Genesis Wants Performance to Differentiate Its EVs from Hyundai and Kia

We’re big fans of the Genesis GV60 here. It looks great, has a well-designed interior, rides well, and offers plenty of power if you get the Performance version. It may share its platform with Kia and Hyundai, but we’d argue it’s more than just a gussied-up EV6. Apparently, though, Genesis has plans to make sure its electric vehicles stand out even more compared to its corporate siblings in a way we can all appreciate: by adding more power.

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Speaking to Autocar, Mark Choi, head of product planning for Genesis, suggested that platform sharing will continue in the future but that performance will become a bigger differentiator for Genesis, not just high-end interiors:

As a group, we are looking at the most efficient ways of developing electric cars as we approach the new era, but at Genesis, it is clear that we want to be differentiated. We can’t just carry over from our sister brands.

We want to separate ourselves on the more high-performance side. We are not keen on a high-performance sub-brand or anything like that, but we do talk about developing ‘effortless’ powertrains – enough power to be enjoyable in all circumstances, and which satisfies the luxury experience.

So even though it sounds like the N sub-brand will remain a Hyundai exclusive, expect future Genesis EVs to be seriously quick. Granted, other luxury automakers are also investing in ridiculously powerful EVs, as well, but who’s going to complain about another super-fast option in the luxury car world? Especially if it’s something like the gorgeous Genesis X Convertible concept?

A production version of the X concepts still has yet to be officially confirmed, but Genesis is definitely hinting at it. “We’ve had great feedback, and we’re looking into it. The next steps are to decide if it’s first possible and then feasible,” Choi told Autocar.

If it ever does go into production, though, it sounds like it will be pretty damn expensive, as it wouldn’t be a particularly easy car to produce. As Genesis’s head of design, Sangyup Lee, told Autocar, “The flush shapes we want for the cars are not easy to make in production, especially around the A- and B-pillar. These are challenging engineering details that we need to be perfected before we can proceed.”

Hopefully, the obstacles standing in the way of production can be overcome because now that we’ve seen the X Convertible concept, we don’t want to live in a world where you can’t actually buy one. The world needs a production version, Genesis. Needs.