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Sports Car in Front, Party Beneath
Genesis is kicking butts and taking names. Just ahead of the New York International Auto Show, the Korean luxury brand dropped not one, but two awesome concept cars. And the thing about Genesis is that their concepts often point to where the company is headed. Don’t think that means you’ll be ripping around the desert in the X Gran Equator the carmaker showed as a concept just yet, but as a bold statement of where the brand wants to go, we won’t be even slightly surprised if they get into a segment dominated by Land Rover and, kinda, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. As for the X Gran Equator, we’ll share what they shared.
It’s Not Shy
Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Chief Creative Officer, took the stage and said, “My role is to inject adrenaline into the brand.” As such, the carmaker showed a video of the X Gran Equator towing a Hyundai Supernal (the personal VTOL aircraft from the parent company) out of a hangar, and then both vehicles fly off, one on the ground and the other in the air, to do their thing. The film was purely fanciful CGI, but still fun. And the car? Well, it very much rolled onto the stage in front of the media, IRL.
Donckerwolke stressed that the purpose of the X Gran Equator is to access nature, and as such the vehicle features some creature comforts hardly pioneered by Genesis — but still smart — such as a split folding tailgate, the better for sitting on while stargazing, and ridiculously short overhangs, the better for rock crawling and so forth.
Sports Car in Front, Party Beneath
If the X Gran Equator reminds us of any vehicle, it’s the long-gone Infiniti FX. And that’s no shade; that car was way ahead of the curve. And speaking of such shapes, this Genesis concept is super smooth, but also echoes a sports car’s deeply canted back cabin and prominent hood. That massive front section, FYI, probably isn’t necessary, since we saw nothing to indicate tailpipes, and therefore, no need for a massive front power plant. That might come, but if that was the intention, we’d guess they’d add an exhaust on the concept. The lack of an open grille plus the frunk-shaped lines up front also give off EV vibes. What you do see are massive, 24-inch tires rolling on beadlock wheels.
A Luscious Cabin
While we saw very little of the car’s interior during the presentation, these shots give a clear notion of direction. Genesis talked a good game about it, too. There are swiveling front seats, and from what we could perceive, a 2+2 configuration. Genesis says the X Gran Equator Concept pits analog and digital tech against each other, stressing a dash with four circular displays that look to be decidedly analog, not digital. The brand said that the dash would have little “decoration,” enabling the driver to focus on the road (or off-road) ahead.
TopSpeed’s Take
Genesis was light on details, but they also never said this was only a concept, which you’ll often hear from an automaker that’s hedging. Instead, Genesis said the X Gran Equator Concept is meant to signal the automaker’s “continued expansion into lifestyle-oriented vehicles, balancing sophistication with versatility.” They also wanted to stress, along with the recently unveiled X Gran Coupe and Convertible they showed only 10 days ago, that these vehicles are part of a line showcasing the different directions they’re able to explore simultaneously.
And this much is clear: Genesis is growing, and so is the automaker’s ambition. Despite tariffs, and despite other headwinds, it’s a luxury marque that hasn’t put a foot wrong, and the value, innovation, and beauty are clearly a recipe lots of buyers find attractive. A legit luxury 4×4 from Genesis? Sure, why the heck not if it looks anywhere near this good? And if it’s an EV, all the more innovative and badass.
Read the full article here
