Hyundai Goes Upscale with Genesis Brand, But Would You Buy One?
Nicole Wakelin
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Genesis launching as a new luxury brand within Hyundai.
There are some brands that are instantly associated with luxury. Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley immediately conjure images of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but what about Hyundai? Yeah, not so much, but they’re out to change that with a new brand called Genesis.
There is already a Hyundai Genesis sedan, but this is a whole new luxury brand that will feature a redesigned version of the wing-style emblem found on that sedan. It will debut this December and feature its own unique naming scheme. The Genesis line will have the letter “G” for Genesis along with 90, 80, 70 and so on for each segment.
Hyundai vice chairman Euisun Chung, Image: Hyundai
It might seem like a bit of a leap to go from a frugal brand like Hyundai to a new luxury brand, but this isn’t entirely new for Hyundai. The Hyundai Genesis is a beautiful and very luxurious car and the Hyundai Equus is downright stunning.
Never heard of the Equus? You’re not alone. It sits at the very top of the Hyundai lineup and doesn’t even have the same logo as the rest of the brand. Drive one and no one has any idea what it’s about and you’ll have plenty of people asking questions. Tell them it’s a Hyundai and they’re shocked because it screams luxury car.
2016 Hyundai Equus, Image: Hyundai
So, Hyundai has already done luxury, it’s just that most people don’t know about it. Most people also don’t know that Hyundai has done it for a heck of a lot less than the tried and true luxury brands. You can get a lot more bang for your luxury buck with Hyundai.
The problem with Genesis is in convincing people to buy a luxury Hyundai. Some people buy luxury cars simply because they like them, but others buy for the prestige. Hyundai doesn’t have that luxury prestige and will have to work hard to create it for Genesis. What would you rather buy – an established luxury brand or a new kid on the block Genesis?
