Genesis didn't disappoint this year at the New York International Auto Show by introducing a spectacular new coupe called Speedium, which is an evolution of last year's X Concept. The new Shooting Brake could be replacing the G70 Shooting Brake as the new marquee model for Europe!
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20
At the 2022 New York International Auto show, along with the unveiling of the mid-cycle refreshed Hyundai Palisade and Telluride, the Hyundai Motor Group didn’t disappoint once again, by debuting a stunning Genesis concept that would undoubtedly have many people talking begging for the production version to be released. And this year it came to us in the form of the Genesis X Concept Speedium Coupe.
As the name suggests, it’s a version of the X concept that was unveiled last year at the same show, and the Speedium nomenclature is an homage to the Speedium racing circuit, the heart of motorsports in Korea, sort of like Monza of Italy, or Nürburgring of Germany. Speedium is a famous race circuit where motorsports events such as Ferrari Challenge takes place, and appropriately the new concept car befits the namesake very well, with its stunning sports car design that takes the original concept to the next level.
So, let's explore the new Genesis concept further and ascertain whether it would be produced and if so, what we can expect in terms of the specification, and the launch date.
Although Donckerwolke described the Speedium Coupe as a kind of creative exploration that the design studio would not typically show to the public, he also stated previously that the Korean company never creates concept cars for the sake of showing off, and that they actually lead to something, when talking about the Hyundai Prophecy concept, which has led to the IONIQ 6 electric sedan.
The New York International Auto Show has always been Genesis’s favorite one. It’s the venue where all the great concepts and the new production car unveiling have been presented. Starting in the year 2016, just after the launch of Korea’s first-ever luxury brand, Genesis New York concept was unveiled. The sleek compact sedan was the precursor to the G70, which is the company’s first bespoke model, as the 1st generation G80 and G90 started their life as Hyundai branded cars.
Next came the GV80 concept that gave birth to the first SUV model of the same name in 2017. And in 2018 came the famous Essentia concept. The stunning scissor-door sports car was penned by the none other than Luc Donckerwolke, the new design director of the Hyundai Motor Group that also designed the likes of Lamborghini Murciélago, and the public went wild with the possibility of it making it into production, as suggested by the global head of Genesis brand at the time, Manfred Fitzgerald. However, that didn’t materialize, unfortunately, but what did make production was the next year’s entry, the Mint concept of 2019, that formed the basis for the GV60 electric SUV, the first-ever dedicated EV from Genesis, based on the state of the art EGMP platform.
Skip a year to 2021 due to the pandemic, and came the X concept, which is the evolution of the Essentia, now taking a shape as a classic GT car, reminiscent of the original BMW 8-series from the 90s. The X concept didn’t become a production car either, but the design DNA impregnated the second-generation G90 flagship sedan, which is unmistakably X concept with 4 doors, complete with the newly introduced two-line design that’s prevalent everywhere from the headlamps to the side markers, and continuing to the rear lamps.
The X Concept had a classic GT car proportion, while the Speedium is a Shooting Brake. (For More Info: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20)
The X concept set the design benchmark for all-new Genesis to follow, and also set the tone for the first-ever electric sports car for Genesis. And finally, in 2022, it spawned yet another iteration, the Speedium coupe.
In continuance of the classic sports car theme, the Speedium seemed to have adopted the graceful shape of a Shooting Brake. Shooting Brake, especially the 2-door version, is a classic body shape that has been around as long as sports cars have been in existence, combining the athleticism and grace of a sports coupe, but with the added practicality of a higher roof and a hatch that gives it that distinct shape, especially popular in Europe.
The G70 Shooting Brake was Genesis's first-ever Europe-exclusive model. The Speedium Shooting Brake would likely replace this model in the future. (For More Info: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20)
And this is not a surprising move as Genesis clearly has its sight on the European market. In efforts to become an exclusive electric car brand to ensure its success in Europe, as the company has encountered difficulties in breaking into the tough market with the traditional ICE cars, a Shooting Brake like the Speedium would certainly work to their advantage, not only as a halo car that would increase the brand awareness but a car that could be purchased as a daily commuter with the practicality that it offers.
So what would be the possibility of the Speedium Shooting Brake making it into production? We’d say it's pretty good. First, Genesis is no stranger to the shooting brake design as the company has already introduced the G70 in the most delectable body shape ever for the Korean maker, so Genesis understands its value, and introducing another shooting brake design should be another step closer to the production.
All of the Genesis concepts were actually produced. This could be the Speedium's turn. (For More Info: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20)
Also, as previously explained, every one of Genesis concepts has seen the day of light as production cars, like G70, GV80, and GV60, so we’d say the chances are very good that Genesis would carry on the tradition and produce the Speedium coupe that started out as Essentia coupe 4 years ago. Although Donckerwolke described the Speedium Coupe as a kind of creative exploration that the design studio would not typically show to the public, he also stated previously that the Korean company never creates concept cars for the sake of showing off, and that they actually lead to something, when talking about the Hyundai Prophecy concept, which has led to the IONIQ 6 electric sedan.
The Shooting Brake was actually leaked last year during the design studio tour. (For More Info: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20)
Besides, this is not his first time teasing us with the tantalizing X Concept-based Shooting Brake, as he has purposely leaked the design in his previous engagement with the public. So, you can bet that the company is gauging the consumers' reactions as they are contemplating production.
If it’s produced, and we know that they are definitely working on something from our intel, the specifications would be very similar to the ultra-fast charging 800-volt EGMP products that most of us are very familiar with.
Expected to be called Genesis GT70, or simply GT, the production version of the Speedium Coupe would sport the underpinning that’s derived from the Kia EV6 GT and its IONIQ 5 N counterpart. This means that the top-of-the-line version would feature up to nearly 600 hp, from the dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration, to offer a bonafide supercar performance of just under 3 seconds, 0-60 mph. The more basic model would offer either 321 hp as found in the EV6 GT-line, which would render 0-60 mph time of under 5-seconds, as well as the 483 hp power electric system adopted from the GV60 performance version that would result in sub 4 seconds 0-60 mph. The expected range would be around 300 miles for the most efficient model when paired with a 77.4 kWh battery, but there is a possibility of the battery size being bumped up to 87 kWh for an even longer range.
The Genesis GT Shooting Brake is to feature a super long wheelbase to maintain the concept's graceful design and practicality as a personal luxury coupe. (For More Info: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20)
The GT coupe will feature a long wheelbase of 3 meters, to accommodate the concept's graceful design, as well as offer a spacious interior, which should be inspired by the X concept’s aircraft-like cockpit.
The launch date is uncertain at this moment, but it would follow the electrified GV80 in 2023, and the 2nd dedicated EV the GV90 in 2024, which would be part of 6 plus EV models that are expected to form the lineup as suggested in the 2022 Investor Day presentation. It’s likely that the elusive Genesis GT coupe would finally be introduced after 2025, alongside the next-generation G70 electric sports sedan, which the coupe will be co-developed with.
The estimated starting price would be around $70,000 to $80,000, which would be quite reasonable given its supercar-like design and performance. So, who wants in? If you are as enthusiastic as we are, it would be a great idea to let the people at Genesis know how much you want the Speedium Coupe produced as soon as possible.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO: https://youtu.be/7UOCCRcks20