Genesis unveils GV90 flagship electric SUV, redefining luxury on wheels

Genesis has unveiled the GV90, its first ultra-large flagship electric SUV.

The brand held the GV90 World Premiere at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday (local time), revealing both the GV90 Neolun and the GV90.

The GV90 was developed from the "Neolun" concept unveiled in 2024 and is Genesis's luxury flagship electrification model. Built on the eMP Platform — a dedicated flagship platform — the vehicle brings together the full breadth of the brand's accumulated technological capabilities, from driving technology that delivers top-tier safety and graceful movement to a host of innovations designed to offer an entirely new dimension of experience, the company said.

At the front, the newly introduced Wing Face MLA headlamps sweep across the fascia beneath a large clamshell hood, creating a commanding presence. A chrome grille featuring two layers of G-Matrix patterning stacked in three dimensions on the lower bumper adds a refined finishing detail.

The side profile embodies a "timeless design" philosophy — enduring value expressed through restrained lines. A long 5,285-millimeter body, bold yet flowing fender volumes and large 24-inch forged wheels underscore the vehicle's flagship stature.

The rear was designed with maximum volume and minimal ornamentation to capture the flowing curves of the moon jar ("dal hangari"), a traditional Korean ceramic prized for its graceful form. Unnecessary lines were eliminated and the rear spoiler removed. Surface-emitting rear lamps applied with the same cutless method as the front, along with Genesis lettering, complete a smooth, unified rear design.

The GV90 lineup comes in two variants: the GV90 Neolun, which is the world's first vehicle with independently opening hidden B-pillar coach doors, and the GV90, which features conventional swing doors.

The Neolun Arch Gate allows the front and rear doors to open facing each other without a B-pillar in the body, providing far greater openness and a wider entry and exit space than conventional vehicles. A newly developed dual-motion hinge slides the rear door outward before rotating it smoothly, allowing it to open and close without interfering with the front door.

Although the B-pillar that supports the side of the body has been removed, ultra-high-strength dual steel beams inside the doors maintain rigidity while a structure connecting the body and doors effectively disperses collision energy. The body frame surrounding the cabin was also widened by 1.5 times compared with the previous design, and ultra-high-strength steel tubes and high-rigidity structural foam were applied throughout to ensure crash safety.

Built on the eMP Platform, the GV90 offers the spacious interior befitting a luxury flagship. A 3,245-millimeter wheelbase underpins a generous cabin fitted with a flat floor and slim cockpit, providing a more comfortable and relaxed travel experience.

The GV90 Neolun in particular features power swiveling front seats — a first for Hyundai Motor Group — that maximize the use of interior space. When the vehicle is stationary, pressing a button on the door trim rotates the front seats 180 degrees, transforming the cabin into a full lounge where occupants can face each other to rest or work.

The GV90 also features three ride-enhancing systems: a multi-chamber air suspension with adjustable-stiffness air springs that effectively absorbs road impacts, improves driving stability and allows ride height to be varied as needed; monotube-type dual-valve electronically controlled shock absorbers that soften when absorbing impacts and firm up during large body movements to deliver the optimal ride for any driving condition; and an active rear-wheel steering (RWS) system that steers the rear wheels within a maximum range of 5 degrees, reducing the turning radius to the level of a mid-size car.

Top-tier safety is another highlight. The GV90 is equipped with 12 airbags. Notably, a roof airbag — a world first — deploys rapidly to cover the entire roof glass in the event of a rollover accident.

Additional safety features include battery thermal runaway prevention (TRP) technology that blocks heat transfer between cells to enhance battery safety, and a cloud-based battery management system (BMS) with a pre-diagnostic function that detects potential anomalies in advance and alerts the customer.

The GV90 carries a 123.5 kWh high-voltage battery — the largest capacity among Hyundai Motor Group electric vehicles. The battery cells use a high-density, high-output design that raises energy density while also improving both driving performance and fast-charging capability.

The seven-seat GV90 offers a range of 500 kilometers on a single charge. Using a 350 kW ultra-fast charger, the battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 22 minutes.

The vehicle is also powered by a new motor — the most powerful in the Hyundai Motor Group electric vehicle lineup — delivering a combined front and rear output of 490 kW and maximum torque of 800 Nm.

The GV90 does away with a start button, instead powering on automatically when the door handle is pulled, with the door opening on its own. When the driver sits down and closes the door, a rotary shift-by-wire (SBW) lever moves from the 12 o'clock to the 2 o'clock position, switching into drive mode.

A pop-up center OLED cinematic display is also fitted. While driving, a 23.6-inch wide screen shows driving information, navigation and media. When parked, pressing the display expansion button on the center fascia raises the display 90 millimeters, expanding it to a 24.6-inch screen — roughly 1.7 times larger — for enjoying a variety of content.

A 25-inch head-up display (HUD) lets the driver keep eyes on the road while checking current speed, navigation and ADAS status across a wider field of view.

The GV90 runs on Hyundai Motor Group's next-generation infotainment platform, Pleos Connect, delivering an interface suited to a software-defined vehicle (SDV). Occupants can interact naturally with Gleo AI, an in-vehicle AI agent, to control vehicle functions, search for information and carry out a range of tasks with ease.

Built on Android Automotive OS (AAOS), the open operating system also allows users to freely download vehicle-specific third-party apps through the Pleos App Market.

The GV90's quiet cabin is paired with a Bang & Olufsen Premier 3D sound system driven by 25 speakers, delivering an auditory experience on par with a concert hall.

ALT (Acoustic Lens Technology) tweeters at both ends of the upper dashboard and four headlining speakers, along with midrange speakers and woofers positioned throughout the cabin, produce 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos sound with a strong sense of space and immersion.

Premium leather seats are fitted with 15 air cells and a pulse (vibration) module that provides a significantly enhanced massage function compared with previous Genesis models. A metal-coated heated windshield generates heat without running the climate control system, maintaining a comfortable cabin environment and quickly clearing frost and moisture in winter.

The GV90 Neolun Executive Suite (four-seat) model features a radiant heating system inspired by ondol, Korea's traditional underfloor heating method, adding warmth to the cabin. A comfort partition separating the second-row seats from the trunk blocks noise from the cargo area, creating a quiet interior environment for VIP customers.

Additional features include a Smart Vision Roof that uses polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film to adjust the transparency of the roof across six zones; standard top-grade soft semi-aniline leather seats; and a second-row tower console, refrigerator and table.

Jose Munoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor, said the GV90 "will be an important milestone toward the future of luxury mobility as a flagship SUV that demonstrates Genesis's unwavering commitment to differentiated customer experiences and technology."