The Genesis Essentia concept wowed fans when it
debuted at the New York Auto Show earlier this year and Genesis Motor America
Executive Director Erwin Raphael has confirmed it will go into production. Speaking with Motor Trend, Raphael
said “We are very committed to the Essentia” and thinks the car will “do very
well.” The executive won’t go into specifics, but confirmed the production
model will be built in limited numbers.
There’s no word on many cars the company intends to
build, but the publication says the Essentia will become the most expensive
Genesis ever created. That’s not much to go on, but the the 2018 G90 starts at US$ 68,350 and the range-topping G90 5.0 Ultimate AWD costs US$ 74,350 before
destination charges are factored in.
Little else is known about the car, but the global
head of Genesis has previously told the publication that everything on the
concept was technically feasible so a production model could arrive in 2020 or
2021. However, the model won’t be an exact recreation of the concept as Hyundai
Motor Group Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer has suggested the car could
eschew the concept’s butterfly doors.
It also remains unclear if the Essentia is the
sports coupe that the company originally promised or whether it is a different
model entirely. The latter seems more likely, but Raphael was non-committal
when asked by the magazine.
While Genesis isn’t ready to talk specifics, the
concept featured carbon fiber bodywork and a transparent hood. The car also had
a stylish interior with leather upholstery, a digital instrument cluster and a
wrap-around widescreen display. Other unique touches included layered 3D carbon
fiber trim and polished aluminum accents.
Detailed specifications haven’t been released, but
Genesis previously said the concept had an electric powertrain which enabled
the model to accelerate from 0-96 km/h in approximately three
seconds.
