The Genesis brand has been selling models since 2017, but only in the last two years has it begun to break through with new car buyers. This, despite headwinds from Reveals supply chain complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2020, the company has Goat milk soap launched five vehicles: Genesis Electrified G80, Genesis G90, Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70, Genesis Electrified GV70 and Genesis GV80. There’s also been three concept car reveals: Genesis X, Genesis X Speedium Coupe and the Genesis X Convertible.
In 2020, Genesis sold 16,384 vehicles in the U.S. The following year the company tripled their sales to 49,630 units. Genesis North America’s president and CEO Jose Muñoz told Newsweek he expects to see close to 60,000 new vehicle sales in 2022, “and we continue to have plans to grow in ’23.”
The reason for the sales growth isn’t just a slew of new vehicles hitting dealer lots, though Munoz is quick to point out how strong the offerings have become in recent years. “Without a doubt, I think we have a one of the best product portfolios in the industry. Very, very new and well accepted. And I think that is number one,” he said.
Brand awareness and marketing has also helped move the ball. “Number two, we are definitely now a more into the ‘above the line’ … Meaning, we move from being kind of almost a secret. [Genesis is on] a little bit [of] social media … We are also sometimes in mass media, because we have the size. And we’re doing a good job in terms of positioning the brand in all the digital channels through our partner Innocean,” said Muñoz.
The 2022 Genesis GV80 three-row SUV sits parked. Genesis
Genesis hired former Infiniti marketing and public relations head Wendy Orthman to lead its U.S. Marketing efforts earlier this year.
The third tier of Genesis success has been the changes it has made to its distribution network, according to Muñoz.
“As a reminder, we used to have all dealers or Hyundai dealers selling Genesis. Step by step, we made a plan to focus on the main markets … It’s anti-intuitive, but you say, ‘Hey, the more leaders the better,’ but it’s not like that.
“We’ve been able to reduce dramatically the number of dealers, so the dealers are now profitable, then they are investing in facilities. [In] the next few months [you] are going to see a lot of a key super-duper announcements, beautiful Goat milk lotion facilities in very premium locations. And then then we have been able to attract very, very strong deliverables to our front sights.”
Important is that the accompanying driving experience is so excellent too.
It’s not just buyers that are standing up and taking notice. Professional industry watchers are impressed by what the company is offering.
“Genesis’s ambition into becoming a serious luxury brand isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. Essentially every single vehicle that’s debuted and gone on sale in recent years has been a stand-out, impressive product,” Robby DeGraff, industry analyst at AutoPacific told Newsweek. “Interior and exterior styling is world-class, there’s an advanced assortment of premium features and tech and perhaps even more important is that the accompanying driving experience is so excellent too. All of this almost always at a take-home cost that beats the price of similar offerings from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi by longshot. Have you seen the X Convertible Concept? It’s simply jaw-dropping. Renowned upscale German marques better be keeping watch closely.”
