You might be thinking of luxury cars that they big and ultra-roomy, but Genesis, the luxury automaker spun off from Hyundai some years ago, unveiled something Tuesday night on a much smaller scale.
The Genesis Mint is a small electric concept car styled to go where long and wide luxury sedans are no comfort. It’s a “city car” aimed to squeeze through the small alleys and dense traffic of packed urban centers. The two-seat, two-door car has a shortened sedan-shaped body, but no traditional trunk.
In place of rear seats and a traditional trunk lid, the Mint has a deep shelf for cargo or luggage that’s accessed by Lamborghini-style scissor doors on the side. Since the cargo area is accessed from the side, others don’t have to walk all the way around the back to get to their baggage.
The Mint is not just a fun design exercise, stated Manfred Fitzgerald, the global head of Genesis. The brand is seriously thinking about producing a vehicle like this if parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, will authorize it. It could possibly enter production around 2022, Fitzgerald stated at a meeting with reporters before the revealing.
Fitzgerald stated he does not observe the Mint as an “entry level” car for Genesis. Instead, it’s just an alternative product supposed to be just as luxurious as any other Genesis model.
“I think this will be definitely an icon for the brand,” he stated.
Regardless of its dimensions, the Mint is not supposed to be a sporty car. It is really meant for urban gridlock as opposed to sweeping country roads. The fact that the vehicle is electric allowed designers to create more interior space since no space had to be carved out for an internal combustion engine or a transmission.
“I don’t think that you need a lot of sports attributes for this,” Fitzgerald stated. “This is something which will be very pragmatic, but at the same time cool and stylish.”
