At induction events, executives typically talk about “passion,” “DNA,” and “emotional journeys.” The overnight launch of the Genesis Magma sub-brand in France was no different.
But if you put the marketing fluff aside and look at the hard data, creating a high-performance department for Genesis isn’t just an “emotional journey.” It is a commercial necessity.
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Genesis makes excellent cars. The GV60 small electric SUV in particular is a critically acclaimed favorite – it’s quiet, fast, charges incredibly quickly and looks like nothing else on the road.
But in Australia almost no one buys it.
The grim numbers
According to the latest VFACTS data, Genesis has just been sold 15 examples of the GV60 so far this year.
To put that into perspective, this is a Decline of 77 percent compared to the same period last year. It is currently the brand’s slowest-selling volume model, well behind the best-selling GV70 mid-size SUV (which does most of the work for the brand) and the GV80 large SUV.
While the brand is doing well overall in a difficult market in 2025 thanks to the GV70 alone (up almost 15 percent compared to October), the GV60 is not doing so well.
The problem is not the product; it is the average. In a market dominated by the ubiquity of the Tesla Model Y and the badge snobbery of the Germans, the quirky GV60 is struggling to find its voice. It’s a brilliant car that too many buyers simply don’t know exists.
The halo effect
This is exactly why magma exists.
“Magma is Genesis’ ‘superhero’ – an alter ego,” reads the brand’s official press release. And superheroes are noticed.
By taking its slowest-selling electric car and giving it the Magma treatment – bright orange paint, 478kW of power and a drift mode – Genesis creates a headline-grabbing halo car that forces people to take another look at the GV60.
It’s the same playbook that Mercedes-AMG and BMW M use. The purpose of the C63 AMG isn’t just to sell C63s – it’s to make the C200 look cool enough to buy.
Manfred Harrer, the new head of Genesis Performance Development (and former Porsche engineer), admits that this is a “technical move” intended to send a message.
“It is certainly also a message to the customer – it shows how serious we are about performance,” said Harrer.
Can it save the GV60?
Introducing your high-performing sub-brand on your slowest-selling model is a calculated risk.
If the GV60 Magma is as good as its hardware suggests – it’s essentially a more luxurious Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – it will be one of the most powerful electric vehicles in the world.
This credibility allows Genesis to charge more, build prestige and essentially reboot the GV60 nameplate in the eyes of Australian buyers.
Genesis needs speed, noise (even if it’s simulated) and attention. Magma delivers all three.
MORE: Explore the Genesis GV60 showroom
