The ravishing Genesis X Convertible Concept is going into production
The Genesis X Concept 2+2 grand tourer that debuted in March 2021 began as an internal design exercise. We said then that Genesis needs to build it. Over the next 18 months, we were treated to follow-ups in the X Speedium Coupe Concept, a shooting brake with more accommodations made for back-seaters, and the X Convertible Concept shown at last year’s L.A. Auto Show. Seeing the droptop variant was like finding a gorgeous new example of a species going extinct, the Genesis (conceptually) replenishing an ecosystem that once included the Mercedes-Benz S-Class convertible and Jaguar XK but is now down to the BMW 8 Series, and will soon see the return of the Maserati GranCabrio. Now Automotive News has been told by Peter Lanzavecchia, chairman of Genesis’ national dealer advisory council, that the X Convertible Concept is going into production.
Lanzavecchia said that Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer for the entire Hyundai Motor Group, gave dealers the news at the body’s annual meeting. The dealer body chairman told AN dealers have been trying to get a “performance GT coupe” from the automaker, and have been buzzing about the idea of one entering production “even before Donckerwolke addressed dealers about its planned arrival.” It’s not clear if this means the X grand tourer with the fixed roof is also going into production, or if the X Convertible with its folding hardtop is the only one headed to market. We’d like to see both, but either way, hooray for us.
As we would have expected from seeing the first car in the trilogy, the convertible is a flagship. Even knowing that, though, Lanzavecchia’s comment to AN that “I don’t know if it’s going to be over $200,000 or $300,000, but I guarantee we’re going see a lot of Bentley Continental convertible trade-ins on that when it comes to our showrooms,” is unexpected. The 2023 G90 sedan that starts at about $90,000 is the most expensive model the brand offers here at the moment. He added that “sales volume might be extremely limited.” Based on these rough outlines, we’re talking about South Korea’s version of the Cadillac Celestiq — luxury brand wants to make an emphatic point about being A Luxury Brand with an EV in a segment it has never played in that costs more than double it’s most expensive traditional offering. Bring it.
Last April, Genesis applied with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property and the British intellectual property office to trademark the name “X Speedium Coupe.” The name referred to second, shooting brake concept, but could be applied to the first hardtop X concept as well. Two months later, anonymous sources told The Korean Economic Daily that Genesis would launch a One of One division that would open up the options menu from small items like custom leather to modifying anything from “the powertrain and transmission to seating arrangements, interior and exterior colors, and other options.” The automaker still hasn’t announced One of One, if that’s happening. But an X Speedium Coupe or Convertible would fit right in.
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