A LUXURY car manufacturer dubbed the “posh sibling” of Hyundai, is set to open showrooms across the UK, with thousands of its motors already on the road.

The brand was previously operating a direct-to-consumer model but is now seeking to expand into physical dealerships as demand grows.

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Bosses are aiming for a network of up to 20 sites, which they claim will put 90% of its UK customers within an hour of an official dealership.

It marks a full separation for the South Korean manufacturer from its parent company Hyundai, having been established as an independent brand in 2021.

An initial wave of six showrooms are already up and running, with more planned in the coming months.

This will be achieved in partnership with some of the nation’s largest dealership franchises, including Pendragon, Sinclair Group and Arnold Clark.

Genesis UK brand director, Jonny Miller, told Car Dealer Magazine: “We want between 15 and 20 retail partners and have 15 to 16 strategic locations identified across the UK.

“We’re not going to just put any dealer into those locations – we have to get the right people to work with us.

“Ultimately, these will be dealer groups that are known entities to us, we know how they operate and we know that they can deliver what we need them to deliver.

“We want to get to the point where we cover 90% of the UK populace and where customers are within an hour’s drive of one of our facilities.”

Over 1,300 Genesis motors have already been registered in the UK as the push to net-zero motivates higher demand for EVs.

They are certainly targeting the premium end of the market, with the base model GV60 EV starting at around £54,000.

However, there are more affordable petrol options in the range, including the £42,000 GV70 SUV and £43,000 G80 saloon.

Dealerships with existing links to Hyundai are reported to be under consideration to receive Genesis models, though new partnerships are believed to be possible.

Ashley Andrew, president of Hyundai Motor UK and Genesis UK, explained: “We’ve stipulated these new sites have to stand alone, but we will look at this on a case-by-case basis.

“So, in a situation where a partner comes to us and says that they have a premium franchise and they’d like Genesis to join that premium franchise, we’ll look at that.”

It comes after Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer urged Brits to buy one of seven second-hand cars which, he said, will “reward you forver”.

Meanwhile, the full list of number plates banned by the DVLA for being “too rude” has been revealed.