The Korean carmaker is signaling a shift in direction with the concept vehicle debuting at this week's New York International Auto Show, which opens to the public Friday.
Since spinning off from Hyundai three years ago, the Genesis brand has been struggling to be seen as a serious contender in the U.S. luxury market with a trio of sedans aimed at more established high-line marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
"As a brand, Genesis embraces progressive design values, and the Mint Concept reinforces this commitment from a previously undiscovered perspective," said Manfred Fitzgerald, executive vice president and global head of the Genesis Brand."Mint belongs in the city, and we are proud to introduce our evolution of the ideal city car in New York."
Whatever the reason, Genesis has stopped reporting monthly sales, but its 2018 numbers weren't promising, plunging by more than half from the 20,594 vehicles it sold in the U.S. in 2017 to just 10,312 last year — and that despite the addition of the G70 sport sedan. The automaker is intent on showing it wants to do more than just follow the pack, however, racing to play catch-up with the extensive lineup of sedans and utility vehicles offered by its key European and Japanese competitors.
While Genesis is revealing only a few details about the Mint Concept, its exterior footprint appears roughly in line with that of the Smart fortwo — which itself will only be offered with a battery-electric driveline going forward. The precise size of the battery pack and drive system hasn't been revealed, but Genesis says the Mint is meant to yield about 200 miles of range and could be back on the road quickly using the latest Level 3 charging stations.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Piss Christ' artist Andres Serrano tackles Donald Trump in a new exhibit in New York'I've treated many of these objects—the wedding cake, the golf bags—as individual works of art,” says Andres Serrano, who's amassed more than a thousand of pieces of Trump memorabilia for his exhibition.
Read more »
The New York AG's first 100 days of war against TrumpLetitia 'Tish' James assumed her post as New York's attorney general 100 days ago on the heels of a campaign that vowed to investigate President Donald Trump and his business dealings.
Read more »