Genesis Mint is a minty-fresh luxury electric city coupe

Wed, Apr 17 2019

NEW YORK — Genesis wowed us at the last New York Auto Show with a slinky sports car concept in the Essentia, so expectations were high for its new concept. What Genesis gave us is the Mint concept car, a two-seat electric city coupe. It's not what we were expecting, but it is pretty nifty.

The car wears its electric powertrain on its sleeve with no visible grille up front. But the pentagonal grille design introduced on the Essentia and refreshed G90 is visible in the creases and lower lighting. The whole car is very organic, and the cockpit is jet fighter-esque with its large rounded windows. Interestingly, the greenhouse stops well short of the rear. The thick rear pillar also is reminiscent of the Toyota C-HR.

Inside, the cabin is minimalist. Surfaces are covered in tan leather and metal accents. The rectangular steering wheel is surrounded by small circular screens with info and functions the driver can use. In the middle of the wheel is an instrument screen. The only seating is a two-person bench seat, and it can apparently swivel toward an open door for easier access. This is a feature previously seen on 1970s General Motors products. Behind the seats is the cargo area, which is accessed by wild scissor-style doors.

Genesis didn't say much about the powertrain except that it is electric. The company claims it should go 200 miles on a charge and supports fast charging up to 350 kW. Confusingly, the cockpit features three pedals, suggesting a manual transmission. But there doesn't appear to be a shifter, and there isn't much need for a manual in an electric.

There are no signs of the Mint coming to production. And with the market constantly demanding crossovers, we can't think of much reason to introduce a two-door coupe. Still, it would likely be a neat, sporty little thing if it did reach production.

By Joel Stocksdale