Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung speaks at the GV90 World Premiere held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday (local time). [Genesis]
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung speaks at the GV90 World Premiere held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday (local time). [Genesis]

"Hyundai Motor is now ready to make yet another new start. Genesis will be reborn as a standalone brand, and this new brand will produce eco-friendly vehicles that stay one step ahead of the competition."

That vision, laid out by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung at the launch of the Genesis brand on Nov. 4, 2015, reached its culmination Wednesday — a decade later — with the debut of Korea's first luxury flagship electric SUV.

Genesis channeled more than ten years of challenge and innovation in the global luxury car market into its seventh model: a flagship electrified SUV built on a foundation of technology and capability that sets it apart from the competition.

Speaking at the GV90 World Premiere at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday (local time), Chung said the GV90 "embodies the direction Genesis envisions for the future of luxury — a philosophy of delivering greater freedom to customers through innovation across technology, design and the overall customer experience." He said the company would "provide customers with differentiated value and a refined experience, grounded in the belief that true luxury begins with setting people free, and that beauty completes that freedom."

He added that the event marked "not our destination, but the beginning of a new journey," and that "Genesis will continue to push boundaries, drive progress and redefine what luxury mobility can be."

The event drew about 300 attendees, including top executives — Hyundai Motor President Jose Munoz, Hyundai Motor Group Chief Design Officer and Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Global Design Vice President Lee Sang-yeop, Genesis Business Division Executive Vice President Lee Si-hyeok and Genesis North America Chief Operating Officer Tewodros Mengiste — alongside global media and Genesis dealers.

Genesis completes its luxury SUV lineup

While traditional luxury brands have continued to build their legacies around internal combustion engines and moved cautiously on electrification, Genesis chose innovation over stability in pursuit of a new definition of luxury.

Since its brand launch on Nov. 4, 2015, Genesis introduced the flagship full-size sedan EQ900 in the domestic market that December — later renamed the G90 in Korea in 2018 — and exported it overseas under the G90 name the following year.

In August 2016, Genesis gave the second-generation model, previously sold as the "Hyundai Genesis," the G80 designation. After launching the compact sports sedan G70 in September 2017, the brand unveiled the luxury flagship SUV GV80 in January 2020, extending its reach from sedans into the SUV segment.

Genesis then revealed the GV70, its second SUV and a mid-size entry, in December 2020, followed by the GV60 — the brand's first dedicated electric model and a compact SUV — in September 2021.

In the years since, Genesis expanded its lineup through electrified derivatives such as the G80 electric and GV70 electric, and continued to unveil concept cars. The GV90, however, marks the brand's first all-new segment entry in five years, since the GV60 launched in 2021.

"Seven years and eight months — that is how long it took Genesis to reach 1 million cumulative global sales," Munoz said. "It is proof that we have achieved a steeper growth trajectory than any luxury automaker in history."

"We are present in more than 24 markets around the world today," he said. "As a brand that did not exist 11 years ago, standing in that position is remarkable." He added that "Genesis will use innovation in an intelligent and intuitive way to understand, develop and deliver the technology that more global customers need."

GV90 rewrites the definition of luxury in a city built on innovation

Genesis GV90 Neolun (from left), GV90 Neolun First Edition and GV90. [Genesis]
Genesis GV90 Neolun (from left), GV90 Neolun First Edition and GV90. [Genesis]

Genesis chose San Francisco as the debut stage for the GV90 for reasons closely tied to the brand direction Chung has championed — building a higher-order luxury eco-friendly vehicle.

San Francisco, known for its steep hills, fog-draped vistas and sweeping waterfront views, is widely recognized as a city of innovation with a rich history and culture, bolstered by its proximity to Silicon Valley. The Palace of Fine Arts, where the launch event was held, is one of the city's landmarks, originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

San Francisco is also one of the fastest-moving electric vehicle markets in the United States, with electric vehicles accounting for roughly one-third of new car sales — a key reason Genesis selected it as the debut stage for the brand's first flagship electric SUV.

The GV90's direction is equally evident in the world-first technologies it introduces: independently opening hidden B-pillar coach doors, a roof airbag, a rotating gear selector and a power tailgate curtain.

Genesis engineers worked to achieve the ride quality, quietness and driving refinement expected of a flagship electric SUV while securing the structural rigidity demanded by the vehicle's large body and new design language.

The independently opening hidden B-pillar coach doors posed particular challenges, as the new structural elements made it difficult to maintain sufficient rigidity. Engineers conducted comprehensive validation — covering base body structure stiffness, real-world durability and moving-system operational durability — before the technology could be realized.

The design, inspired by the traditional Korean moon jar, underscores the model's premium, forward-looking character through studied restraint. Genesis said the GV90 quietly embodies the brand's accumulated technological prowess through the proportions, curved harmony, use of negative space and craftsmanship of the Joseon-era white porcelain moon jar — a vessel whose beauty endures across time.

"We will continue to honor the promise we made when we announced the brand's independence in 2015 — to open a new half-century," a Genesis official said. "Through the GV90, forged from challenge and innovation, we plan to keep expanding the new luxury horizon that is uniquely Genesis."


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