Tag Archives: Genesis

For a brand that didn’t exist before 2015, Genesis is moving with the swagger of a company that’s been building luxury cars for generations. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Korean marque didn’t just throw a party—it rolled out a manifesto. Alongside the production-ready GV60 Magma, Genesis pulled the sheet off the G90 Wingback Concept, a low-slung, long-roof grand tourer that signals where the brand’s Magma performance subline is headed next.

And if you ask Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke, the G90 Wingback is much more than a design study. It’s the connective tissue between the company’s emerging Magma lineup and its ultra-bespoke One of One program. That alone should make legacy brands sweat; Genesis is doing in a decade what took others half a century.

A Familiar Flagship, Reimagined for Performance

Built on the unmodified G90 platform—with its 3.2-meter wheelbase and stately 5.1-meter overall length—the Wingback Concept stretches the familiar into something far more provocative. Genesis retains the Crest Grille, Parabolic Line, and unmistakable Two-Line lighting signature, but the volume knob is turned way up.

The front end wears a more sculpted bumper stamped with the Magma insignia, flanked by canards and gaping lower intakes that look ready to inhale entire weather systems. Flared arches push the stance outward, housing bespoke 22-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber.

In profile, that Parabolic Line flows into a stretched roofline that trades the G90 sedan’s conservative decklid for a long, sloping grand tourer wagon silhouette. Out back, the tailgate is framed by two spoilers and anchored by a motorsport-style diffuser—Genesis signaling that performance and luxury need not be mutually exclusive.

This one doesn’t rely on the brand’s signature Magma Orange, either. Instead, the deep green finish offers a quieter but more confident presence, underscoring Donckerwolke’s repeated refrain: “Magma is much more than a color.” For Genesis, Magma is a philosophy—a blend of Korean restraint, balance, and ambition. “Magma does not shout; it invites,” he says. That’s not something you often hear in a segment obsessed with shock value.

A Cabin Where Performance and Luxury Share the Same Air

Inside, the Wingback Concept stays firmly rooted in Genesis’ comfort-first ethos while threading in Magma’s performance DNA. The quilted Chamude upholstery (a suede-like synthetic) gets subtle green Magma stitching along the seats, doors, dash, and steering wheel. Embroidered Magma logos on the aggressively bolstered seats quietly hint at power waiting beneath the surface—an appropriate metaphor given the name.

Even without powertrain details, the message is clear: Magma is Genesis’ answer to the AMG/M Division/Black Series world, but reframed through a lens of elegance rather than aggression.

The Future: No Typology Monoculture

Donckerwolke used the concept reveal to take a swipe at the SUV arms race currently consuming the industry. With SUVs everywhere, he argues, the pendulum will swing back. “This is when other typologies of cars are going to become attractive again,” he says, warning against a “monoculture” of sameness.

Genesis seems determined to lead that shift. The Wingback Concept won’t live alone—it previews a Magma expansion spanning sports cars, coupes, convertibles, and more. All are intended to embody what Donckerwolke describes as an “iron fist in a velvet glove.” Power and control cloaked in elegance.

More Than a Showpiece

The G90 Wingback Concept isn’t just a tenth-anniversary celebration. It’s a thesis. Ten years in, Genesis is no longer content to prove it belongs in the luxury space. Now it wants to redefine what luxury performance looks like—emotionally resonant, globally ambitious, and unmistakably Korean.

If this is the next chapter of Genesis’ story, the rest of the industry should pay attention. The Wingback isn’t shouting. But it’s definitely not whispering, either.

Source: Genesis

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Genesis G90 Wingback: Korea’s Velvet-Gloved Hammer Takes Aim at the M5 Touring

November 22, 2025 Francis Mitterrand

Genesis has made bold moves before, but nothing quite like this. At the launch of the brand’s new high-performance Magma sub-brand, the company pulled the wraps off something nobody expected: a full-size, high-horsepower estate version of its flagship G90 saloon. Called the G90 Wingback, the concept previews a future where Korea’s rising luxury star intends to go head-to-head with the likes of the BMW M5 Touring—and possibly win.

A Concept… or a Quiet Promise?

Officially, the G90 Wingback is just a design study for Genesis’s One of One bespoke program. Unofficially, executives hinted it’s much more than a fantasy. While no production green light has been given, Genesis leadership suggested that turning the Wingback into a showroom model would be “relatively easy” if the business case is there. And given the industry’s renewed enthusiasm for super-wagons, the case practically builds itself.

Luxury Liner, Track Suit Heart

Underneath its long-roof silhouette, the Wingback carries over the drivetrain from the current G90 saloon—a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, offered elsewhere with 375 or 409 horsepower. Genesis hasn’t disclosed final output for the Magma version, but the sub-brand’s mission is clear: hotter, sharper, louder. Expect substantially more than what the standard G90 offers.

But Genesis insists this car is about more than numbers. It’s about blending the brand’s two emerging identities: effortless luxury and genuine performance.

Donckerwolke’s “Dr Evil”

Genesis’s design chief, Luc Donckerwolke, speaks about the Wingback with the kind of theatrical pride only he could deliver. Internally, the car was nicknamed “Dr Evil,” a tongue-in-cheek label that evolved from Donckerwolke’s own nickname for the project. The idea was to create a machine with a dual personality: refined chauffeur car by day, road-devouring performance wagon by night.

“It shows how Genesis can offer Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” he said. “An aerodynamic and elegant body with true sports functionality.”

He described the car as “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” claiming the Wingback embodies what the Magma brand is all about: power wrapped in sophistication.

Magma: The New Hot Line

The G90 Wingback is only an appetizer. Magma’s first production model will be the GV60 Magma, arriving next year. After that, Genesis plans to build a performance variant of every model in its lineup. And at the top of the ladder, a dedicated Magma GT sports car is under development, serving as the basis for a future GT3 racing program.

If this is Genesis testing the waters, the water appears to be boiling.

Europe Loves It—But the UK Will Have to Watch From Afar

The current G90, launched in 2021, is sold in several European countries, though still not in the UK. If the Wingback ever reaches production, it could become one of the most desirable long-roof flagships on the continent. Whether British buyers will ever get the chance to see one in showrooms remains… uncertain.

Estate Performance Reborn?

With the industry rediscovering its love for performance wagons—from Audi’s RS6 to BMW’s newly revived M5 Touring—Genesis seems poised to join the party at exactly the right moment.

The G90 Wingback may only be a concept, but it feels like a statement: Genesis isn’t following the European luxury playbook anymore. It’s rewriting it.

Source: Genesis; Photo: Autocar

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Genesis Turns Up the Heat: GV60 Magma and Magma GT Concept Signal a Performance-Focused Future

November 20, 2025 Francis Mitterrand

For a brand that’s barely a decade old, Genesis is showing no interest in easing into its next chapter. Instead, it’s lighting the fuse. At Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the Korean luxury marque unveiled not just its first high-performance production car — the GV60 Magma — but also the Magma GT Concept, a low-slung preview of where Genesis wants its performance heritage to live for the next ten years.

This wasn’t a quiet industry presentation. It was a declaration: Genesis is officially chasing the “Luxury High Performance” crown, and it’s doing it on its own terms.

Luxury High Performance: Genesis’ New North Star

Most brands talk performance in kilowatts, horsepower, and lap times. Genesis’ pitch is more nuanced. “Luxury High Performance,” according to the brand, blends effortless speed, driver-focused control, and refined luxury — without the brutish overstatement that often comes with the territory.

Chief Design and Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke puts it bluntly: “Magma shows how emotion and precision can coexist.”

If “Athletic Elegance” defined Genesis’ early years, Magma is where the elegance gets teeth.

GV60 Magma: A Statement, Not Just a Spec Sheet

Genesis’ first production Magma model arrives wrapped in a stance that whispers restraint but screams capability. The GV60 Magma sits 20 mm lower, wears widened fenders, and rolls on 21-inch forged wheels wrapped in 275-section rubber. Gloss-black accents replace chrome, while functional aero — canards, sculpted side skirts, and a high-mounted rear spoiler — does more than look the part.

Inside, Genesis avoided the predictable carbon-fiber-and-red-stitching trope. Instead, the cabin mixes premium Chamude suede with Magma-orange accents and dark metal hardware. It’s tasteful without neutering the car’s intent.

Power and Performance

Underneath the skin, the GV60 Magma is a serious piece of engineering:

609 hp / 740 Nm from dual motors
650 hp / 790 Nm in Boost Mode (for 15 seconds)
0–200 km/h in 10.9 seconds
Top speed: 264 km/h

Boost Mode and Launch Control aren’t just menu items — they fundamentally change the car’s demeanor. Genesis extended the rear motor’s output range to ensure it doesn’t fade at high speed, and the chassis received a major rework: recalibrated roll centers, ECS adaptive suspension, new bushings, larger brakes, and a more rigid rear substructure.

Despite the wider tires, Genesis insists the GV60 Magma maintains the quiet composure expected of a luxury EV. Active noise control and reinforced sealing keep it from sounding like a track-day reject on the highway.

Digital Performance Experience

Drivers get a Magma-exclusive digital cluster, complete with motor temps, G-force data, boost timers, and performance metrics. High-performance software features include:

Virtual Gear Shift System (VGS) — mimicking the feel (and sound) of a high-revving ICE car
Drift Mode — enough said
High-Performance Battery Control (HPBC) — optimized temps for track use

It’s an EV, but it’s not trying to hide behind silence or sterility. If anything, Genesis wants to inject emotion back into electrified performance.

Magma GT Concept: The Halo Car in Waiting

While the GV60 Magma handles the showroom reality, the Magma GT Concept is the brand’s North Star — a long-hood, low-roof grand tourer intended to become Genesis’ first true halo performance car. Genesis says it wants to take this machine racing — specifically GT-class racing — and that ambition alone tells us where its ambitions lie.

This isn’t a vaporware showpiece. It represents years of experimental Magma concepts: GV80 Coupe, X Gran Berlinetta, G80 Magma Special, and the wild GMR-001 hypercar study. The cumulative effect of this experimentation is what allowed the GV60 Magma to reach production with meaningful performance credibility.

And Genesis has already shown it can deliver. The GV60 Magma Concept clocked 52.72 seconds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s hillclimb, earning a class win — proof that the Magma project isn’t a marketing exercise.

A Decade After Launch, Genesis Is No Longer the Underdog

Genesis achieved one million global sales faster than any luxury brand in history — a point Hyundai Motor Company CEO José Muñoz emphasized. With Magma, Genesis is signaling its desire to stop chasing and start leading.

The plan:

Launch GV60 Magma in Korea in early 2025
Follow with European and North American markets in 2026
Expand Magma into a full performance sub-brand
Develop the GT Concept into a flagship performance icon
Enter motorsport with real intent

This is the kind of blueprint usually associated with German or British luxury marques — not a Korean upstart.

Genesis Isn’t Just Playing in the Performance Space — It’s Redefining It

The GV60 Magma is more than a quicker EV. It’s the first physical proof that Genesis is serious about building a luxury performance identity on its own terms. And the Magma GT Concept is the promise of what comes next: a future where Korean innovation isn’t a qualifier but a category leader.

If this is the next decade of Genesis, the rest of the luxury performance world should probably start sweating.