Hyundai’s upmarket brand Genesis is driving its future direction on design and engineering teams which bank strongly on European backgrounds, and according to Genesis CEO Manfred Fitzgerald, the brand is keen to see its concepts such as the Essentia and the Mint come to life.
The sad reality for many concept cars is that no matter how appealing they look, most will be consigned to the company’s archives and storage facilities, not to see the light of day again, let alone production. Fitzgerald’s team is working to turn that around, GT Spirit reports.
“That is exactly what we don’t want to happen. There are so many beautiful concept cars that have a very short lifespan – they are shown and then never seen again. We are trying not to follow that road. The short answer for the Essentia is that we are still working on it, and it is still alive,” he explained.
The Essentia has yet to be finalised to become a project for series production, but work on the car is ongoing and it will be an electric vehicle, Fitzgerald said, adding that its exact means of electrification has yet to be confirmed, though hydrogen is a possibility. Meanwhile, the Mint appears to have a fighting chance at seeing the daylight as well.
“I certainly hope (the Mint has a chance at series production), and we are currently reviewing the reactions to the launch. Our takeaway is that first, it was clearly a surprise; most people were clearly expecting something else. Secondly, the Mint has the potential to redefine the segment. I am one who will fight the very end for this car to be exactly that, and actually come to the streets,” Fitzgerald said.
The Mint Concept will be built from a new basis, the CEO notes. “It is not based on an existing platform. Once we are ready for that car, there will be technical discussions,” he said. The first test was to gauge public reaction, which was to see whether it was something that ‘resonates with them and something they can relate to’. The firm has already found the answer, Fitzgerald says.
The Essentia Concept will be the pacesetter for future Genesis direction, in more ways than one. A high-density battery pack and multiple electric motors will propel the Essentia from standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) in three seconds. Meanwhile, the also-electric Mint Concept is touted with an estimated range of 320 km, and is compatible with a 350 kW fast-charging station, Genesis says.
GALLERY: Genesis Mint Concept
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Amazing this Genesis. What an achievement. Bravo to Hyundai and their luxury brand Genesis. Hyundai first car rolled out in 1974, just 10 years before Proton rolled out their first car in 1985.
And yet, Hyundai sells 8 million cars globally. This is why they sell so well. They design good products.
And now, their luxury products are at par with Mercedes even.
Same fake story that Proton was setup back in 1957. Sorry but Hyundai was born in 1967. You can’t change facts in Wiki.
You actually can