The Genesis X Is Yet Another Sharp-Looking Concept, But You Already Know Where This Is Going: News

Cars this beautiful deserve a production run

Genesis X Concept
The Genesis X Concept looks fantastic — if only it were destined for production (we’ll see on that). (Images: Genesis)

Concepts are great, but…

There’s the Essentia. The Mint. The New York Concept. Great looking concepts all, and some elements of these cars have translated to svelte-looking production models. Now there’s the Genesis X Concept, a sharp-looking coupe that’s frankly taking their design to another level.

Specifically, this is a Gran Turismo (GT) concept, which Genesis publicly announced Wednesday. “The car that we are unveiling today is a concept car that embodies the essential elements that Genesis pursues in its designs,” said global brand head Jay Chang. “Please take a moment ot meet the future of Genesis design through this concept car, which embodies our brand’s progressive and audacious spirit.” Typical concept debut stuff, and we’re undoubtedly seeing portions of what we see in the Genesis X on models like the revamped G70 sedan.

As practical as sedans are though, couples always capture the imagination though, don’t they? They’ve comprised some of the most iconic model names in existence, and the proportions here lend well to that “timeless” character that endears concepts like the X to the public at-large. Then there’s the interior:

Genesis X Concept

It’s not even that extreme.

Do automakers go all out with their concepts? Of course — that’s why I’ve been a fan of Mazda’s Vision Coupe lo these many years. Genesis goes to great lengths to describe the G-Matrix pattern in the grille and the low, broad silhouette, and indeed the “Beauty of White Space” with the interior. And that hits on a theme that I, for one, hope Genesis will expand in the coming years. The Genesis X Concept, for a concept, isn’t that extreme. Sure the interior would get a bit more user-friendly and toned down if the car went to production. But even still, it looks like a tantalizingly inviting mix of modern and classic coupe design tropes. Modern displays, supple leather, and a driver-focused design do a great coupe make, at least going by some classic examples.

Our friends over at Autoblog hit on a similar point — Genesis, just build the car. Seriously, despite the embellishments the Genesis X concept looks pretty production-ready. Coupes don’t tickle everyone’s fancy but they’re still evocative, and often make a good halo for a brand. Take Mazda (again) — the MX-5 isn’t even close to the brand’s best seller, but it sells a message that customers can bring to other vehicles in the brand. Dodge is another example of that strategy, thanks to the Challenger. With electrification in vogue these days, they could put it on the E-GMP platform like the Kia EV6, give it 600 or so horsepower, and job done.

Maybe that’s exactly what Genesis is thinking. I really hope they are. If their sports sedans are anything to go buy, it could be a fun ride.