Hyundai Motor Group’s premium brand reveals X Gran Equator Concept ahead of 2025 New York auto show
Hyundai Motor Group’s premium brand Genesis unveiled the X Gran Equator Concept, a first electric off-road sport utility vehicle, at the Genesis House New York on Tuesday, as the carmaker continues to expand its portfolio.
“The X Gran Equator Concept is an exercise in harmonizing contrasts, combining elegance with ruggedness, and the spirit of exploration with refined comfort,” said Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer of genesis.
“It represents the orchestration of true off-road competence and uncompromising luxury, designed to enable the discovery of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes.”
Under Genesis’ design philosophy of athletic elegance, the off-road SUV concept model features a long hood, sleek cabin, dark wheel-arch cladding and 24-inch beadlock wheels to highlight its adventure readiness.
According to Genesis, the name of the new concept car was inspired by Equator, which refers to the finest stallion in the world of Arabian horses, to reflect the vehicle’s elegance, performance in extreme conditions and sense of grace.
Although the X Gran Equator Concept has not been confirmed for production, Genesis noted that its distinctive design language, such as the integrated roof rails and split-opening tailgate, illustrate the brand’s future design potential.
Genesis on the same day also revealed a full-scale GMR-001 Hypercar, the brand’s high-performance car developed to compete in motor sports, building on its performance vision declared in March last year.
Genesis pointed out that the GMR-001 Hypercar, inspired by the brand’s Magma performance lineup, combines aerodynamic precision with sculptural fluidity, balancing elegance and aggression.
“The GMR-001 Hypercar, like every race car, is a sculpture designed by the constraints of efficiency and performance — combined with the design DNA of Genesis — the brand with the Two Lines,” said Donckerwolke.
“The livery is an orchestration of the tension and balance of the distinctly Korean character of the brand, with gradients from Magma orange to dark red emphasizing the high temperature of the powertrain. And the color gradients from light to dark of the Magma writing in Hangeul is an optical Doppler effect that expresses the glorious sound of the V8 Twin Turbo engine in motion.”
With the debut of the life-sized GMR-001 Hypercar as a prototype, Genesis will continue getting ready to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026 and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2027
Both the X Gran Equator Concept and the GMR-001 Hypercar will be on display at the upcoming 2025 New York International Auto Show scheduled to open to the public starting Friday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
hwkan@heraldcorp.com
