India’s second largest auto company, Hyundai Motor Co. is planning to launch its luxury brand Genesis in India. According to a report by Livemint, the Korean manufacturer could bring the luxury brand to India after 2020 after it tests the waters in the premium segment by launching the Kona electric SUV. The Kona EV will be launched on the 9th of July this year and is expected to be priced between Rs. 20-25 lakh. Kia, in which Hyundai owns a controlling stake, will also enter the market in the coming months with the launch of the SP2i compact SUV.
Talking about Genesis, it is Hyundai’s luxury arm which offers high-end luxury sedans like the G70 and G80. It was launched a few years back as a standalone brand from Hyundai to rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz and BMW among others but in a more affordable package. For its Indian debut, Hyundai will open company-owned experience centres and small showrooms in select locations across the country. Moreover, Hyundai is also expected to bring Genesis cars for display at the 2020 Delhi Auto Expo. It has been long rumoured that Hyundai is about to launch Genesis vehicles in India but now it seems that the Korean manufacturer has given go-ahead to the plan.
As of now, Genesis offers three sedans in the international markets. The most affordable of them is the G70 which is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 249 Bhp apart from a more powerful 3.3-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 360 Bhp. Next in line is the G80 sedan, which comes with a V6 and V8 engine options with the latter producing a 414 Bhp of power. The top of the line sedan from Genesis is the G80, which again comes with both V6 and V8 engine options.
The launch of Genesis in India will help Hyundai to attract a different segment of customers in India. Until now, Hyundai is considered to be a small and affordable car manufacturer which has impacted its vehicles in the premium range like the Tucson among others. Hyundai will launch the new Elantra and facelifted Tucson here in the coming time. The Indian buyers are also now moving away from compact affordable cars and Genesis could see reasonable success here.
Pricing, however, will play a major role here and if the luxury sedans from Genesis are priced right, they can be a hit. Talking about Hyundai’s plans, the brand will launch the Kona EV in July and then the Tucson facelift.It is also working on the new generation model of the Grand i10 which has already been spotted testing a couple of times. Expect the brand to renew its lineup before the BSVI emission norms kick in from April next year.
Also Read: Hyundai planning to launch Mercedes-Benz rivaling Genesis brand in India
Comments
Post a Comment