Dive Brief:
- Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand Genesis has revealed its flagship luxury GV90 electric SUV that’s equipped with advanced technologies to create a “new dimension of user experience,” the automaker announced in an Aug. 20 press release.
- The GV90 is built on Hyundai’s eMP platform designed exclusively for its flagship and large luxury EV models, and the automaker boasts the world’s first independently opening and closing hidden B-pillar coach doors.
- "GV90 is not simply a new vehicle, but a new vision for luxury mobility that brings together inspiring design, AI-powered software and connectivity, and industry-leading safety," said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The fully electric GV90 is set to face off versus the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, and perhaps Rolls-Royce and Bentley with the top-of-the-line Neolun. Based on the Neolun concept Genesis revealed in March 2024 at a media event in New York, the vehicle represents the culmination of Hyundai’s advanced technologies, per the release.
“The Neolun Concept, unveiled in 2024, was not simply a vision, but a promise for the future,” said Luc Donckerwolke, President and Chief Creative Officer of Hyundai Motor Group. “GV90 brings that promise to life, opening a new chapter for Genesis design, one shaped by extraordinary patience, care and dedication.”
The luxury SUV will be offered in two trims, the GV90 Neolun and GV90. But Genesis will also offer a Neolun First Edition model with a 4-seat configuration delivering an elevated luxury passenger experience. First Edition models will come with 24-inch wheels matching the exterior paint color to elevate the visual impact of the electric SUV, according to Genesis.
The top-of-the-line version’s Neolun Arch Gate allows its front and rear doors to fully open with no B-pillar in the way for easy entry and exit access for passengers. The standard GV90, however, will come with conventional hinged doors.
An advanced aluminum body structure using high strength steel
The GV90 is built using a new aluminum frame that Genesis says increases body rigidity while reducing weight. With the absence of a traditional structural B-pillar, engineers designed a new body structure to attach the doors to the vehicle body while maintaining the highest safety standards, per the release.
In place of the B-pillar are high-strength dual steel beams for rigidity. Engineers also integrated a concealed roll cage by reinforcing the cabin with a frame that’s 1.5 times thicker than that of conventional vehicles. To further protect occupants in a crash, high-strength steel tubes and structural foam help strengthen the body structure. The GV90 achieves the same crash safety performance of vehicles built with conventional B-pillars, per the release.
The architecture that joins the doors and body is also designed to disperse collision forces in a crash, according to Genesis. The entire frame utilizes an impact-absorbing structure and includes 12 airbags throughout the cabin, including the world's first roof airbag, per the release.
The roof airbag is designed to provide better protection in severe rollover events. In a rollover crash, it rapidly deploys to cover the entire panoramic roof glass, preventing occupant ejection and reducing injuries caused by contact with the roof, according to Genesis.
Engineers also added ultra-high-strength steel to the sides of the body to enhance safety and better protect the battery in a crash. The design utilizes a “slider structure” in front of the battery pack, engineered to redirect the motor and subframe downwards and underneath the vehicle in a front collision, preventing direct impact to the battery.
Battery details
The 123.5-kWH high-voltage battery back is also the largest ever used in a Hyundai EV. A Wireless Battery Management System also maximizes battery cell packaging efficiency, providing additional battery capacity without increasing the pack’s dimensions.
The GV90’s battery system includes thermal runaway protection that thermally separates each battery cells within the pack to abate a potential battery fire.
When plugged into a 350-kW fast charger, the battery charges from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes, per the release. Estimated range is approximately 310 miles based on the automaker’s internal testing.
Dual-motor, AWD powertrain
The GV90’s dual motors produce a combined system output of 657 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. The SUV is the first Hyundai vehicle to be equipped with a dual electronic limited-slip differential mounted on both the front and rear motors, which distributes motor output according to driving conditions. During high-speed cornering, power is efficiently supplied to all four wheels to improve handling. The system can also help reduce wheel slip on snowy, rainy or uneven roads for better control under different driving conditions.
The GV90 also comes with active Rear Wheel Steering, which turns the rear wheels up to five degrees, reducing the turning radius to that of a midsize car, according to Genesis. The feature also improves cornering stability at medium and high speeds.
The GV90 comes with a multi-chamber air suspension on all four wheels to further improve ride comfort. It uses air springs with adjustable stiffness, allowing ride height to adjust according to road conditions. The system dynamically adjusts damping force at each wheel, providing a softer response to absorb road impacts and stiffening to control significant body movement.
Interior features
As the GV90 is the flagship SUV for the Genesis brand, engineers focused on interior comfort for passengers. The SUV uses acoustic glass on all windows, including the windshield, sunroof and rear tailgate window.
To help eliminate road noise and vibration transmitted through the vehicle's body, a common issue for some near-silent EV models, Genesis injecting high-expansion soundproofing fillers into the cavities of the main structural frame. The GV90’s cabin is further kept quiet through extensive application of reinforced sound-absorbing materials and modifications to the sealing structures of the hood and tailgate, according to Genesis.
Engineers also added a “Comfort Partition” that separates the second-row seating from the cargo area, further reducing cabin noise from the luggage compartment area.
The GV90’s seats are upholstered in premium leather to maximize softness and comfort. Each individual seat is equipped with 15 air cells and a pulse vibration function, offering massaging superior to what Genesis has offered in other vehicles before, per the release.
The dashboard of the GV90 features a 23.6-inch pop-up center OLED Cinematic Display. In normal driving situations, the widescreen display integrates the instrument cluster, navigation, and media functions. But for when the vehicle is parked, the GV90 has a display extension feature that raises the screen by 90 millimeters to reveal a slightly larger 24.6-inch viewing area for watching multimedia content.
In place of a separate instrument cluster, the GV90 has a 25-inch head-up display for the driver that shows speed, navigation prompts and driver assist functions.
The GV90 also comes with Hyundai’s Pleos Connect next-generation infotainment platform that’s based on the Android Automotive Operating System. Customers can download third-party vehicle apps via the Pleos App Market and add them to the vehicle’s infotainment system. The GV90 also features Hyundai’s next-generation generative AI assistant dubbed Gleo AI.
Genesis did not say when the GV90 will go on sale, or share any pricing information.
