11:40 am, May 4, 2021
Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis has announced it’s coming to Europe this summer including the UK – but there won’t be a dealer network.
Genesis was launched by Hyundai five years ago as a separate sub-brand in South Korea, and has since been rolled out to the US, Canada, Russia, Australia and the Middle East.
This summer, the brand will make its debut in the UK as well as in Germany and Switzerland, with online sales prioritised.
There will be no standalone dealerships or shared showroom spaces like other premium sub-brands have employed over the years such as Lexus, DS Automobiles and the ill-fated Infiniti.
Instead, customers will be able to configure and order a G80 saloon or GV80 SUV and pay for it online, with a range of purchasing options offered including subscription.
Home delivery and home pick-up for servicing and maintenance work is part of the ownership package, and a Genesis Personal Assistant will be assigned to each customer.
Each car also comes with Genesis’s five-year care plan, which comprises a five-year warranty, five years of servicing, five years of roadside assistance, five years of courtesy cars and five years of mapping and over-the-air software updates.
Announcing the news of its European launch in a press conference today (May 4), Genesis bosses said: ‘Genesis Motor Europe has optimised car ownership so customers need never visit a dealer again.’
The G80’s interior uses Korean architecture as a theme
Potential customers can visit a physical site should they wish, however.
Called ‘Studios’, the sites will feature the Genesis range and offer sales facilities but there will only be three – London, Munich and Switzerland.
The Studios will be in shopping centres, with London’s at the upmarket Westfield.
Whether customers buy online or in a Studio, Genesis says there will be no haggling or discounting on the cars’ list prices.
The BMW 5 Series-rivalling G80 saloon and Audi Q7-sized GV80 SUV will arrive in June, followed by the smaller G70 saloon and GV70 SUV.
Within 12 months, the UK range will swell to seven models with a pure-electric G80 saloon and two more battery models, one of which will be built on a dedicated electric car platform.
Dominique Boesch, managing director for Genesis Motor Europe, said: ‘We are delighted to be able to share our unique approach with you, and to introduce such a compelling premium contender to the region, starting with the launch of the G80 sedan and GV80 SUV in summer.
‘Genesis is synonymous with distinctive premium design, cutting-edge technology and exceptional quality service, so we are confident it will be very well received by European consumers.
‘We look forward to providing an experience we can take real pride in – offering great service across the entire purchasing and ownership journey; that is the Genesis difference.’
Genesis shifted 130,000 cars last year – nearly 30,000 more than Jaguar managed.
The Genesis name won’t be entirely new to the UK, however. It was used for a range-topping V6-powered Hyundai saloon in 2015, but was axed from UK dealers within two years. Reportedly only 50 cars were sold.
