"We are developing not only electric vehicles but also hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and we need to do better with gasoline-powered cars as well. There are still areas that need reinforcing, and I believe we have a long way to go."
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung made the remarks about the group's eco-friendly vehicle strategy, including its electrification push, while expressing his ambition to keep rewriting the definition of luxury mobility.
Genesis held the GV90 World Premiere at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday (local time), unveiling the GV90 Neolun and the GV90.
Meeting with Korean reporters after the event, Chung was asked how he defines a "luxury car" for Genesis. "I don't think true luxury is something fixed or formulaic," he said. "If you feel a satisfaction far greater than the price you paid, and if that enriches your life in meaningful ways, I think that is true luxury."
He added that achieving that standard requires more than simply focusing on quality. "I think we need to deliver results that exceed expectations across many dimensions — from safety to psychological satisfaction," he said.
In his welcome address, Chung said the GV90 World Premiere was not a "destination" but "the beginning of a new journey," pledging to keep pushing boundaries, driving progress and continuously redefining what luxury mobility can be.
Asked what message he hoped to send global consumers through the GV90, Chung said the development process had been full of challenges and many firsts, putting enormous strain on the research teams. "But we came together with the belief that we could do it, and the GV90 was born," he said. "Above all, I hope the people who drive this car feel a sense of satisfaction — because that is the only way we can feel satisfied too."
Chung also revisited the eco-friendly vehicle vision he laid out when Genesis launched. At the brand's launch event on Nov. 4, 2015, he pledged that Hyundai Motor was embarking on "yet another new departure," saying Genesis would be reborn as a standalone brand that would produce eco-friendly vehicles "one step ahead of the competition."
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Chung said the group remains focused on developing electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles alongside conventional gasoline cars, but acknowledged that much work remains. "We also need to respond to demand for hybrid vehicles, so there is still a lot we need to do better," he said. "There are many areas that still need reinforcing — EV batteries, motors and more — and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are still in their early stages, so I think we have a long way to go."
On the direction of the group's electrification strategy, Chung said the focus would be on improving efficiency, including through the development of solid-state batteries. "We will also continue to find ways to improve in areas where we have a competitive edge, such as hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles (EREV)," he said.
Chung also drew notice by acting as a personal docent for the GV90, guiding international press and VIP guests through the vehicle himself. Toward the end of the event, he went one by one with individual guests through the GV90's innovative technologies and design features, posing for photos and actively promoting the new model.
The GV90 unveiled Wednesday is Genesis's first luxury flagship electrified SUV, developed from the Neolun concept revealed in 2024. Built on the eMP platform — a flagship-dedicated platform — the vehicle brings together the full breadth of the brand's accumulated technological capabilities, from advanced safety systems and driving technology designed for elegant, refined movement to a wide array of innovations aimed at delivering an entirely new level of experience.
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