"Through the GV90 — which brings together all of Genesis's electrification technology and expertise — we will introduce K-luxury to the North American market," said Jose Munoz, president of Hyundai Motor Company.
Genesis's top executives unveiled the brand's first electric flagship SUV, the GV90, to the world Wednesday (local time) at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, expressing pride in the model as one that demonstrates Genesis's positioning as a luxury brand.
Genesis held a press briefing for Korean media Thursday (local time) at the Palace of Fine Arts. Attendees included Hyundai Motor President Jose Munoz, Hyundai Motor Group Chief Design Officer and Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Division Head Lee Si-hyeok, Genesis North America Chief Operating Officer Tedros Mengiste and Chief Marketing Officer Amy Marentick.
Munoz opened by noting that Genesis had reached 1 million cumulative global sales in just seven years and eight months since the brand's launch, establishing itself as the fastest-growing brand in automotive history. "Every one of our employees believes the GV90 will mark a new starting point from which Genesis can rise to become a leading global luxury brand," he said.
On the marketing direction for the new vehicle, Munoz stressed that sales figures were not the priority. "What matters to us is not the numbers — how many we sell or how much profit we make. We will focus on showcasing the unique value that only Genesis can offer," he said. He added that the brand aims to introduce the concept of "son-nim" — a Korean notion of the honored guest — to customers around the world.
He went on to say he was confident the GV90 would deliver a differentiated customer experience through its unprecedented design and range of innovative technologies. "Opening the hidden B-pillar coach door to welcome a customer will be the starting point for introducing K-luxury," he added.
Munoz said his goal is to establish Genesis as a premium luxury brand that delivers both a distinctly Korean aesthetic and a differentiated customer experience in North America and global markets, through the GV90's concentration of the brand's electrification expertise and world-class innovative technologies.
Donckerwolke cited "Korean beauty" as the GV90's defining design element. "I think the Korean aesthetic sensibility is extraordinary. We live in an age where design has become overly complex, and my goal is to strip away that complexity and focus on the essence," he said.
He then explained that the team drew inspiration from the "moon jar" — a traditional Korean ceramic vessel that embodies restrained elegance — and applied that philosophy throughout the vehicle's design. "It is a magnificent object. We worked hard to emphasize a sense of restraint that focuses on the essence rather than ornamentation, so that there is no conflict between design elements," he said.
Asked whether the independently opening hidden B-pillar coach door — the feature that generated the most buzz — would be extended to other Genesis models, Donckerwolke said there are no such plans at this time.
Questions at the briefing also turned to North America market strategy. Genesis Division Head Lee said the brand plans to target the luxury electric vehicle segment with the GV90 launch while continuing to expand its SUV lineup downward.
The strategy envisions building a full SUV lineup spanning luxury, high-performance, flagship, electric and hybrid segments — from the GV90 and the high-performance GV60 Magma to extended-range electric vehicles — to broaden the brand's reach.
CMO Marentick expressed confidence in the GV90's local marketing prospects. "Running various campaigns through dealers is important, but the GV90 is compelling enough on its own to communicate its value to target customers," she said. She recalled that some men who recently watched the GV90 Neolun's arch gate open immediately said they wanted to buy the car. "The way the door opens alone is enough to capture people's attention — as a marketer, I find that incredibly exciting," she said.
The GV90 is the seventh new model since the Genesis brand launched in 2015, developed on the basis of the Neolun concept unveiled in 2024 as a luxury flagship electric model.
Built on the eMP platform — a dedicated flagship platform — the GV90 brings together a range of innovative technologies, including the world's first independently opening hidden B-pillar coach door, a rotary shift-by-wire lever and a pop-up center OLED cinematic display.
The vehicle is set to launch first in the South Korean market before the end of this year, with a sequential rollout in the United States beginning in early next year, varying by region.
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