Where Genesis' Ambition Comes to Life

In the world of premium automobiles, an upstart has a tough hill to climb. Trying to crack into a segment against manufacturers with 100+ years of experience isn’t an easy thing to do. There’s a reason BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and others are still thriving.

Having great automobiles is only part of the success story. Creating a brand that people aspire to be associated with is just as important—if not more important—for a luxury marque. As they say, many are buying the badge on the back of a car as much as the car itself.

Taking a Different Approach

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) isn’t a small automotive collective, the brand is currently the third largest automobile producer worldwide, only trailing Toyota and the Volkswagen Group. When HMG decided to launch Genesis as a stand-alone brand about 10 years ago, the company decided to take a different approach from other Asian automobile manufacturers.

Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti offer a lot of premium vehicles built on platforms derived from each luxury brand’s mainstream counterparts. For example, the Lexus NX is related to the Toyota RAV4, the Acura Integra is a platform mate to the Honda Civic, and the Infiniti QX60 shares a basic architecture with the Nissan Pathfinder.

With Genesis, HMG gave the luxury brand unique platforms to work with instead of rehashing existing Hyundai or Kia platforms. With the technical exception of the GV60, which is in a bit of a unique situation since EV platforms are so modular, Genesis incorporates rear-wheel drive bias architectures. This approach for the brand reflects that used by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, two manufacturers the Korean luxury marque has squarely in its sights.

Developing the Brand

But how does a new manufacturer convince traditional luxury buyers to make the switch? One technique is to build a bit of panache around the brand name, which is exactly what Genesis is trying to do with the Genesis Lounge. The first of its kind in the world, it’s located in the Shilla Seoul five-star hotel.

At the end of the fifth floor stands a rather unassuming door that leads into the artistically opulent lounge. The brand claims the Genesis Lounge should create delicate experiences pleasing to the five senses, known as “ogam” in Korean.

Upon stepping into the lounge, guests are hit immediately by the curated scents the brand has selected as they pass a massive video wall.

While on the topic of massive, there’s a bar that runs a good chunk of the length of the lounge, which has dozens of different alcohol choices neatly displayed in individual boxed shelves. Beside the bar is a sitting area where guests can plunk themselves down on hard chairs that sort of resemble rocks to look out the window at Mount Namsan.

There are various other rooms within the lounge, like a sitting area, a dining area, a minuscule reading nook, and an audio room. The latter has speakers that are intricate to look at and deliver a walloping, clear sound.

Exclusive and Aspiring

As mentioned, there’s a dining area, but it’s rather small. Think more of a family sit-down dinner rather than a wedding reception. In fact, only one guest can make reservations each night for dinner. This exclusivity is a theme that runs through the lounge. Initially, only owners of the Genesis G90 L were granted access to the lounge. The G90 L is a stretched, near limo-like version of the large luxury sedan, with a full lounge-like experience in the rear seats for two passengers.

It's like the elongated executive salons the Germans, and dare we say the British, have been making for decades. It may seem far-fetched for us North Americans to see the G90 L be treated in the same manner as the likes of the BMW 7-Series, Maybach S-Class, and even Rolls-Royce Ghost. But in its home market, the G90 L is held in high regard, utilized by many of the country’s elite.

Expansion

The Genesis Lounge in Korea has since expanded membership to owners of the G90 Black Edition, and I’d bet customers of the upcoming GV90 will also be granted entry. Although this is still the only official lounge, there are other premium Genesis venues in the world, like the Genesis House in New York City.

It’s all part of the brand’s double-pronged approach to gaining luxury market shares: make desirable vehicles while increasing the brand’s value/perception. In 10 short years, the strives and gains the brand has made proves HMG is on the right path.

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