Skip advert
Advertisement

'Genesis’s aim is to lure Jaguar Land Rover customers'

Mike Rutherford thinks luxury brand Genesis could take sales away from Jaguar Land Rover when it lands in the UK

Genesis

Last week Jaguar Land Rover formally announced its “Reimagine” strategy, its renaissance, rightsizing, repurposing, reorganising and rationalising. Its words, not mine. At the same time, Genesis was quietly setting up shop in Britain via its recently formed company, Genesis Motor UK. By Spring, it’s expected to unveil its preliminary product, pricing, and sales and servicing plans.      

Advertisement - Article continues below

Genesis hails from South Korea, and is the youngest, newest, most upmarket member of the Hyundai-Kia-Genesis clan. It designs, manufactures and sells globally. The products are handsome, refined, state-of-the-art SUVs and saloons – some
of them multi award-winners.

The firm is too polite to admit it, but Genesis’s aim is to lure some, not all, Land Rover customers. Sure, it knows and accepts that die-hard Defender buyers, for example, are unlikely to defect to Genesis. Badge-obsessed drivers of top-flight Range Rovers will need some convincing too. But those thinking of buying into – or out of – the Evoque, Discovery, Disco Sport or Velar are potentially there for the taking. 

More of a target is Jaguar. It must have been music to the ears of Genesis executives last week when they heard incoming JLR CEO Thierry Bollore say that he is effectively killing off the electric XJ, as well as placing question marks over the future of other Jag saloons. The Koreans are big on – and committed to – luxury saloons, and will very happily step in. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Back in 2013 before the firm had a proper car to sell, I visited the Genesis World HQ in the achingly trendy, scarily expensive Gangnam district of Seoul. There, the ambitious top brass were so new to the game they were as keen to hear from me as I was from them how they could possibly come from nowhere to take on and beat the likes of Jag, BMW and Lexus. In that same year I wrote in Auto Express about “establishing Genesis as an upmarket sub-brand, which could sell cars from classy, standalone showrooms” here in Blighty. And my understanding eight years later is that such a dedicated network is now only months away. Just as Lexus outlets are separate from Toyota showrooms, newer and more prestigious Genesis dealerships will be distanced from Hyundai or Kia premises.

Not that Genesis customers (or “connoisseurs” as the company often calls them) will be people who want to return to the workshop often. Thanks to a complimentary service valet and remote diagnostic checks, “you may never set foot in our service centres” is the tempting offer in other parts of the world. Let’s hope buyers here are offered the same.  

As a consumer, you should start getting ready for the imminent arrival in the UK of good-looking, tech-laden, high-quality Genesis models such as the GV70, GV80, G70, G80 and G90, plus the Mint concept. Jaguar board members, employees and dealers should be at best bothered, at worst worried. Hyundai is good, Kia even better, but Genesis is in a far superior league. It’s this recently born Korean brand that might seriously disrupt Jaguar’s self-proclaimed plans for a period of “renaissance” and “reimagination”.  

Check out the latest on Jaguar's switch to electric here...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Chief columnist

Mike was one of the founding fathers of Auto Express in 1988. He's been motoring editor on four tabloid newspapers - London Evening News, The Sun, News of the World & Daily Mirror. He was also a weekly columnist on the Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Sunday Times. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Genesis dealers coming to a town near you as brand expands from direct sales
Genesis Electrified GV70 long termer - front static
News

Genesis dealers coming to a town near you as brand expands from direct sales

Hyundai’s posh sibling has appointed dealer partners that it says will put 90 per cent of customers within an hour of a showroom
22 Feb 2024
Exclusive: Jaguar Land Rover boss sets the record straight on thefts, insurance, parts supply, electrification and more
JLR interview
News

Exclusive: Jaguar Land Rover boss sets the record straight on thefts, insurance, parts supply, electrification and more

JLR’s UK managing director, Patrick McGillycuddy, talks to us about the issues facing the business and its big future plans…
3 Feb 2024
Jaguar Land Rover CEO hits back over Range Rover theft issues
Range Rover action
News

Jaguar Land Rover CEO hits back over Range Rover theft issues

Insurance companies are “not using the data” according to CEO Adrian Mardell
2 Feb 2024
Range Rover offers in-house insurance scheme to fight theft fears
Range Rover Sport - front
News

Range Rover offers in-house insurance scheme to fight theft fears

JLR-owned brand continues its battle against a wave of car crime hitting luxury cars
19 Dec 2023

Most Popular

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”
Opinion - MG4
Opinion

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”

The wave of Chinese cars has arrived in the UK, and Mike Rutherford thinks it’s not about to stop any time soon
17 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: breathtaking Lotus Emira V6 for £45k and an I.O.U.
Lotus Emira - driving
News

Car Deal of the Day: breathtaking Lotus Emira V6 for £45k and an I.O.U.

Our Deal of the Day for 15 March is a half-now, half-later plan for the last-ever petrol-powered Lotus sports car
15 Mar 2024
New Audi A5 Sportback and Avant: prices, specs and info on sleek new compact execs
New Audi A5 Avant - exclusive image
News

New Audi A5 Sportback and Avant: prices, specs and info on sleek new compact execs

The new ICE and hybrid Audi A5 is due by year’s end in hatchback and estate forms
15 Mar 2024