Updated With 35 New Photos

Second time we’ve totally come around to a Hyundai Genesis lately?

Yep!

This design is really warming up in the latest photos.

2015 Hyundai Vision G Concept Coupe

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Pebble Beach Concours is a huge draw for the wealthiest car lovers worldwide. As such, it is a pretty intense marketing spectacle for selling new cars along with all the best classics on display.

But this crowd is seriously snooty, at times.

Last year, a KIA K900 display manned with fresh drinks sought to lure people into test drives of the flagship luxury sedan. Over four days, we saw no one take them up on the offer of a drive. The line of K900’s sat optimistic, like pound puppies, with no one claiming them.

Hyundai is taking a different tack to PB this year: a static concept making its world premiere as a design and luxury showcase.

The Vision G Concept Coupe shares a platform with the Genesis V8: making it a rear-drive competitor to the BMW 650i and aspiring to take on the S550 Coupe. That much is clear from the overall scale of the vehicle and its stunning, superlux cabin.

But calling this a Genesis Coupe is fraught with issues. Mainly because a Genesis Coupe already exists… and this is emphatically not the next Genesis Coupe as we know it today.

This Vision G is a far more expensive cruiser without the value or sporty focus of the existing two-door.

DESIGN ANALYSIS

The design of the Vision G has good angles and bad. The overall nose treatment and surface tension is fabulous — like a hyper-evolved Genesis from an Italian design boutique.

In fact, the vehicle was penned by global Hyundai teams and led by the US design squad. The drop nose and inset grille is fabulous, but things get weird around the middle of the car.

The bodysides now wear a wildly embellished rear shoulderline that dominates the view from the side and rear angles. Pillarless glasshouse in a crescent shape is a clear S-Class Coupe homage.

But then things start to get bizarre. The roof is so thick and heavy that it risks overwhelming the sporty-ish coupe look of the car. The rear overhang is extremely short, which just looks freaky next to the long-hood reardrive stance of the nose.

That giant clamshell roofline flows into the trunk fairly awkwardly as well. Slashes and surface tension is exciting, but the overall trunk height is much taller than the S-Class Coupe and looks unusual. Similarly, the flush-mounted door handles are a nice treat for a pure and un-interrupted door surface. Why these handles appear behind the door is not clear, nor is it a sexy look sitting in no-mans land for some reason.

Undoubtedly better in person, the Hyundai Vision G Concept will make its debut on Sunday at Pebble Beach.

2015 Hyundai Vision G Concept Coupe

Introduces Concept as Evolution of Hyundai’s ‘Responsible and Respectful’ Luxury Family of Products

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. Aug. 11, 2015 – Hyundai Motor America revealed the “Vision G” Concept Coupe to a select group of media at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The concept was described as Hyundai’s inspiration for its family of future premium products that promise luxury, performance and style with the value and responsibility that is the foundation of Hyundai’s brand.

“The concept was designed with coordinated input from Hyundai design studios around the world, but was led by our team here in the U.S.,” said Peter Schreyer, Hyundai’s president and chief design officer. “The design is our interpretation of the idea that Hyundai breathes into all of its vehicles – a DNA that balances design and performance with the idea that you don’t need to be over the top in terms of glitz and stereotypical luxury cues.”

During the design process, Hyundai’s team of designers centered their work on the notion of “chivalry” – a word they felt best defined the idea that one doesn’t need to shout to be noticed and respected. “Vision G” is purposefully understated, despite its size and dramatic lines. One example of this respectful luxury – and a nod to the self-sufficiency of the driver – is a technology that automatically opens the door as if being opened by a valet.

The exterior styling of the concept is highlighted by a long hood, high-beltline and a cabin that presents a slingshot-like appearance. “In keeping with a design that speaks to the owner rather than ‘the spectators’ who might see the car on the road, Vision G appears dynamic and in constant motion,” said Christopher Chapman, head of Hyundai’s U.S. design center and leader of the coupe’s design team. “After all – and if all is right in the world – the only time an owner sees the exterior of the car is when it’s standing still.”

The underlying idea of respectful luxury flows into the interior, underscored by its clarity and simplicity. No glaring examples of luxury, but rather elegant lines and finishes.

The heart of “Vision G” is the award-winning 5.0-liter Tau V8 engine producing 420 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 383 lb. ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm. The Tau V8 engine family has been named to Ward’s prestigious Ten Best Engines list three times. With high-pressure direct injection for impressive power, low emissions and superb efficiency, this latest version of the Tau V8 benefits from an optimized intake runner length, enhanced timing chain for reduced friction and NVH, low-torque exhaust manifold, increased compression ratio and upgraded multiple-injection mapping. These enhancements combine to produce a flatter torque curve at lower rpm for even better driveability.

“Vision G” will next be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, August 16 in Monterey, Calif.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty; Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Blue Link telematics system with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for one year with enrollment. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling.