Genesis Production Bound for Alabama: Report

by Steph Willems

October 11th, 2016 2:20 PM

genesis production bound for alabama report

The newest premium automaker on the block could cozy up to its downmarket parent company in Alabama.

Fledgling Korean luxury brand Genesis is expected to bring production of two models to the U.S. in three years, WardsAuto reports, likely setting up shop at Hyundai’s existing Montgomery plant.

Right now, there’s only two models in the Genesis stable — the G80 (formerly the Hyundai Genesis) and full-size 2017 G90, which saw its first U.S. sales in September. A compact G70 bows next, aimed at the BMW 3 Series and its rivals. When fully fleshed out in 2021, the Genesis lineup will boast six vehicles, including two utility models and a luxury coupe.

Citing its partner, AutoForecast Solutions, WardsAuto claims the next-generation midsize Genesis G80 starts stateside production in September 2019. A D-segment crossover utility vehicle follows in November 2019.

Existing Genesis models call Ulsan, South Korea home.

The obvious choice of location is Hyundai’s 2-million-square-foot Montgomery, Alabama assembly plant. The automaker could either expand the facility to accommodate production of the new vehicles, or build a standalone facility on its property. If the new brand’s retail and sales model is any indication, Genesis executives will push for the standalone building. (This premium player likes keeping distance between itself and its parent.)

Hyundai officials talked about expanding the plant’s capacity last year, but that never came to pass. While the official explanation had to do with weak overseas sales — China specifically — the Genesis spin-off announcement came soon after.

[Image: Hyundai Motor America]

#FutureModels #Genesis #GenesisG80 #ProductPlanning #Production

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12 of 38 comments

Mikey on Oct 11, 2016

@ Principal ....I was picking up a case of beer, a few months ago. I fellow retiree ,that I barely knew, started in on me, about me, about my choice in vehicles. My 2015 Mustang was parked beside his Mexican built 2014 extended cab Silverado. I asked him if you show me your "union label, I'll show you mine". Conversation over !

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- Corey Lewis on Oct 11, 2016
  
  Wow, what a rude thing to do to a stranger.
  
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Mikey on Oct 11, 2016

@CoreyDL....Yes it was, but i did make my point : )

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- Corey Lewis on Oct 11, 2016
  
  I meant on his end! Choice of car falls right under MYOB.
  
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Bd2 on Oct 11, 2016

Would make sense as the US market is expected to be the largest for the next G80 and the upcoming crossover based on the same platform.

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Gtem on Oct 12, 2016

I'm starting to see '15 Genesis sedans in the mid $20s with 30k-ish miles, wow that's quite a bit of car for the money.

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- Macca on Oct 12, 2016
  
  It really is. A friend of mine purchased a first-gen Genesis (base V6, maybe around a 2010 or so) in 2014. It had been a rental car, but I was amazed how well the interior had held up from that abuse. I think it was $15-17k if I remember right. He's not exactly fastidious about his cars, and after two years of his ownership the interior remains in impressive condition. About the only concern I've noticed is that the padding in the door armrests has flattened a bit. It's still solid on the road, quiet, and almost entirely free of rattles and creakiness. Seeing a somewhat neglected example six years on leaves me with the impression that these are screwed together pretty well. That said, I haven't extensively researched reliability. Another colleague has a first-gen R-spec that he's driven 100k miles since new. It has been pretty well cared for and is in great shape. The V8 sounds good when it's opened up, but the suspension does seem too brittle for the car. That seems to be Hyundai's biggest difficulty, hence the Lotus intervention. I would consider a new G80, especially if they'd offer the V8 with AWD. The depreciation might be a bit steep, but if you keep your cars I can't imagine this being a huge concern.
  
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- Gtem on Oct 12, 2016
  
  @Macca I'm specifically looking at the 2nd gen '15+ cars, the gen 1s seem to have a reputation for harsh riding suspensions that precedes them. Pass!
  
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- Corey Lewis on Oct 12, 2016
  
  @gtem The ghost of DeadWeight concurs.
  
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- Onyxtape on Oct 12, 2016
  
  @Macca My dad bought a 2010 (or 2011?) barebones Genesis for $28k new. It's a pretty sweet deal. Though it's clear that Hyundai still had some ways to go before it reaches Japanese quality at the time. There were about half a dozen warranty repairs in the last 5-6 years that we've never had with our Japanese purchases in the past.
  
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- 28-Cars-Later on Oct 12, 2016
  
  @Corey Lewis He was just the ghost of Chaing Kai-shek.
  
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- Dal20402 on Oct 13, 2016
  
  @gtem 1st gen does not feel premium anymore the second you drive over the first bump. Reviewers have said the 2nd gen has better suspension tuning but I have yet to drive one and remain skeptical given that other Hyundais still have ride/handling issues. I've rented far fewer cars over the last year or so as nearly all of my recent travels have been to central cities. I'll keep trying to self-upgrade to a Genesis.
  
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