Genesis has stepped up its assault on the luxury car market with the unveiling of a bold new flagship SUV in the mould of the Bentley Bentayga.
The new GV90 is the production-ready version of the Neolun concept the brand revealed in 2024 and is larger and more luxurious than any model the company has yet launched.
The SUV is the spearhead for a reinvention of the Hyundai-owned Genesis brand, as it marks 10 years since the launch of its first bespoke model, the G90 limousine.
Hyundai Motor Group president Jose Muñoz called the GV90 a “landmark arrival” because it “opens a new chapter for Genesis, building on our track record of bold innovation, elevated customer experiences and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”
He added that the GV90 “represents our vision for the future”. Its imposing, minimalist design, which draws on a succession of brand-shaping concept cars in recent years, is set to influence all upcoming models from Genesis.
At almost 5.3m long – larger than its sibling models, the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 – the GV90 is roughly the same length as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the longest, EWB version of the Bentayga. It will be the largest electric car available when it goes on sale in Europe next year.
It rides on an adapted version of the Hyundai group’s modular EV architecture, dubbed eMP (Electric Mobility Prime) – which the brand says is “exclusive” for its flagship models – and is “the culmination of Genesis’s elevated hospitality ethos”, said the firm, referring to its ‘Son-nim’ policy of treating “each customer as an honoured guest”.
It has a huge, 3245mm wheelbase, a flat floor throughout the cabin and a slim, upright cockpit, which combine to offer a cavernous, private jet-style interior that’s far removed from that of the more brand’s more mainstream cars.
It will be offered with the choice of seven seats or with a VIP-oriented four-seat arrangement (with rotating front seats) in range-topping Neolun trim, which also comes with pillarless, reverse-opening rear doors. An innovative dual-motion, sliding-hinge arrangement means that, unlike those seen previously on the likes of the Mazda RX-8, BMW i3 and Mazda MX-30, they can be opened independently of the front doors, and the back-seat passengers can “get in and out with greater space and comfort”.
There’s ambient lighting too and a 25-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, which brings a new Virtual Venue function that can replicate the ‘signature acoustics’ of arenas such as Boston Symphony Hall and Wembley Stadium.
