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Genesis unveils Neolun Concept luxury SUV… a glimpse at a new GV90
The new Genesis Neolun is a luxury electric lounge on wheels, and it’s coming to showrooms soon. Sort of.
Words by: Mark Nichol
Published on 26 March 2024 | 0 min read
Genesis has unveiled the Neolun concept car in New York. It’s a massive luxury SUV with an amazing interior whose standout features include swivelling front armchairs, underfloor heating, and a preposterously large central touchscreen.
It’s very much a concept car in this form, but it’s likely to be the basis of a luxury electric SUV from Genesis called GV90. That seems logical because Genesis – the high-end brand owned by Hyundai – doesn’t yet have a rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, BMW iX or electric Range Rover. Genesis hasn’t given away any technical detail on the Neolun, but we’re told it “revolves around the concept of reductive design [which] deliberately eliminates any unnecessary details”, which is a fancy way of saying “it’s quite simple.” It has ultra-thin digital wing mirrors and a pop-up roof rack, all in the name of aerodynamic efficiency. As you can see, Genesis has taken its brief very seriously, evidently deeming headlamps an 'unnecessary detail'. Instead, two thin LED strips wrap around the bonnet and through the wheel arches, and the bodywork is bereft of the sort of creases and bulges you normally see on a contemporaneous SUV. By contrast, the interior is a far more feature-rich affair. Decked in purple leather, the two front chairs turn 180 degrees to form a lounge space. The floor is actual wood and heated underneath - like the very most middle class of bathrooms - and heating films are also integrated beneath the dashboard, front seat backs and door trims. The rear seats each get an individual screen that unfolds from the ceiling.
It’s very much a concept car in this form, but it’s likely to be the basis of a luxury electric SUV from Genesis called GV90. That seems logical because Genesis – the high-end brand owned by Hyundai – doesn’t yet have a rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, BMW iX or electric Range Rover. Genesis hasn’t given away any technical detail on the Neolun, but we’re told it “revolves around the concept of reductive design [which] deliberately eliminates any unnecessary details”, which is a fancy way of saying “it’s quite simple.” It has ultra-thin digital wing mirrors and a pop-up roof rack, all in the name of aerodynamic efficiency. As you can see, Genesis has taken its brief very seriously, evidently deeming headlamps an 'unnecessary detail'. Instead, two thin LED strips wrap around the bonnet and through the wheel arches, and the bodywork is bereft of the sort of creases and bulges you normally see on a contemporaneous SUV. By contrast, the interior is a far more feature-rich affair. Decked in purple leather, the two front chairs turn 180 degrees to form a lounge space. The floor is actual wood and heated underneath - like the very most middle class of bathrooms - and heating films are also integrated beneath the dashboard, front seat backs and door trims. The rear seats each get an individual screen that unfolds from the ceiling.
It has coach doors which make for a gaping entrance hole into the cabin (no central pillar needed), and LED strip lights and spot backlighting integrated into the door linings all give it all the vibes of a first-class business lounge. Or a celebs-only booth in an underground Newcastle bar. You decide.
In its current form the Neolun seems built to entertain and coddle more with the thing’s not moving. The central screen looks too big to use on the go (imagine the size of the blind spot) and, as you can see from the exposed speaker cones, the sound system wouldn't look out of place at a Max Power meet (RIP). Here’s what Genesis says about it: “Each speaker is strategically positioned to create a concert hall-like feel, ensuring that passengers can enjoy unparalleled sound quality. As the speakers are activated, the crystal sphere at the front, designed to create an emotional connection between the driver and the car, rotates into a tweeter.” Probably goes without saying that the production Neolun – again, likely to be the GV90 and unveiled in 2025 – will dispense with much of what you see here. It’s always the way with production cars. More likely, we’ll get something that uses the similarly sized seven-seat Kia EV9 platform, but bumps the battery capacity closer to 100kWh for a range of around 350 miles. Hopefully the minimalistic exterior vibes will remain – also hopefully with fully-functioning headlamps – but we’re unlikely to get the coach doors or the fancy chairs. The basic cabin design could make the cut, though, particularly the row of toggle switches on the dashboard and the glossy centre console featuring haptic buttons. Genesis also unveiled the high-performance GV60 Magma at the New York Auto Show. Click here to read about that.
In its current form the Neolun seems built to entertain and coddle more with the thing’s not moving. The central screen looks too big to use on the go (imagine the size of the blind spot) and, as you can see from the exposed speaker cones, the sound system wouldn't look out of place at a Max Power meet (RIP). Here’s what Genesis says about it: “Each speaker is strategically positioned to create a concert hall-like feel, ensuring that passengers can enjoy unparalleled sound quality. As the speakers are activated, the crystal sphere at the front, designed to create an emotional connection between the driver and the car, rotates into a tweeter.” Probably goes without saying that the production Neolun – again, likely to be the GV90 and unveiled in 2025 – will dispense with much of what you see here. It’s always the way with production cars. More likely, we’ll get something that uses the similarly sized seven-seat Kia EV9 platform, but bumps the battery capacity closer to 100kWh for a range of around 350 miles. Hopefully the minimalistic exterior vibes will remain – also hopefully with fully-functioning headlamps – but we’re unlikely to get the coach doors or the fancy chairs. The basic cabin design could make the cut, though, particularly the row of toggle switches on the dashboard and the glossy centre console featuring haptic buttons. Genesis also unveiled the high-performance GV60 Magma at the New York Auto Show. Click here to read about that.
