What’s Genesis? Meet the Korean Lexus and a recent addition to the Sultan of Johor’s collection

It’s no surprise that the Johor royal family keeps an epic collection of cars, from a Mercedes-Benz G-Class 6x6 to a custom-built Mack truck. However, yesterday’s story on the majestic-looking Genesis G90 Limousine set the entire nation into a frenzy.

Some might be curious as to why the Sultan of Johor, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar chose a Korean luxury limousine.

Also read: Forget Maybach, this RM 584k (excl local tax) Genesis G90 Limo is the Sultan of Johor’s choice

Yes, you heard that right. The latest addition to His Majesty’s collection comes from Hyundai’s luxury arm. Han from the Fast and Furious franchise better eat up his words on Hyundais because Genesis is no ordinary Korean carmaker.

Also read: Top 5 cars to appear in the Fast & Furious franchise

Genesis’ line-up is an exquisite work of art and the brand wanted to lift up the perception made on past Korean cars. It wanted to show the world that Korean luxury can be as good as the established Germans and Japanese brands.

Also read: From just a tiny workshop to overtaking Mercedes, this is Hyundai’s story of grit

In fact, Genesis actually started off as a Hyundai model, simply called the Hyundai Genesis and was even briefly sold in Malaysia. So, what is Genesis and just how exquisite are they?

The “genesis” of Genesis

The original Hyundai Genesis started off as a concept in 2007 before entering production a year later and it was benchmarked against BMW. Initially, the Genesis was marketed as offering the performance of a 5 Series, the interior packaging of a 7 Series at a price of a 3 Series.

Though not as seminal as Lexus, the original Genesis was successful enough to continue on with a second-generation and later on a standalone brand in 2015. The reason behind establishing the Genesis brand was due to the success of the Genesis model and customer demands.

Separating Genesis as its own brand is probably a smart move considering how it stands out from the rest of Hyundai’s line-up. As it focused more on luxury, the two high-end Hyundai models – the Genesis and Equus were rebranded as the G80 and the G90 respectively.

Genesis G90 – The flagship saloon

The G90 was Genesis’ first model and it is the flagship sedan. It comes with a choice of three engines and the one seen transporting His Majesty is the long-wheelbase G90 Limousine. This is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine (425 PS/504 Nm) paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The other two engines offered are a turbocharged 3.3-litre V6 (370 PS/514 Nm) and a naturally-aspirated 3.8-litre V6 (315 PS/397 Nm). Both engines are paired to the same 8-speed automatic transmission that powers either the rear wheels or all 4 wheels.

Genesis G80 – The 5 Series fighter

Next is the Genesis G80 and unlike the other Genesis models, the latest G80 is currently in its second-generation that was launched in 2020.

Also read: Spied: 2021 Genesis G80 in Malaysia - could it be launched alongside the GV80?

The G80 is meant to compete against the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series and is offered with four powertrains:

• 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol inline-4 (304 PS/422 Nm)
• 3.5-litre turbocharged petrol V6 (380 PS/530 Nm)
• 2.2-litre common rail diesel inline-4 (210 PS/441 Nm)
• Electrified dual-motor (370 PS/700 Nm)

The Electrified G80 (it’s literally just called that) made its debut at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show and comes with an interior made out of recycled materials including leather made with natural dye, trims made out of scrap wood, and thread spun from plastic bottles.

Also read: All-new 2021 Genesis G80 or should we call this a mini Bentley?

Genesis G70 – The cooler one

But if you think Genesis is all only about luxury, the G70 will make you think otherwise. It’s an entry model but with performance in mind, similar to the BMW 3 Series and the Lexus IS.

The G70 is the only Genesis model that comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and is paired to a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 255 PS and 353 Nm. That’s 3 PS more than the 8-speed automatic variant but sadly, like most modern manual cars, its time is up. Genesis ended production of the MT G70 this year.

Also read: Here's why the manual transmission still matters

Besides the 2.0-litre petrol engine, the G70 is also offered with a 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine (370 PS/510 Nm) and a 2.2-litre diesel (202 PS/441 Nm). The G70 is also available with a cool shooting brake/wagon bodystyle which should make a comeback.

Genesis GV70 and GV80 – The SUVs

Last but not least are Genesis’ SUV models. After all, a luxury carmaker couldn’t survive without offering at least one SUV model. The GV70 is the more compact one of the pair and competes against the Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3.

The powertrains offered are similar to ones offered in the Genesis G80 with the exception of the electric motors.

Meanwhile, the Genesis GV80 is the brand’s flagship SUV and gained attention when it was revealed as the SUV golfer Tiger Woods was involved in a serious accident.

Still, the GV80 received high scores in crash tests scoring 5-star ratings in both Euro NCAP and Australia’s ANCAP tests.

The GV80 is powered by the same petrol engines as its smaller sibling, the GV70 but the diesel engine is larger – 3.0-litre CRDi (278 PS/588 Nm). All engines are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The brand has recently expanded to Europe with its sights set on Malaysia in the future. That being said, can Genesis be a success in Malaysia and perhaps change the perception Korean cars have here for years?

Also read: Genesis mulls return to Malaysia, hits 500,000th unit sales in just 5 years