NEW YORK: When major motor shows like the New York International Auto Show are on the horizon, most of the new vehicles to be unveiled at the show are heavily trailed beforehand. However, there are always some gems that turn up that weren't making a big noise in the press ahead of the show, and one such model this time around is the groundbreaking Essentia Concept Genesis has unveiled here this week.
For anyone not familiar with Genesis, the brand is the luxury arm of Hyundai that the South Korean automaker has high hopes for in North America especially. Its bread and butter models are things like the G70, which is the sister car to the Kia Stinger, but the Essentia Concept is something else entirely.
The Essentia is effectively the luxury brand's first battery electric vehicle and combines a lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque construction with a robust, multi-motor electric powertrain and a very inviting custom-tailored interior. The model is being billed as the brand's initial concept for a genuine GT car, and is intended to challenge the status quo as the ultimate manifestation of the Genesis design and engineering philosophy.
It's impossible to say the Essentia is anything other than a thoroughly stunning car from every angle, but unfortunately hard facts about its performance are few and far between. What we do know is it uses a "high-density battery pack" powering a multi-motor powertrain and shuns the usual under-floor location for the battery pack by putting it in the centre tunnel between the seats instead. As it's still only a concept we probably shouldn't expect too much fine detail about performance, but Genesis has suggested this first EV for the brand could have a zero to 100kph time of as little as 3.0 seconds.
Manfred Fitzgerald, the Global Head of the Genesis Brand, says of the Essentia: "We understand our obligation as a luxury car manufacturer to create objects of desire, sparking passion and inspiration by emphasising a culture while exceeding expectations in terms of technology and connectivity, bringing our outside world seamlessly to the inside of the vehicle. This is what the Genesis Essentia Concept is all about, and we are thrilled to introduce our interpretation of an all-electric, two-door Gran Turismo here in New York."
Genesis cars were killed off in Europe by Hyundai last year, and although there have been some reports they may be re-introduced by 2020 for sale exclusively online via direct marketing, it seems unlikely considering only 47 units were sold in Britain over a two-year period between 2015 and 2017.
