According to a interview with Allan Rushforth during the Geneva Motor Show by CarAdvice, the premium Hyundai Genesis line-up could soon see the addition of a SUV variant, according to one of the senior-most executives of European brand.
[ads id=”0″ style=”float:left;padding:9px;”]Allan Rushforth, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor Europe, suggested to CarAdvice at the Geneva Motor Show that a luxury-focused SUV would be a logical offshoot for the Genesis line.
Currently, the Genesis line consists of the new sedan (recently launched) and the Genesis Coupe that will comeback in 2015 when the new-generation goes live. “I think individually if you look at our product awareness, it historically has been highest in SUVs – which was our heritage eight to ten years ago with products like the Tucson/ix35 and Santa Fe,” Rushforth said.
“Public awareness of Hyundai tended to correspond with their awareness of our SUVs – so theoretically, the gap between those vehicles and where we want to be with Genesis is less than perhaps some of the vehicles that came later and have still got a reputation to build,” he said. “I suppose that’s a long way of saying maybe.”
Rushforth indicated the new Intrado concept SUV revealed at Geneva may offer some hints as to what the brand is thinking for a luxury crossover model.
“When you look at this product here [the Genesis sedan], there’s clearly a chemistry which says Genesis, our reputation for SUVs in Europe, and the Intrado together could deliver something of interest specifically for the European market,” he said. “I can’t give you a specific commitment to build Intrado tomorrow, but, you know, who knows,” Rushforth said.
