Genesis will be formally launched at next year’s Detroit Motor Show with the unveiling of the 2017 G90 (pictured), a full-size sedan designed to replace the aging Hyundai Equus. Positioned at the very top of the lineup, the G90 will usher in the Athletic Elegance design language that will influence every single car the company will introduce in the coming years.
The G90 will be the first of six brand new models designed with an unabashed focus on luxury. The lineup will include a big crossover aimed at the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class and the BMW X5, a coupe that will replace the existing Genesis coupe, and, surprisingly, an entry-level sedan that will fight head-to-head against the 3 Series and the C-Class. The sedan is expected to quickly spawn a crossover, though Dave Zuchowski, the CEO of Hyundai Motor America, suggested that a body-on-frame Genesis crossover isn’t in the works.
Every member of the Genesis lineup will ride on a purpose-built platform and use brand-specific engines, meaning they won’t simply be regular-production Hyundais spruced up with bigger rims, more chrome, and a cow-lined cabin.
Speaking in an interview with Ward’s Auto, Zuchowski revealed that Hyundai will hand-pick which North American dealers will get to sell Genesis models. Currently, 411 of Hyundai’s 834 United States dealers are authorized to sell the Equus.
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