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Genesis trademarks 'X Speedium Coupe,' possibly for EV

NEW YORK — Genesis has built two eye-catching coupes for the auto show circuit in the past four years, and it strongly hinted that at least one is on its way to production. While nothing is official, a recent trademark filing suggests the two-door model could be named after a race track. Hyundai's luxury division trademarked the "X Speedium Coupe" nameplate in April 2022, according to website Carbuzz. X is seemingly a reference to the X concept (pictured) introduced in March 2021, while the Speedium part of the name comes from the Inje Speedium circuit located in South Korea. Several high-profile races have been held there, including World Touring Car and Ferrari Challenge events. As always, a trademark filing isn't a guarantee that the nameplate it details will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line. If that were the case, the Chevrolet Cheyenne and the Volkswagen Thing would have made a triumphant return to showrooms. But the idea of a Genesis coupe isn't new or far-fetched; keep in mind that most of the firm's closest competitors are present in the two-door segment. Genesis tellingly previewed the range of electric vehicles that it plans to release during the 2020s in September 2021, and the dark outline of a coupe stood out in a lineup made up mostly of sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. At the time, head designer Luc Donckerwolke appeared on video next to the X concept saying "we have to put it in production," though it's unclear if he was referring to the car or its paint color. Even more tellingly, the company asked its followers on Twitter if they would be interested in reserving an X with a $1,000 deposit. If launched, the X Concept will lean more towards the touring side of the coupe scale; it's relatively big, and it has four seats. Genesis also explored a sportier direction when it unveiled the Essentia concept in 2018. It doesn't sound like that one will reach production, however.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2022 Genesis GV80 Prestige Signature arrives in the U.S.

In its home market of South Korea, Genesis launched a GV80 Prestige Signature trim last summer. Going double-plush on the brand's already plush interiors, the South Korean Prestige Signature put quilted leather everywhere and swapped the second-row bench for captain's chairs divided by a fully trimmed console with veneers to match the instrument panel. The middle passengers also enjoyed separate HVAC controls plus climate-controlled seats, twin rear-seat entertainment systems, and wireless device chargers among other luxuries. The brand said we'd eventually get our own in the States, and it's now here. Unlike the South Korean model, ours only seats four, not six. On top of that, ours is a limited edition; Genesis pledging to sell just 600 here, each starting at $78,295 after the $1,095 destination charge. Yes, that price makes the Prestige Signature the most expensive GV80, coming in at $3,000 more than a GV80 3.5T Prestige Matte. The Signature keeps the chrome trim that the Matte exchanges for dark chrome, but sits on 22-inch dark multi-spoke wheels instead of polished chrome five-spokers. The rest of the extra money is spent on the feel-good amenities behind the front row. The Prestige Signature can only be had in two exterior colors as opposed to the three available on the Prestige Matte, either Melbourne Gray Matte or Matterhorn White Matte. The interior choices on the Prestige Signature are likewise restricted, each body color paired to just one interior color. Going with Melbourne Gray gets a black interior with Olive Ash trim, choosing the Matterhorn White gets a two-tone interior treatment, Ultramarine leather up top and Dune below, again with Olive Ash trim. You can't get the price much higher than the starting figure, though. There are no options because Genesis already put everything in, and the four available accessories add up to $365 total.   Genesis says only 600 examples will make it our way. The limitation makes this feel like a scouting mission to us, Genesis trying to gauge audience reaction as the GV80 idles up to the six-figure psychological barrier. Second-row captain's chairs being a very popular item among the luxury crossover set, we will not be surprised to see the Prestige Signature either join the 2023 GV80 lineup, or offer its sybaritic seating as an option. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Hyundai Motor plans 17 EVs, $16B investment by 2030

SEOUL — South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co said on Wednesday it planned to invest about 95.5 trillion won ($79.21 billion) through 2030, including about 19.4 trillion won ($16.10 billion) towards electric vehicle (EV) related businesses. It also said it plans to introduce 17 EVs in that timeframe, six from Genesis and 11 from the Hyundai brand. Hyundai announced that three of those EVs would be sedans, along with six SUVs, a light commercial vehicle and one new type of model. It will begin sales of the Ioniq 6 later this year, followed by the Ioniq 7 in 2024. Hyundai Motor, which together with affiliate Kia Corp is among the world's top 10 biggest automakers by sales, targets to achieve a 7% market share in the global EV market by 2030, with an annual sales target of 1.87 million vehicles, the automaker said during a virtual investor day. The Seoul-based automaker said it aimed to achieve an operating profit margin of 10% or higher in EV business by 2030. "Hyundai is successfully accelerating its transition to electrification and becoming a global leader in EVs despite a challenging business environment caused by the global chip shortage and ongoing pandemic," Hyundai Motor Chief Executive Officer Jaehoon Chang said. Analysts, however said Hyundai's $16 billion investment in EV business would not be considered an "aggressive" approach compared to its rivals, adding, the investment is easily dwarfed by bigger rivals including Toyota Motor Corp, which plans to invest 8 trillion yen ($69.43 billion) for electrification by 2030. "Hyundai is allocating about 20% of its 95.5 trillion won investment to EV related businesses, which includes building new plants, EV charging stations and strategic alliances with battery manufacturers and the investment amount for EV does not seem too surprising or aggressive," said Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Lee Jae-il. Chang said Hyundai was considering building new dedicated EV production plants without proving details of new factories, including locations and timeline. Analysts said Hyundai would be eying on building dedicated EV factories in the United States, as it considers that as its key EV market. Shares in Hyundai Motor closed down 2.6%, compared to the benchmark KOSPI's 0.2% gain. ($1 = 1,205.2600 won) ($1 = 115.2300 yen) (Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Rashmi Aich) Related video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Hyundai, Genesis, Subaru warn their dealers about markups

Six weeks ago, word got out that Ford's VP of sales for the U.S. and Canada wrote one of those "It has come to our attention..." e-mails to the automaker's dealer body. The VP's problem was dealers trying to get reservation deposits for the Ford F-150 Lightning well above the official $100 fee. The tomfoolery resulted in interactions "with customers in a manner that is negatively impacting customer satisfaction and damaging to the Ford Motor Company brand and Dealer Body reputation." Two weeks later, GM told its dealers to cut out the reservation gaming and the markups on the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, banditry that's been going on for two years. Two weeks ago, Ford was back at it, this time about markups on the Bronco. Last week, Asian automakers swept into the melee, with Hyundai and Genesis, Subaru, and Infiniti writing letters to their dealers to deliver some variant of, "Stop pissing off the customers." Automotive News reported an SVP at Hyundai Motor America and the COO at Genesis Motor North America sent letters to their dealers expressing disappointment at "certain pricing practices which, if left unchecked, will have a negative impact on the health of our brand." One of the practices mentioned was dealer markups, another was the bait-and-switch, with dealers advertising one price then charging a higher price once the customer showed up at the lot. The letters acknowledged that dealers are separate companies to the automakers and have the right to set their own prices. The automakers cannot interfere with that; their leverage is distributing allocations and perks such as advertising support and financial incentives. So, like a movie boss letting the protagonist go on a technicality, the brands wrote, "we cannot stand idly by watching the actions of the aforementioned dealers undo all the efforts we collectively have put into making these brands what they are today." Jalopnik got tipped to a letter Subaru of America CEO Thomas Doll sent to that brand's dealers. Doll's polite yet insistent tone was the result of a letter a loyal Subaru owner sent to the automaker's VP of Customer Advocacy. In the market for a third brand-new Forester, the owner said they encountered a "tax" labeled a "Low Inventory Surcharge" of as much as $6,000, putting the Forester out of reach.

Kia leads J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study for 2022

For the first year ever, Kia leads J.D. Power's annual Vehicle Dependability Study with a score of 145 problems per 100 vehicles. Buick (147) and Hyundai (148) round out the top three. The highest premium brand on the list is Genesis, with a score of 148. It's common for so-called "mass market" brands to lead this particular study, according to J.D. Power, as "premium" brands "typically incorporate more technology in their vehicles, which increases the likelihood for problems to occur" and aren't necessarily built to a higher standard that less-expensive brands. The highest-rated single nameplate is the Porsche 911. It's the third time out of the past four years and the second year in a row that Porsche's quintessential sports car has taken top honors. Porsche as a brand sits in seventh place (162) just behind Lexus (159) and ahead of Dodge (166). At the very bottom of the list is Land Rover with a dismal score of 284; the SUV specialist held the same unfortunate distinction on last year's list. Ram (266), Volvo (256), Alfa Romeo (245) and Acura (244) also performed poorly. The overall industry average score sits at 192 — mass market brands average a score of 190 while premium brands sit 14 points lower at 204. While Tesla is unofficially included in some of J.D. Power's results, the agency says the sample size it has access to for this study is too small to include. As has been the case for the past several years, infotainment systems dominate the list of problems reported by owners. Popular (or unpopular, depending on your point of view) complaints include built-in voice recognition (8.3 PP100), Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (5.4 PP100), built-in Bluetooth system (4.5 PP100), not enough power plugs/USB ports (4.2 PP100), navigation systems difficult to understand/use (3.7 PP100), touchscreen/display screen (3.6 PP100), and navigation system inaccurate/outdated map (3.6 PP100). While problems with the car's infotainment and technology packages are indeed bothersome, it's important to remember that such issues aren't usually leaving owners stranded with an immovable vehicle like a broken transmission or blown engine would. Culling infotainment complaints from the results would reduce the average problem-per-100-vehicle score by a staggering 51.9 points. The vehicles included in this study are from the 2019 model year. That means owners have had three years to get to know their cars and trucks. It's the 33rd year that J.D.

2022 Genesis G80 Sport Prestige Road Test | More prestige than sport

At this point, we know what to expect when Hyundai applies an N badge to its cars. The resulting vehicles are serious performance machines with tremendous appeal to enthusiasts. Over at corporate sibling Genesis, however, the label of “Sport” has brought with it a relatively inconsistent experience. This confusion remains with the 2022 Genesis G80 Sport. Part of the problem is that there are two versions: the Sport and Sport Prestige. Both add the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 as standard equipment, an engine that has been discontinued as an option on other G80s for 2022. Those are now fitted only with the 2.5-liter turbo inline-four.  Beyond that, the two Sports share a number of appearance changes to further differentiate them from the standard models. These include a unique dark chrome grille, new front and rear bumper designs, black bezels around the lights and dark chrome throughout where youÂ’d find brightwork on regular G80s. The standard Sport gets special 19-inch wheels, but the Sport Prestige gets its own 20-inch wheel design that can be paired with optional summer tires. That's all she wrote for the base Sport, however, making it effectively an appearance package paired with the V6 engine. If all you care for are those looks and the extra power — and by golly, does it look good — refer to our standard G80 review, because thatÂ’s how the standard G80 Sport will drive. For a more comprehensive, fully realized performance model, you have to put up an extra $6,300 for the Sport Prestige. That's the version we're driving here. Despite a name that implies extra leather or general fanciness, the Prestige is in fact the version that adds high-performance features beyond the bigger engine. You get a sport-tuned adaptive suspension, high-performance brakes, rear-wheel steering and that ability to option summer performance tires. In other words, this is the real Sport.  That said, to set expectations, donÂ’t come into this hoping for a Mercedes-AMG, BMW M or Audi Sport competitor. Despite the upgrades, the G80 Sport Prestige is still not aiming at that level of performance. The slinky sedanÂ’s powertrain produces 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque and routes it through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The eight-speed is the same as before, but new tuning for a unique “Sport+” drive mode makes the G80 a far more aggressive shifting partner on curvy roads.

Apple's digital car keys may work with Hyundai and Genesis models this summer

Apple's digital car key feature might soon be useful for unlocking more than a handful of BMW models. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed Hyundai and its upscale Genesis badge will support Apple CarKey "by the summer." It's not certain which models would provide the option, but it's notable that some trim levels of the Ioniq 5 and other Hyundai cars include NFC for a (currently proprietary) digital key. While remote lock controls have been available through smartphones for a while, CarKey (and its Android equivalent) treats the phone more like a physical key. You just have to bring your phone or Apple Watch to the door handle to unlock it, and you can even place your phone in a given area to start the car. People with ultra-wideband iPhones (such as the iPhone 11 and newer) can even leave their phone in their pocket when opening and starting the vehicle. If the leak is accurate, Apple's move could significantly expand the audience for digital car keys — you wouldn't need to shop from one high-end marque to even consider it. A deal would also suggest the tussle over a possible EV collaboration wasn't enough to deter Apple and Hyundai from exploring a CarKey team-up. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Genesis Hyundai Technology Smartphone Apple

Hyundai shoots down the rumor claiming it is done developing engines

Hyundai has clarified that the recent rumor claiming it had stopped developing gasoline- and diesel-burning engines to focus on various forms of electrifications is false. It said that development work remains on-going and that the internal combustion engine still has a future. "Hyundai Motor Group can confirm that it is not halting the development of its engines following recent media speculation. The Group is dedicated to providing a strong portfolio of powertrains to its global customers, which includes a combination of highly efficient engines and zero-emissions electric motors," said senior group manager Michael Stewart in an interview with Motor1. The report that emerged in late 2021 claimed that the Hyundai Group (which includes the Hyundai brand, Kia, and Genesis, among other entities) had completely stopped designing piston-powered engines to focus on electrification. It claimed that most of the engineers had been assigned new roles related to electrification, though it also noted that some were staying behind to continue refining the technology. If this sounds familiar, it's likely because Hyundai recently shot down a separate but similar rumor that said it had put the hydrogen-electric powertrain it planned to install in many of its cars (including some upmarket Genesis models) on hiatus. The carmaker explained that it has merely reshuffled the team that's developing the technology because unspecified technical hurdles have slowed down the project. Several electric Hyundai models are in the pipeline, including the production version of the Prophecy concept unveiled in 2020 and a relatively big SUV previewed by the 2021 Seven concept. But, its comments suggest that more gasoline-powered models are on the way as well, which is great news; its range of N-tuned high-performance models includes excellent cars and there's still room for it to grow. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Hyundai puts its hydrogen development program on hiatus

UPDATE: According to Pulse news in South Korea, Hyundai denies that it has paused development of hydrogen fuel cells. Instead, the report suggests the team was reshuffled as technological hurdles have slowed down progress. Time will tell which version of the report is factual. Hydrogen technology has reportedly lost one of its biggest and most vocal proponents, at least for now. Citing a long list of hurdles, Hyundai has allegedly stopped developing the hydrogen-electric powertrain it planned to put in several of its cars (including Genesis models) in the coming years. Anonymous sources told South Korean publication Chosunbiz that executives pulled the emergency brake after analyzing the results of a feasibility study. Nothing is official at this point, and the report stresses that the pause is temporary. However, the issues reportedly found are relatively serious: they include unspecified technical problems and a lack of marketability due in part to cost-related concerns. The news comes as a surprise because Hyundai has invested a tremendous amount of resources into making hydrogen a viable alternative to gasoline without many of the inconveniences associated with EVs, like long charging times and limited driving range. It's one of the few carmakers in the world that sells a hydrogen-electric car (the Nexo; pictured), and it announced plans to build about 130,000 hydrogen-powered cars annually by 2025. And yet, the Nexo is a tough sell, even in hydrogen-friendly markets like South Korea; 8,206 units were sold there through November 2021. The 671-horsepower Vision FK concept unveiled earlier in 2021 will seemingly remain at the prototype stage. Interestingly, a separate unverified report claims that Hyundai has also shuttered its engine development division. If both are accurate, it means that the Hyundai group (which includes Kia and Genesis) will exclusively develop electric powertrains starting in the near future. Several car companies have tried to pelt hydrogen-powered cars into the mainstream over the past decade and most have failed. Some of the issues facing the technology include the lack of a charging infrastructure and governments with a single-minded focus on EVs. There are 48 hydrogen charging stations in America, according to the United States Department of Energy, and 47 of those are located in California. While that's great news for Californians, it makes the Nexo completely useless for someone driving from Salt Lake City to Seattle.

Hyundai shutters engine development in shift to electric and hydrogen vehicles

Hyundai is quickly pivoting into an era of electric vehicles. Shortly after announcing it would halve the number of internal combustion models, it launched its first EV on its dedicated Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the supremely enjoyable Ioniq 5. Now, as The Korea Economic Daily reports, Hyundai Motor Group, which includes sister brand Kia and luxury brand Genesis, has closed its engine development division at its research and development center in South Korea to put those resources into electric powertrain development. According to the report, researchers from engine design are moving to its electrification design center, but a few remain behind to continue to refine existing internal combustion engines. The powertrain system development center will become an electrification test center, and the performance division will focus on electric performance. The group has also established a battery development center, and the R&D Center will also focus on raw materials for batteries and semiconductors. In an email, R&D boss Park Chung-Kook told employees, “Now, it is inevitable to convert into electrification. Our own engine development is a great achievement, but we must change the system to create future innovation based on the great asset from the past.” Hyundai Motor Group is targeting one million EVs a year by 2025, and full electrification by the year 2040. In addition to the newly launched Ioniq 5, Hyundai is planning to launch the Ioniq 6 EV, based on the stunning Prophecy concept, in 2022, and weÂ’ve already seen spy shots of that prototype in testing. That will be followed by the full-size Ioniq 7 SUV in 2024, which was recently previewed by the Seven Concept at the 2021 L.A. Auto Show. Kia is set to launch the EV6 in 2022, and Genesis recently revealed the GV60 electric crossover, both of which will use HyundaiÂ’s E-GMP architecture. Genesis also recently revealed an electric version of the GV70 crossover in China. Of course, Hyundai is also invested in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, both commercial vehicles like its Xcient trucks, and passenger cars like the Nexo and the recently revealed Vision FK concept. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.