Genesis will 'not enter horsepower race' with new Magma performance cars
It's not about BHP, says boss
Genesis has said its new range of Magma sports models will not signal the beginning of a horsepower war as the South Korean premium brand takes the fight to the performance divisions of Mercedes, BMW and Audi.
Speaking as the Hyundai-owned company confirmed it would put its GV60 Magma Concept into production as part of a range of Magma-badged performance models, chassis boss Tyrone Johnson told media the company will not chase massive power outputs to one-up its rivals.
Although Johnson said Magma variants would have “sufficient” power and more than “most customers” would use on a day-to-day basis, the company has no intention of being drawn into a horsepower race that sees the brand launch unnecessarily powerful cars.
Link with the Nürburgring
Johnson made the assertion at the Nürburgring, in Germany, where Genesis has been developing the forthcoming GV60 Magma in preparation for a dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.
It’s the first in a line of performance products that will bear the Magma name and add an extra layer of performance and luxury to the top of each model range.
Thus far, Genesis has revealed five concepts for the Magma family, with the GV60 Magma joined by petrol- and electric-powered G80 Magma models, and the GV80 Concept. There’s also a Magma variant of the X Concept coupé.
Genesis design boss Luc Donckerwolke said Magma models would be made available across the still-youthful brand’s “full” line-up of models, although he failed to mention when that would be, leaving question marks about which models will survive long enough to get a Magma derivative.
Dynamic debut in Goodwood
Nevertheless, Genesis has confirmed that the GV60 Magma will make its dynamic debut at the Festival of Speed, ahead of a global launch next year.
Like other Magma models, the GV60 Magma wears no specific Magma badging, although it does get a blacked-out Genesis logo.
Genesis claims the styling is intended to be restrained, with just a few aerodynamic and performance-orientated details marking out the special cars. These include ‘canard’ fins in the front bumper and more aggressive air intakes, as well as wider fenders with built-in air outlets for brake cooling.
Special detailing outside and in
The GV60 Magma also gets intricate aerodynamic alloy wheels, as well as fins on the roof to direct air towards a pronounced rear wing.
Inside, there are Recaro bucket seats with body-coloured shells and double-diamond stitching, as well as some suede upholstery.
Although the Magma cars, including the GV60 Magma, look set to be offered with the distinctive orange paint, Genesis says they will not be over-styled, with purely functional tweaks as the only accoutrements to the standard design.
Under the skin, the GV60 and other Magma models are expected to receive suspension and powertrain tweaks, although Genesis is coy about what those might be at present.
Performance upgrade expected
However, the premium brand has confirmed the GV60 Magma will be wider and lower than standard, even if it has yet to be drawn on a power output for the newcomer. An upgrade is expected on the 483bhp currently found in the flagship GV60 Sport Plus model, with a two- or three-motor electric powertrain likely.
Given Johnson’s comments, though, it seems unlikely that Genesis will add too much power to the GV60 Magma, which is expected to focus as much on handling as it does on straight-line speed. The Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, has been developing the chassis, promising greater dynamic capability from the Magma variants.
And although the GV60 Magma will be electric, it seems not all Magma products will be battery powered. Already, the brand has announced the G80 Magma will be offered in both petrol and electric forms, while the GV80 Coupé Magma is also expected to be petrol-powered.
For now, though, the petrol G80 Magma is only expected to go on sale in the Middle East, and the GV60 will continue to be electric only. The coupé-SUV will first be seen in motion at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month, and more details are expected either then or later this year.
Try it out for yourself
Enthusiasts keen to experience a modified Genesis can do so now at the fearsome Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit by signing up for a passenger ride in the ‘Genesis Track Taxi Nordschleife’. It’s a lightly modified Genesis G70 powered by a turbocharged 3.3-litre petrol engine.
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- Did you hear that Genesis has taken the wraps off its last petrol car?
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