Korean luxury brand Genesis is on the verge of a reinvention, starting with a new SUV that has the Range Rover in its sights.

The Genesis Neolun concept, unveiled at the New York auto show, is a thinly disguised look into Genesis’ future with a production version – possibly called GV90 – expected to arrive in 2026 and likely to be very close to the concept.

Speaking exclusively to Electrifying.com, Sangyup Lee, global head of design for Genesis, said, “This car is mature, this is not something we show you and then in two years you say to us ‘You’ve lost this and that’.

“We've been working on the show car for the last five years and at the same time we’ve developed the production car. The whole intention is that, even though we make the show car, the production car will be even better. Why not?”

At 5.2 meters long, the Neolun is about the same length as a Range Rover, and – like the forthcoming Range Rover electric – it will be battery powered. Genesis hasn’t revealed any technical details for the Neolun, but in production form a battery size of around 100 kWh and super-fast charging for maximum range and convenience would all be expected to feature.

The Neolun, and the production car it previews, has been created using a reductive design philosophy taking inspiration from Korean culture, such as Moon jar porcelain with its super-smooth surfacing. As a result, the Neolun features plenty of world firsts, including twin LED light strips that sit flush to the bodywork; run your finger over them and it’s impossible to feel any joins where they meet the metal.

Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Chief Creative Officer and Chief Brand Officer, revealed the secrets to the stunning new lighting signature. “The lights for instance, were not made for the show car – they were made for the production car,” he said. “We are not showing you some kind of magic and then it's gone.”

Other show car innovations such as the pillarless coach doors, Ondol underfloor heating system, 3D sound architecture, 24.6-inch central display and quilted panelling featuring pin lighting are all expected to make production.

Similarly, where most SUVs have fixed roof rails, the Neolun has hi-tech hidden roof rails that appear only when they’re needed, leaving the car looking uncluttered and helping aerodynamics.

The interior features reductive design, too, as Sangyup Lee explained: “Technology is so important – high tech is what everybody aims for, but we don't do high tech for the sake of high tech. We really want to give a high-tech experience, but we look to give the customer an experience in all different five senses. We have a bit more emotion, but we tend to filter them to get a little bit more serenity, a little bit more elegance.”

The new Genesis models not only have an important job to do for the company, but also in helping to position Korea as a maker of luxury products. 

“The intention with this product was to reflect the modern Korea,” said Donckerwolke. “We are promoting that Korea has a luxury car industry. But more than that, Korea has managed to break through in some fields that were reserved for the most exclusive brands. For instance, cosmetics brands like Sulwhasoo have shown they can have a place in some markets which were the territory of established and traditional luxury brands.

“Somehow there is no product that reflects the discerning quality of the customers in Korea for luxury goods. Korea is one of the biggest luxury markets, but not like Hong Kong, not like China, like other countries where it's an overkill of badges and everything. You will notice somebody dressed in luxury apparel and clothing, there is a certain quality and taste. I would not call it restraint; I would call it taste.”

“The whole Korean culture, not only the cosmetic side of it but K-pop and drama and music, they're culturally making a big statement out of it,” continued Lee. “So automatically the public, especially the younger generation, their sense of understanding of luxury is moving to another level. A lot of Korean artists are becoming very, very big. Cuisine is fantastic. I never really experienced cuisine in that level in any other countries.”

“Everything is made with such an aesthetical quality,’ said Donckerwalke. “It’s incredible: the orchestration of the ingredients in your dishes, how it’s presented with such quality. Also the people have such a quality; the way they deal with you it's incredible. So the intention was to reflect that into this product, the modern Korea.

“One of the key ingredients, originality, is very, very important. If you don't have this originality in your DNA code it’s very difficult to make a story out of it.

“So with Genesis being a Korean brand, this Korean sophisticated culture and this hospitality, we really like to embed this into our vehicle, which is actually what we can do. Nobody else is in the car industry can do that.”

GV90 is expected to arrive in 2026 and likely to be very close to the concept