The Genesis X Concept is a master class in all the things that a concept car should be. It shows off future design and technology pushing the envelope but never getting so far away from the mission that it looks like it’s from the space age. Instead, what Genesis presented is a pointed glimpse into the future of the brand.
That brand is struggling to define itself and create a market in the U.S. While its cars have been featured in advertising for years, including this Super Bowl ad featuring John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, the company received perhaps the most publicity when golfer Tiger Woods crashed the GV80 SUV that he was driving leaving himself seriously injured, which is the perfect IRL example of “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”.
The new Gran Turismo concept takes some of the shapely curves from the Genesis Mint and Genesis Essentia prototype builds and puts them into a more realistic light. With the Genesis X Concept, it’s obvious to see the direction Genesis is headed.
That starts with the theme of Two Lines. It’s applied throughout the interior and exterior, bringing the look of the company’s Quad Lamps into a more universal form.
The luxury arm of Hyundai says that the ‘Genesis X’ name comes from a combination of the brand’s name and the letter X, which in this case symbolizes a “hidden hero”.
“The Genesis X Concept can be described as the ultimate vision of Athletic Elegance, the inherent design language of Genesis,” said SangYup Lee, Head of Genesis’ Global Design. “The signature Two Lines theme and sustainable luxury will be blueprints for the futuristic designs and state-of-the-art technologies that Genesis seeks to adopt in its future models.”
The car exudes traditional GT design. There’s a long hood and short rear.
At the front of the car is the company’s signature Crest Grille with two-lined headlights on either side that direct the eye from the front to the sides, as they extend into the doors. The grille features a G-Matrix pattern that is currently on the company’s G70, G80, G90, and GV80 models. The internal pattern of the grille has been painted in the same color as the exterior in order to create a sense of unity.
Designers have double layered the car’s bumpers. The hood and fender are integrated to create a single, clamshell hood. The bottom front air vent intake features a thin mesh form and aids in cooling the vehicle while reducing air resistance.
The rear features linear lamps that flank unique body styling.
Genesis has designed this car as an electric vehicle (EV). Its slide-to-open charging door creates no parting lines.
The entire car rides on turbine-type, five-spoke alloy wheels. Lime brake calipers accent the car’s Lençóis Blue paint color. The paint color way was inspired by Maranhenses National Park in Brazil, where a lake forms only during the rainy season.
Genesis maximized the concept car’s sporty sensibility by incorporating two-layered, turbine-type alloy wheels with five spokes. The brake calipers’ lime accenting hints at the high-performance character of the Genesis X Concept.
The car has been designed with simplicity at its core. The driver-orientated cockpit design surrounds the driver with all operating systems and displays. A floating center console and a dashboard designed to create the sense that it is enveloping passengers are among the highlights as are slim, indirect air vents.
A Free-Form display manages gauge clusters, navigation, and climate controls while a Crystal Sphere Electronic Shift Level integrates driving mode functionality alongside PNRDL functionality.
Bucket seats and four-point seat belts are part of the cabin’s design, as is a weave-patterned fabric made from leftover leather.
The Genesis X Concept is not intended for sale, but it does point solidly in the direction of what is coming as the automaker introduces new products.
