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Genesis teases future large SUV with GV80 concept

After years of rumors that Genesis would add an SUV to its lineup, Hyundai's in-house luxury brand unveiled the GV80 concept at the New York Auto Show Wednesday. Genesis didn't reveal key details of the concept, such as its dimensions and whether it would fit three rows, but prior intel suggests a Genesis SUV would be a little larger than a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a little more expensive. However, the press release does establish three facts: opulence abounds, the high-rider previews the brand's future design language, and a hydrogen fuel cell powers the GV80 – conceptually, at least. The overall shape – dressed in a "bespoke Ice Granite finish" – seems a touch common, although we must note that numerous players already crowd the large luxury SUV field. To give the GV80 a unique identity, Luc Donckerwolke, head of Genesis design, tapped the arsenal of luxury and detailing he amassed during stints at Lamborghini and Bentley. Genesis' trademark crest grille gets filled with diamond mesh, and sits in a contoured channel that defines a spine running the length of the SUV. The quad headlights are nothing more than four swept-back slits. Along the sides, 23-inch wheels frame a deep vent carved into the bodywork, while the mesh pattern in the five-spoke alloys matches the trussed B- and C-pillars. In back, thin, fiber-optic taillights emphasize width and stylized vents in the lower fascia cool the powertrain. The interior puts on the real show. An analog speedometer jazzes up the digital dash cluster, the driver's display flowing into a curved, 22-inch OLED screen set atop the "bridge" instrument panel. The display's two zones serve driver and passenger separately. The driver can use the glass touchpad multi-function controller and knurled metal wheel to toggle through functions, and the passenger taps the metal pinstripes set into the ash wood console and center tunnel. That tunnel runs the length of the cabin, creating four distinct seating areas. Rear-seat passengers can also touch the metal stripes to control seatback screens. Many cows died to create the interior ambiance, with smooth and quilted-diamond-stitched leather everywhere. Suede, polished aluminum, and slate ash wood provide contrasts from the dash to the cargo area. The GV80's "advanced plug-in hydrogen fuel cell" specs remain a mystery, but it might not be an empty tease. Two years ago, Hyundai showed off the Intrado compact CUV concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

Hyundai predicts 250-mile electric vehicle by 2020

Hyundai will start selling a battery-electric version of its Ioniq in the US later this year, but the company is ready for much more. Hyundai is forecasting having an EV with a 250-mile single-charge range by the end of the decade. Hyundai executive Ahn Byung-ki told Automotive News that, while electric-vehicle technology development has been steady during the past six years, it will accelerate during the next two. Think of it as the "hockey stick" effect, but for South Korean automakers instead of Silicon Valley tech giants or Canadian hockey players. The Ioniq, which will also get plug-in and hybrid variants, will have a single-charge range of 110 miles when the EV version arrives in November. After that, Hyundai and its Kia and Genesis sister companies may develop a 200-mile range EV for 2018, and then that 250-mile-range car for 2020. Byung-ki isn't concerned that the Ioniq will quickly be outdated because the longer-range vehicles will also be priced higher. The Hyundai executive also said the company had no plans to take on Tesla Motors in the luxury EV market. The Ioniq EV was unveiled at the New York Auto Show this past March. A hybrid version of that sedan debuted in South Korea in January, while the EV went on sale in South Korea last month. Overall, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are planning to introduce 10 hybrids, eight EVs, eight plug-in hybrids, and two hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by the end of the decade. The Hyundai group's only electric vehicle currently sold in the US is the Kia Soul EV, which has a single-charge range of 93 miles as well as some dancing hamsters in its commercials. Neither the Tesla Model 3 nor the Chevrolet Bolt can make that second claim. Related Video:

Hyundai shows a mysterious coupe design in promo video

You never know where you'll find some interesting automotive news. In this particular case, we found some curious Hyundai info buried in an otherwise painfully boring Hyundai promo video. At about the 1:12 mark in the video, we see footage of a person working on a clay model of a car. It's low, sleek, and looks like it would only have two doors. It appears to have a liftback as well, and fairly aggressive vents in the back. Nothing else in the video indicates what the car is, though. However, we've got some educated guesses. One possibility is that this is a model for the successor to the recently departed Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The short deck and steeply raked rear window and pillars fall right in line with the styling of Hyundai's old sports car, not to mention the bulging rear fenders. Genesis has also made it clear that they intend to have a coupe to replace the old Genesis on sale by 2020. The luxury brand also has a small rear-drive platform in development in the form of the G70 on which it could base the coupe, along with some reasonably potent engines. Last we heard, the twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 was under consideration. However, an argument against this being a Genesis coupe is that it would be odd to show a Genesis model in a Hyundai video. The companies are clearly trying to put space between each other, so including a Genesis vehicle in this video seems out of step with the two brands' goals. This brings us to the second possibility for this mystery coupe; that it must be a Hyundai of some sort. Hyundai has had very few coupe or coupe-like vehicles in its past. The Tiburon is long dead, thanks to the aforementioned Genesis Coupe, which will have a Genesis-branded successor. The Veloster is coupe-like and due for replacement, but recent spy photos show that it will look more like the current model and not the clay vehicle in the video. That leaves us with just one other coupe it could be: the Elantra coupe. It was killed off for the 2015 model year, but Hyundai might take another stab at it. If the company offered it exclusively with the turbocharged 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, it could attract a small enthusiast base, with the added advantage that, aside from the Civic Si, it would be the only sporty front-drive coupe on the market. Of course, it could also be something entirely new that isn't connected to any previous Hyundai or Genesis product.