Nice, a brand new to the Netherlands that does not come from China. The Korean Genesis, already on sale in the US and Germany, should become the top brand for Hyundai that Lexus became for Toyota with design, luxury and first-class service.
By doing so you take a risk. Even German prestige brands are losing ground everywhere now that European quality brands no longer appeal to younger Chinese, and here too quality is not an automatic guarantee of success. The invincible Lexus continued to struggle in Europe and the question is how Genesis overcomes that resistance.
In the more curious America, where Lexus caught on, they always enjoyed new flavors. Here they think, when they see the Genesis marketers’ slogan Luxury High Performance heard it pronounced: what, almost 500 hp, that’s what my Tesla has too. Furthermore, Genesis has the handicap that regular Hyundais are already so good. Nothing rattles with me and the dealer is always there for me, the Hyundai Kona driver will say, and he is right about that. He rarely sees dealers anyway, there is never anything wrong with EVs.
Luxury High Performance. As if the NS is creating a class above first class with leather armchairs and wooden paneling. What now premium, the knee-jerk will say, it’s the same train, isn’t it? On the other hand: sobriety will not get you anywhere in the luxury industry. Character is also illusion. You have to want to believe that you are driving something special. The more Alfa Romeos were along the road, the more loyal the Alfisti remained. The surrender to an image of happiness is addictive. Luxury is magical thinking, just like the belief that people have lost it for a while and secretly want to get back. That’s why they are so jealous or angry at those who do have it.
Bentley-like
Genesis immediately launches three electric models: the GV60 and GV70, both SUVs, plus a top-of-the-range sedan, the G80. All three are recognizable by the double horizontal stripe in the headlights and taillights, the diamond-shaped grille patterns and the Bentley-like winged brand logo on the bonnet. Inside, it’s all about the beautiful materials show familiar in the luxury industry with leather in exhibitionistic colors, exotic decorative materials and crystal elements.
The G80 is a gem of a car. It has atmosphere, a rarity these days. It’s a kind of Korean reinterpretation of a classic Jaguar sedan, low and stretched. The comfort is fantastic, the silence remarkable, the blue leather interior of nostalgic beauty, the design discreet, the dashboard, despite the wide flat screen on top, so compact and modest that it seems to come straight from the eighties. With a power consumption of up to 17.5 kWh per 100 kilometers, this crazy device is also economical. But if he finds three buyers in the Netherlands, it will be a lot, I’m afraid. Too expensive, too unusual.
The importer rightly focuses on the GV60, an SUV from half a ton in the class of the popular Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y. You don’t have to leave the competitors behind for performance. The power of the 60 models remains within the current margins at 224 and 490 hp. But the opponents do not have a crystal ball in the center tunnel that turns around after starting to show its back, the dial for the direction of travel. This makes children happy, magic. Your Kona also has the rest of the luxury, but it does not have a Nappa Leather Pack with stitched leather or a Bang & Olufsen sound system.
The interior is a feast for the eyes, beautifully crafted and originally designed. The ball on top of the handle of the door on the driver’s side turns out to be a turning-pressure system for the mirror adjustment, surprising and yet practical. Some people might want to empty their pockets for that refinement and, if they are an enthusiast, they will get something in return.
