03-04-2025
The Genesis X Gran Coupe Concept Is a Korean Take on the Lexus LC
Unlike most automotive luxury brands, Genesis has yet to produce a proper two-door model, despite teasing its customers with concept models like the X Convertible concepts at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2022. The future may hold a different path for the Korean automaker, however — at least, based on how close to production-ready the new Genesis X Gran Coupe Concept and X Gran Convertible Concept unveiled at the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show appear.
Unlike the all-electric X Convertible, both the X Gran Convertible and X Gran Coupe concepts are born from the brand's flagship executive sedan, the G90, which currently only comes in internal-combustion form. The design, however, has been significantly revised; if the basic idea brings to mind the Lexus LC or the departed Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, a glance at the new concepts revives memories of Chrysler's best years of A-body car construction, starting with the tapered rear roofline of the hardtop. The addition of widened fenders, miniature wings, and a low beltline make the pair a veritable homage to the days of boxy American muscle.
But there are plenty of aspects of the G90 present in both hardtop and droptop cars. The model-specific front fascias of the X Coupe Concept and X Convertible concepts share the brand's characteristic two-line headlights and the so-called "Crest Grille," which looks vaguely like the outline of Superman's logo. Genesis says the twin models have a more steeply raked windscreen and lowered tops; this is very apparent in photos, as the roofline drops away the further back you look. That doesn't mean that entering and exiting should be hard, though. To allow for smooth transitions, Genesis has lengthened the doors and added frameless windows versus the G90.
Luxury car buyers are usually the type to enjoy the finer things in life, which seems liable to be the explanation for Genesis's color scheme on the X Gran Coupe and Convertible models. The hardtop version is officially painted in a hue inspired by Mediterranean olives and paired with olive wood veneer. Italian olive oil has been integrated into the scent of the X Gran Coupe's cabin via the natural leather tanning process, helping jog smell-based memories. The convertible's color, meanwhile, represents Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Livorno region of Italy.
Genesis has yet to clarify if the concepts use a version of the G90's 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, which makes 409 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque; in terms of performance, the brand has only discussed its ergonomic approach to driving fun, as both concepts feature an aluminum-trimmed three-spoke steering wheel. That's sparse information about its chops, but Genesis models are rarely short on grunt. Here's hoping we eventually see these cars rolling around with a forced-induction, torque-laden V-6 beneath their hoods, ready to startle Mustang drivers at stoplights.
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