Genesis Wants to Heat up the Australian Range with Magma Performance Models

Korean luxury brand genesis recently introduced a performance sub-brand called magmaand would like to offer these hotter vehicles in Australia.

“What really gets our hearts racing is the upcoming range of high-performance Magma models, led by the production version of the GV60 Magma concept,” said Genesis Australia CEO Justin Douglass.

“Given the country’s affinity for high-performance luxury vehicles, we are incredibly excited about Magma’s potential in Australia.

“While we are working diligently to secure magma for Australia, it is still a little early to confirm, but rest assured we are leaving no stone unturned.”

Genesis unveiled a quartet of Magma concepts at the New York Motor Show in March: polished versions of the existing GV60 SUV, G80 sedan and GV80 coupe SUV, as well as a more imaginative X Gran Berlinetta sports car concept.

This was followed by the unveiling of the G80 EV Magma concept at the ongoing Beijing Motor Show.

“I find [the Magma sub-brand] would be very well received in our market,” said Mr. Douglass.

“It would be foolish not to raise your hand when the time comes to talk about securing this potential future product range.”

Not all Magma models are offered in right-hand drive. The gasoline-powered G80 Magma concept, for example, is currently only planned for launch in the Middle East.

“This requires us to effectively examine the marketability and suitability of each of these vehicles, regardless of which ones are made available to us, to determine what we would see in the market,” said deputy product planning manager Michael Rowland.

Genesis is believed to be preparing all of its models for Magma treatment, but the company is taking a fairly cautious approach to the scope of Magma treatment.

For example, no powertrain details were released for the GV60 Magma concept, but it was confirmed to have high-performance brakes, sticky semi-slick tires with 21-inch aero disc wheels, and lower springs.

The aggressive look continues with wider wheel arches, a new front bumper, rear diffuser and rear spoiler, while the interior features bucket seats with Nappa leather and suede upholstery as well as orange and titanium accents.

Given that the related Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has 478kW of power and 770Nm of torque, it seems plausible that Genesis will boost the output of the existing GV60 performance flagship with 360kW and 700Nm.

The G80 EV Magma rides on wider, track-tuned suspension and features lightweight 21-inch wheels with staggered tire widths, behind which sit larger brakes.

Cosmetic changes include a redesigned front grille, rear diffuser and ducktail spoiler for optimized airflow, as well as a new rear bumper for a “more confident road presence” that features an integrated fog lamp that is “reminiscent of legendary racing cars.”

It also sits lower than the Electrified G80 on which it is based and has wider fenders.

Inside, there’s Alcantara and quilted leather upholstery, as well as carbon fiber inserts with blue braid.

As with the GV60-based concept, no powertrain outputs were released.

This also applies to the Magma versions of the petrol-powered G80 and GV80 Coupé, for which there are even rarer details.

So it’s unclear whether Magma is intended to be a full-fledged counterpart to the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, which do quite well here – Australia is BMW M’s fifth-largest market, for example.

It’s also unclear whether the company will follow these brands and offer vehicles with similar design elements to its high-performance vehicles, but without the full range of performance upgrades.

BMW does this, for example, with its M Sport models. Likewise, Lexus offers F Sport vehicles that offer some mechanical upgrades and various design enhancements without offering the additional performance of its F models.

Genesis already offers sport versions of some of its models, which, like the Sport Line models, include mechanical improvements in addition to internal and external improvements.

In the G80 sedan, the Sport package adds features such as launch control, rear-wheel steering and a Sport+ driving mode, while in the GV70 it adds a limited-slip differential and Road Preview adaptive suspension.

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