What's the news?
Following its teaser pre-show, the wraps have come off the Genesis New York Concept luxury sports saloon at the New York International Auto Show. This car, styled along the ethos of 'Athletic Elegance', previews the future look of all the brand's cars, with Genesis (in the US, at least) being the luxury arm of Hyundai.
Exterior
It's a striking thing, isn't it? With a long bonnet and plenty of distance between the front axle and the dashboard, the New York Concept is designed to look 'performance-oriented' even when standing still and we think Genesis has achieved that. Up front is the large, upright grille with slim headlights, below which are vents to flow air through the forward wheel arch to reduce turbulence. The passenger cabin is sleek in profile while there's a honeycomb-shaped detail on the side gills and at the back are similarly slender lamp units as at the front. All the door handles sit flush with the bodywork and the car is finished in Ceramic Blue with copper-coloured inlays in the bumper and side sills.
Interior
The cabin is another of those stunning concept car interiors that looks like something from 2056... and will probably only go into production in 40 years, too. Key to its appeal is a one-piece instrument cluster and centre console, merged into one giant, 21-inch 4K floating curved screen made by LG. Amazingly, alongside this digital interface are classic analogue driver instruments, while sitting in front of those is an open steering wheel which is said to make the dials easier to read.
Like so many of these machines, despite its size the New York Concept is a four-seater rather than a five, with the cabin clothed in tan leather with anthracite contrast strips, polished aluminium switchgear and a copper-coloured, stainless steel mesh for the console. As well as the bowl-shaped Central Control Panel with 3D geometry, the Genesis has a gesture control sensor to allow content to be 'thrown over' from one screen to another - think of Tom Cruise doing the same action in those intense scenes in Minority Report.
Mechanicals
Hyundai and Genesis say very little about the drivetrain. What we do know is that it's a 2.0-litre GDi petrol unit mated to an electric motor of unspecified outputs, with the drivetrain as a whole rated at 245hp and 353Nm. Driving the wheels is an eight-speed automatic transmission; no word on eco-data either, although Genesis does make constant reference to aerodynamic superiority for better fuel consumption.
Anything else?
Manfred Fitzgerald, head of Genesis, said: "The New York Concept is a progressive concept car that showcases the design quality of the brand. With its expressive volumes and refined design, the New York Concept truly embodies the 'Athletic Elegance' that characterises Genesis products and will continue to do so for future models that come from our luxury brand. Revealing the concept in New York is a fitting opportunity for Genesis."