Hyundai Says No To Genesis In Europe Until The End Of The Decade

Officially revealed as a standalone marque on 4 November 2015, Hyundai’s Genesis brand has big plans, although its line-up is rather limited, for now.

But Genesis is willing to change all that, looking to expand its vehicle offerings in other segments as well, and it will manufacture – among other models – a super-luxury sedan, a small crossover/SUV, a large luxury SUV, and a sport type coupe model.

But Europeans curious about Genesis’ current products will have to wait a little longer, as Hyundai will be delaying the launch of the brand on the Old Continent until the end of the decade. The Korean company chose to do so until they’ll have more powertrains in its line-up beyond gasoline engines, as Hyundai Europe Chief Operating Officer Thomas Schmid told AutoNews:

“To launch a premium brand in Europe is a challenge and it’s an even bigger challenge if you don’t have the products you need for the market. Europe won’t see it before 2019. The main reason is we need different powertrains.”

As it turns out, Genesis vehicles will be initially available only in North America, China, Middle East and Korea. The car maker will reportedly focus on Europe only when a wide range of powertrains and a SUV line-up will be available, because failure isn’t an option:

“We don’t yet see the right moment to do it because at the end, we want to be successful, and successful also means profitable”, continued Schmid.

Meanwhile, Genesis will stick to the expansion plan, readying six nameplates by 2020, including a pair of crossovers.

Genesis NY concept pictured