Genesis future plans uncovered: how Hyundai's premium brand hopes to sell a lot more cars
The premium Korean brand will grow its retail base and launch new hybrids and performance cars, as it seeks a European foothold
Guess how many cars Genesis has sold in Europe since its 2021 launch here? A paltry 11,000 units: barely a rounding error in Hyundai Motor Group’s seven million annual new car sales globally.
But the Korean luxury brand has a new European boss headhunted from BMW, and a new ‘not rocket science’ plan: open more retailers and bin off outmoded diesel powertrains for cutting-edge new hybrids.
Hyundai’s premium brand was launched at the back end of the Covid pandemic and given Germany’s stranglehold on the European premium market, it’s no surprise Genesis has made little progress. But it’s not giving up: this year it will launch a Magma performance version of its best-selling model, the GV60, start competing in the World Endurance Championship to raise awareness, and prepare the path for new hybrid drivetrains to broaden its offering from pure electric.
Peter Kronschnabl, the new Genesis managing director, admits he was hesitant to join – until he test drove the cars. “I fell a bit in love. The design [is] actually very good, with a quality of materials [not achieved] at my old company, or others.”
And in his final job interview – with global CEO Jose Munoz – ”I asked him very direct questions about the commitment to Genesis in Europe. Because when you're 30 years in the business, you know other brands who tried and left. Because I'm not a person who comes to leave – I want to stay and be successful.”
You have to hand it to Kronschnabl for fronting up: although Genesis’ European sales are hidden within Hyundai’s, it sold a meagre 2,455 cars in 2025. But it only has a presence in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. And the brand’s total global volumes are 100 times greater, at 220,000 units.
And that kind of volume, plus the scale of the Hyundai mothership, justifies developing an all-new premium car platform to underpin future models. Capable of rear- and all-wheel drive, it will support pure electric and hybrid drivetrains.
Genesis is developing both hybrid and range-extender (EREV) drivetrains; the hybrid combines electric motors with a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine for up to 296bhp. Range extender vehicles, or EREVs, with electric motors to drive the wheels and a combustion engine to charge the battery, are being developed for large US SUVs – and Genesis has confirmed it will launch a flagship SUV, previewed by X Gran Equator concept.
Auto Express asked Kronschnabl which hybrid he preferred for Europe. “I think both. There’s a space for EREVs because they will have an autonomy of about 900-1000 kilometres (up to 600-odd miles). With that, you would be in competition with the diesel which is phasing out.”
Arriving late in 2026 is the GV60 Magma, a 641bhp, all-wheel drive high-performance EV from Genesis’ answer to BMW’s M Division.
Like Polestar and Tesla, Genesis has rowed back on ambitions to sell its cars direct to consumers online, so expanding Genesis’ incredibly modest dealer footprint is critical. Currently it has only 15 retail partners and 39 service centres in Europe; both will more than double in 2026. But it’s still a painstaking process: global boss Munoz signs off each partner, to ensure they can live up to the brand’s ethos of Korean hospitality.
In the UK, Genesis’ standalone operation has been merged with Hyundai’s. This will cut office costs and expand the brand’s footprint, particularly for servicing. Genesis’ UK proposition includes home delivery of new cars and collection and return for servicing, commitments which will be incredibly hard to maintain as sales grow. The UK currently has three Genesis retail points, which will grow to seven by 2027.
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