Genesis G80, GV80 still on track despite factory closures

Factory closures in South Korea haven’t slowed Genesis’s plans for an expanded range in Australia.

Production of the GV80 SUV and Hyundai Palisade was last week idled because of a parts shortage, following the death of an employee at a parts supplier caused by COVID-19.

A spokesperson for Hyundai’s luxury brand this morning confirmed the BMW X5-rivalling GV80 will touch down in the third quarter or 2020, with the large G80 sedan coming late in the third quarter or early in the fourth.

A GV70 SUV to take on the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 is also in the works, along with a facelifted G70 sedan. A more practical G70 Shooting Brake appears to be coming, too.

The GV80 is a critical cog in Genesis’s push into Australia. The brand currently has one retail location in Sydney, with boutique-style locations in Melbourne and Brisbane to follow.

Hyundai’s luxury brand has only sold 42 cars so far this year which, while fractionally more than during the same period last year, puts it behind even Bentley.

The additional dealers should help increase volume, though the brand has said from the outset it’s not focused on toppling Mercedes-Benz and BMW on the sales charts.