Falling in line with the recent public realization that EVs may not be the be-all and end-all of efficient motoring, Hyundai luxury arm Genesis may be incorporating hybrids into its lineup for the first time ever starting as early as next year.
According to a report from The Korea Economic Daily citing “automotive industry sources,” development began on hybrid variants of existing Genesis models late last year and the cars are set to come to market in 2025. They’ll be regular hybrids to boot, not plug-in hybrids (think plain ol’ Prius, not Prius Prime), and reportedly use its parent company’s 2.5-liter engine rather than the 1.6-liter found in the Tucson, Elantra, and Santa Fe Hybrids. KED also alleges that the first Genesis models to be converted to hybrid will be the mid-size G80 sedan and compact GV70 crossover, which makes sense given those are the two models that have already been turned into EVs.
If true, this would be a course correction for Genesis, which is a brand that has never offered a hybrid in its nine-year history (other than that one sports sedan concept car back in 2016). Instead, it has gone heavy into full EVs with the GV60 and the aforementioned electric versions of the G80 and GV70. The report goes on to say that while Genesis’ original plan was to convert all its models from 2025 onward into EVs, that plan has now been “modified.”
Genesis isn’t the only automaker that has rethought its stance on hybrids as EV demand—and resale values—fall. Just weeks ago, General Motors backtracked on its all-EVs-all-day electrification strategy and is bringing back plug-in hybrids. Toyota, meanwhile—as we pointed out last year—has always been pro-hybrid and notably slower in its EV adoption, and judging by current trends, rightfully so.
When reached for comment, a Genesis spokesperson told The Drive, “Genesis continues to be committed to pursuing our electrification plans and being a leader in the era of electrification, but we remain flexible based on market conditions and consumer demand. At this time, our product lineup is focused on BEVs and ICE models. We do not have any updates to share regarding alternative powertrains at this time.”
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