Oh no! It sounds like the brilliant Genesis X concepts won’t make production

Remember the trio of Genesis X concepts? Of course you do. The X Concept two-door coupe thing, the X Speedium Coupe shooting brake and the X Convertible were all rather stunning EV design studies unveiled in 2021 and 2022.

At the time we crossed our fingers and gathered as many rabbit feet as we could find (in case PETA is listening, we didn’t actually do this), though it appears to have been in vain because Genesis is making lots of noises that we’d usually associate with a concept car not going into production.

“From a brand perspective and from a desirability perspective we clearly believe there’s an opportunity,” said Genesis chief brand officer Graeme Russell about the possibility of any of the three concepts making it to production. “We hand that opportunity over to my esteemed colleague Mark [Choi – who is in charge of product planning at the young Korean brand] and we ask is it feasible and how do we position it? And I think that’s the stage we’re at now.

“If you were to ask Luc [Donckerwolke – the Hyundai group’s chief creative officer] and SangYup [Lee – boss of the Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center] I think they would very much love to see their concept cars come to reality, as I’m sure all designers would, but I think with Genesis the role of the concept cars has been very important from the beginning. We’ve had a very consistent concept car reveal that happens pretty much once a year, and of course it really has helped to create this emotional desirability in our design. It’s a very important part of our approach.”

Hmm, not sounding great for a big electric grand tourer from Genesis that you’re actually able to buy, is it? So, what does that man Mark Choi reckon to the possibility? Well, his response is worryingly diplomatic: “At the moment we’re trying to plan the new line up alongside thinking about the growth in manufacturing capacity at our plant and the cost of making electric vehicles – the battery price hike is affecting this. The financial side is a key issue. Is it the right moment to expand our line up or do we wait until the material cost is somewhat balanced?”

It'd certainly be a shame if the numbers did put a stop to Genesis bringing at least one of the X concepts to market, so our campaign to change their minds starts here.

There is good news if you were a fan of 2019’s Mint city car concept though, because Choi says: “We are looking into a smaller model for the European market, but the time is to be decided.”

The Mint concept was a rather tiny thing, with a projected range of 200 miles and bonkers backwards-hinged rear scissor doors. Click these blue words for a refresh.

“We are looking into expanding our range of models,” said Choi. “One of the key requests that we get – particularly from Europe – is for a smaller segment model such as Mint.”