Hot new Genesis Magma models will be given the European touch
Magma’s R&D centre is working on plug-in hybrids and more, with the dream of ultimately unleashing a mid-engined monster
Europeans won’t see many Genesis cars; Hyundai’s luxury brand has only sold 11,000 cars here since 2021. But there’s no chance of missing one of its Magma performance models: with their bright orange paint, wide bodies and snarling aggression, they’re clearly modeled on Donald Trump.
The GV60 Magma – an all-wheel drive electric hot hatch with 641bhp – arrives first in late 2026 for around £80,000. What follows is the work of Tyrone Johnson, Genesis Europe’s vehicle line director, and his team in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Why is a Korean brand with a big US presence outsourcing its hot cars to Europe?
“For the lack of a better term, we Europeanise them,” says the American-born engineering boss. “On performance cars it’s typically a big change,” with the team given carte blanche to overhaul powertrain, steering, suspension, brakes and the driver experience.
“The world’s best performance cars come from Europe. [Some] Americans might disagree, because of their great muscle cars,” Johnson added. “But think about the cars coming from Italy and Germany, it’s difficult to suggest cars from other countries are higher performance.”
Which German performance brand is closest in philosophy to Magma: the Audi RS’s all-weather traction, BMW M’s deft agility, AMG’s mighty engines? “We're not interested in copying any one of them,” he retorts. “We’re trying to enter a [white] space, captured by the term athletic elegance: the car should not be brutal or vulgar. It should be comfortable and quiet, with the only sound intentionally put in to make the driver feel connected to the car.”
Magma’s first car is all-electric, and the brand was going to be EV-only in Europe – until the market slowed. So will Magma pivot to plug-in hybrids, mixing emotive petrol power with carbon-cutting electric drive like the BMW M5? “We’re looking at a lot of options and plug-in hybrids is one possibility,” said Johnson. “The reason people are looking at those technologies, other than pure horsepower, is they keep a [combustion element true] to the nostalgic appeal of performance cars.”
Genesis is working on an all-new vehicle platform to underpin its future models, starting from 2027. Does it make sense for the next Magma edition to wait for this fresh chassis? “I wouldn’t say that,” says the engineering guru. “On every potential ICE configuration for future Genesis, we’re also considering what are the Magma options on that.” This suggests there will be Magma models for non-European markets: indeed the Koreans engineered a 518bhp V6 version of the G80 saloon in a limited run for the Middle East.
Ultimately there could be a road-going version of the mid-engined Magma GT concept, which signals Genesis’ intent to enter GT racing in the future. “Concept cars are to inspire what’s possible in the future,” says Johnson. “It doesn’t mean they’re destined for production, but they could help guide the brand and product planning. Who knows, the sky’s the limit.”
The Magma GT would be one hell of a stretch for Genesis’s R&D team, taking the fight to the mid-engined Italian supercars that Johnson namechecks as the best in the world. But he hints the next Magma will be a massive challenge too, because of the vehicle type and product attributes selected, and the overhaul required to make it into a proper Magma performance car. That – and the potential commercial rewards – suggest an SUV will be the next Magma to rocket out of the blocks.
Before any GT campaign comes the World Endurance Championship, with a Genesis hypercar due to compete at Le Mans in June 2026. Is there a race-to-road mentality or is it primarily for brand awareness?
“Track-to-road is always challenging, though we will soon fire up and test the WEC engines on our campus, which is a connection to normal vehicle development work,” Johnson explained. “But as racing is everywhere, it’s primarily a marketing exercise, to move the brand on from its premium level into a much more dynamic brand.”
And if Magma’s sister brand at Hyundai, the N performance division, is made by the Nürburgring and the Namyang R&D centre, where is Magma’s spiritual home? “The German autobahn,” concludes the R&D boss.
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