Hyundai luxury arm Genesis has revealed a new concept car at the New York Motor Show. Called the Essentia, it's an all-electric, high-performance grand tourer that Genesis says offers a glimpse of the brand’s future from a performance and technology point of view. It’s the first battery electric vehicle to be revealed under the Genesis nameplate, too.
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A lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque underpins the Essentia, and while no drivetrain specifics have been revealed, a ‘multi-motor’ electric powertrain is found under the skin. The battery pack itself is housed low down in a central tunnel in the monocoque, rather than underneath the passengers. No power figures have been issued, but Genesis says 0-60mph is estimated at 3.0 seconds.
With the design overseen by former Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini design chief Luc Donckerwolke, the whole body is made from carbon fibre and is shaped into a traditional GT form factor with a long bonnet and swept back cabin. Very little has been carried over from the brand’s current two models, the G90 and G80, with an all-new grille shape and headlight signature. Genesis says it is instead an evolution of the brand’s current design values, with some slight inspiration from the GV80 SUV concept revealed at last year’s New York show.
The cabin is typical concept car fare, with some retro-futuristic tweaks. The doors open upwards, butterfly style, while four seats are found inside. The seats themselves are upholstered in Cognac leather with chevron quilting, while a slim centre console wrapped in blue leather separates driver and front passenger. Ahead of the driver sits an eight-inch widescreen display.
Tech wise, the Essentia features both vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Through this, it is capable of updating the driver with up-to-the-minute road conditions to avoid jams and busy routes. It uses machine learning to recommend routes based on who is behind the wheel, too.
Though Genesis has yet to issue a serious note of production intent, head designer Donckerwolke said: “A Gran Turismo typology highlights our ambition as a luxurious car brand for the connoisseurs and it is the perfect base to project our DNA in the future.”
Read more about the new cars at the 2018 New York Motor Show here.
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