What's all this about?

South Korean premium brand Genesis has already created a fairly sizeable range of saloons, estates and SUVs, but the company reckons it needs some performance models to top it all off. And that’s where the Magma line comes in, giving the brand’s luxury cars a sporty edge and the opportunity to rival BMW’s M cars and Mercedes-AMG’s performance models.

The first of those cars will be the GV60 Magma, which is set to arrive in November 2025 following its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month. The electric SUV will kick-start a rapidly growing line-up that’s expected to eventually encompass Genesis’ entire range, with forthcoming G80 Magma models already on show alongside the GV80 Coupe concept and the X grand tourer concept.

So what do we know about the GV60 Magma?

So far, not all that much. However, Genesis has shown off the car’s bodywork and interior at Goodwood, adding a sporty edge to the rounded design of the standard car. The Magma model will be lower and wider than the conventional GV60, and though Genesis claims not to be interested in over-styling its performance models, aerodynamic accoutrements are in plentiful supply.

Perhaps most obvious is the pronounced rear wing, but Genesis has also fitted a new front bumper with more aggressive air intakes and little ‘canard’ winglets for greater downforce. Elsewhere, there are aerodynamic alloy wheels and little strakes on the roof that direct air to the aforementioned rear wing.

Inside, the GV60 Magma will get sporty bucket seats with body-coloured seat shells, while the upholstery is a mixture of Alcantara-style microfibre and leather, with double-diamond stitching on show.

What about the powertrain and running gear?

As yet, we’re still in the dark about that, but we are expecting Genesis to give the Magma more power than the existing Sport Plus model, which gets 490hp from its two electric motors. Don’t expect a massive power hike, though, because the Genesis bigwigs have said they aren’t interested in a power struggle, but it should still be noticeably faster than the current model.

We do, however, know the Magma is pretty quick from its performance on the hillclimb at Goodwood this year. Although manufacturers seemed to hold back a little at this year’s Festival of Speed, the GV60 Magma Concept was the fastest four-seat production car to tackle the hill all weekend, and the 16th fastest car overall. With rally driver Gethin Jones at the wheel, the car posted an impressive time that suggests it’ll handle almost as well as it’ll go in a straight line.

What has Genesis said?

Tyrone Johnson, the managing director of the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center (HMETC), where the Magma was developed, said: “With HMETC and Goodwood being in Europe, our teams in Rüsselsheim took on the development of the car and I could not be prouder of the results. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our development teams at HMETC, and the collaboration with our global team in Namyang, and we are thrilled with the results achieved at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The development continues, so we know there is more performance to come.”

And the other Magma models?

We don’t know too much about those, either, save for the G80 Magma. That car will be offered in both petrol and electric forms, although the petrol engine is only for the Middle Eastern markets. Like the GV60 Magma, it’ll have a more aggressive body with vents and fins, but Genesis hasn’t prepared any special badging for any of its performance models. Instead, there’s just a blacked-out Genesis logo on the nose.

So when will we know more?

Genesis has confirmed the GV60 Magma will go into production in late 2025, so we’re expecting to be drip-fed plenty of details between now and then. We’ll be intrigued to see what’s revealed, especially given Johnson’s comments about there being more development to come.

James Fossdyke - 24 Jun 2024