As Kia launches the Tasman and Hyundai develops a next-generation electrified pickup, the obvious question for the group’s luxury division is: Where is it? genesis ute?
According to Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke, you shouldn’t hold your breath – but he didn’t completely kill the idea either.
Speaking to Australian media to mark the launch of the Magma sub-brand in France, Mr Donckerwolke was icy about the prospect of a luxury double-cab vehicle in the style of the failed Mercedes-Benz X-Class.
When asked directly whether there was room for a pickup in the Genesis lineup, Mr. Donckerwolke was blunt about the brand’s current priorities.
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“I’m not sure it fits the brand,” Mr. Donckerwolke said.
“We have a lot of other things to do. And I think basically we’re focusing more on high performance and GT (Grand Touring) models.”
Mr. Donckerwolke, who admits to personally owning and driving a Ford F-150 Raptor, believes introducing a commercial vehicle at this time poses a risk to the brand’s carefully cultivated “Athletic Elegance” image.
“We need to make sure we don’t dilute the brand with something more useful,” he said.
However, the design chief shied away from a definitive “never,” leaving a glimmer of hope for those dreaming of a Korean rival to the Ford Ranger Raptor or a luxury trailer trailer.
“I’m not saying it won’t happen,” Mr. Donckerwolke acknowledged.
“But I’m saying we have so many other priorities now… I don’t think this is the right thing for Genesis (right now).”
The comments suggest that while Hyundai Motor Group’s ladder frame platform (debuting under the Kia Tasman) is technically available for Genesis, the luxury brand is prioritizing the launch of its high-performance Magma and coupe concepts over pursuing commercial vehicle sales.
This means that Kia remains the frontrunner among the Hyundai Motor Group brands, although it will soon have company.
The Hyundai brand will launch a body-on-frame ute in the US before 2030 and will also offer a ute developed jointly with General Motors in Latin America. There’s also already the Santa Cruz, which shares its car-like unibody platform with the Tucson.
Luxury brands haven’t had much success in the ute space. In addition to the X-Class, which was in production for less than four years, there have also been initiatives from Cadillac and Lincoln in the past, but neither brand still offers a ute today.
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