Genesis GV70: Audi Q5 rival previewed ahead of European launch
Premium brand shows off its entry-level premium SUV as plans advance for a European debut
Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis has officially previewed its new GV70 mid-sized SUV as it plots an expanded model line-up and a European market launch.
The GV70, which will sit underneath the larger GV80 flagship as the entry point into Genesis' range of premium-focused SUVs, will be its fifth production model since it was spun-off as a separate entity in 2017.
It will wear the brand's distinctive slim LED quad-headlight and brakelight clusters and large hexagonal grille, while at the side adopting a more coupé-esque profile than its GV80 sibling, with a tapered windowline and small rear spoiler giving a more performance-oriented stance.
The prototype pictured will now be tested on public roads in Korea, with a QR code motif offering passers-by the chance to learn more about its camouflage pattern, which has been "inspired by the diffused reflection of light from precision cut diamonds and is a core part of the Genesis brand identity", according to the brand. Genesis says the pattern previews some of the GV70's bespoke design features.
Technical details remain under wraps, but the GV70 can be expected to share the bulk of its underpinnings with the G70 saloon, which underwent a significant facelift at the beginning of this month.
That means it will likely be offered with a 249bhp, 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 199bhp, 2.2-litre diesel, both of which will send their reserves exclusively to the rear axle via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. A manual option is unlikely to be offered, as is the 365bhp, 3.3-litre Kia Stinger-derived V6 offered in the saloon.
Also unconfirmed is when we can expect to see the GV70 on European roads following the brand's entry into the region. The G80 and GV80 are likely to arrive first as halo models that embody Genesis' premium ambitions, with the GV70 and G90 luxury saloon to follow.
The European market launch had previously been planned for 2020, but now appears to have been pushed back. Recent appointments of a new European sales boss and managing director, however, suggest that a debut is imminent.
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