Hyundai will launch its luxury brand Genesis with an SUV in India and that’s the GV70 which will share its underpinnings with the next-gen Hyundai Tuscon.
We had reported earlier that Hyundai is keen on bringing its luxury brand Genesis to India and starting operations as early as 2020. Currently, Genesis only has three luxury sedans in its global line-up. However, they are currently developing two new SUVs and smaller Genesis GV70 SUV is what they will mark their India debut with.
The company will however introduce the bigger GV80 flagship SUV first. Its based on the Kia Telluride/Hyundai Palisade platform, both of which are proper full-size SUVs. However, this flagship SUV will primarily be aimed at the left-hand drive markets and it will not make it to our shores.
The one which has been pictured below, spied testing in Korea, is the smaller GV70 SUV and that is expected to be sold in both right- and left-hand drive markets. The Genesis GV70 will share its underpinnings with the next-gen Tucson but that’s where the similarities end. It will have a completely different look and interiors as well. The GV70 will be rivaling the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Jaguar E-Pace.
Also Read : Hyundai’s Luxury Divsion, Genesis to Launch in India in 2020 With an SUV
Hyundai is keen to launch the Genesis brand in India with an SUV given the popularity of SUVs for the Indian market and also the propensity of an Indian customer to pay the premium for it. Hyundai thinks that the SUV body type and added luxury, they will be in a better position to justify a premium – something the company will need to be able to make a case for Genesis in India and set the tone for upcoming products.
Also Read : Upcoming Kia Cars in India – Four New Models by 2021!
When launched, the GV70 will have the option of two petrol and one diesel powertrain at least. Most likely, when Genesis launches in India, it will be with the GV70 SUV and the company plans to bring Genesis products through the CKD route in India to achieve a competitive pricing. Also, assembly capability for this platform already exists in India because of the Tuscon. The production spec Genesis GV70 is expected to be officially unveiled sometime next year.
