The G70 Shooting Brake is the first model developed by the South Korean trio primarily for Europe, but other cars have been largely engineered on the Old Continent. Hot N models like the Kona N, Elantra N, and the i20 N were conceived on Euro land for global consumption. There's more where that came from as Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis will rely more on their European divisions for new models.
The disclosure was made by the man calling the R&D shots for the three brands in Europe. Speaking with Autocar, Tyrone Johnson mentioned "we've been so successful [in our European operation] that we've been given more to develop our own." In 2021, the engineers were extremely busy working on no fewer than 30 different projects. To support the expansion, the conglomerate's test facility at the Nürburgring will double in size.
Genesis G70 Shooting Brake studio photos
While many automakers active in Europe have pledged to end sales of cars with combustion engines by 2030, Hyundai and Kia won't do it sooner than 2035. That gives us hope enthusiasts still have many years left to buy a hot hatch like the feisty i20 N or the more grown-up i30 N. Of course, it all depends on emissions regulations as Euro 7 due in a few years could prompt companies to discontinue their performance offerings.
Another issue stems from high taxes as getting behind the wheel of a sporty car is becoming more prohibitive. With gas prices exploding in recent months, it's becoming more difficult to justify buying a fun car. Of course, Tyrone Johnson wasn't strictly referring to performance models, but vehicles in general.
The G70 Shooting Brake pictured here wasn't originally intended for South Korea, but Hyundai's luxury brand might have a change of heart. Genesis Europe boss Dominique Boesch told Autocar there's now a chance the long-roof G70 could be sold at home.
Elsewhere, the trio is heavily investing in EVs by preparing the Ioniq 7, EV9, and quite possibly a GV90. These will be three-row electric SUVs to be sold all over the world as more spacious alternatives to the Ioniq 5, EV6, and GV60.
