung from. That's where the light is, and that's where we see ourselves." Manfred Fitzgerald. A genesis is an origin story, a new start. So when Hyundai had accomplished its original mission of achieving near parity with the top Japanese marques in the middle-class car market and decided to attempt to move upscale into the profitable luxury automotive sector a few years ago, it made some sense that this was the moniker it bestowed to its spinoff brand. "Genesis is the beginning, where everything sprung from," says Manfred Fitzgerald, the global brand chief. "That's where the light is, and that's where we see ourselves." But now that genesis has turned to germination. A pair of production sedans have been launched, the G80 and G90 luxo-barges. A smaller, 3 Series-fighting sedan, the G70, was previewed as a concept in last year's New York Auto Show. And now, last week in New York, the brand showed something in the all-important crossover category, the GV80. Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, it's a look ahead at what Genesis' SUV line could be like, though the fuel-cell element faces hurdles. View 2 Photos "We have great resources with our brand partners in fuel-cell technology, so when it came to alternative propulsion, this was a natural," says Fitzgerald. "Not just for the US market, but looking at this globally, this is the best technology, but there are a lot of pain points to overcome, especially in terms of infrastructure." Genesis has promised us a handful more cars by 2020, including a coupe and another crossover. Expansion into additional vehicle realms ought to help flesh things out a bit. Though the brand can't really flesh things out any less. Only Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Smart, and Bentley sold fewer cars so far this year, and two of those brands are a century old and Italian, one is a century old and extremely exclusive, and the other is irrelevant in the United States. Given that company, where does that place Genesis? After a recent test drive in a G90, we have to say that we're not sure. The styling is acceptable, if a bit derivative and anodyne. The level of delight is quite lackluster. And the ride is cushy, quiet, and competent, but no better than a contemporary Buick. In a category in which excellence and exquisiteness are the point of entry, what does Genesis represent, what is its category-killing feature or component or capability? "We are known for being audacious.

Hyundai bets big on crossovers sporting diesel, electric, hydrogen powertrains by 2020

Hyundai announced a very aggressive crossover strategy for the next couple of years, with a total of eight vehicles launched between now and 2020. One of those is the already revealed sub-compact Hyundai Kona. The other seven crossovers range in size and fuel types, and Miles Johnson at Hyundai confirmed to us that all of them will be coming to the U.S. The first to launch is the aforementioned Kona, coming in early 2018. Also coming early that year is an unnamed hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. This hydrogen crossover will likely be sized and styled similarly to the FE Fuel Cell Concept shown at this year's Geneva show. A previous report about the production version stated that it would have a range of about 360 miles. Later that year will be two unnamed crossovers without any indication of size. They will also be joined by an electric crossover. In 2019, Hyundai has three crossovers planned for release. Early in the year will be a diesel-powered crossover. Hyundai gives no indication of what segment it would compete in, but so far we've only seen diesels in compact crossovers such as the Chevy Equinox diesel and upcoming Mazda CX-5 diesel. Mid-year will welcome a midsize crossover, and the year will be capped off with an A-segment crossover. Johnson also confirmed that this A-segment crossover will be smaller than the Kona. It could be an outright replacement for the Hyundai Accent hatchback, which did not return to the U.S. with the new sedan. Though we don't have much information regarding the unnamed and unspecified crossovers in the plan, Johnson did confirm that some of the crossovers in this rollout will include redesigned versions of existing offerings. This may include a new Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport, or whatever the Santa Fe Sport will become. The company has previously stated that the Santa Fe Sport will be resized and probably renamed, and the regular Santa Fe would be larger the next time around. These changes would also make room for another small to midsize crossover. Related Video: Image Credit: Hyundai Green Hyundai Crossover SUV Diesel Vehicles Economy Cars Electric Future Vehicles Hydrogen Cars hyundai kona