The Essentia concept graced the stage of the New York Auto Show at the end of March, bringing its swoopy coupe body to signal Genesis’ aspirations towards introducing a posh grand tourer some years from now. We might not have to wait a very long time to check it out at a dealership as the company has already announced it’s trying to make it happen, with a 2021 release being considered.
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While we’re patiently waiting for a production version to see the light of day, the glamorous all-electric concept is being shown in different parts of the world for more and more people to admire its lovely carbon fiber body. Case in point, the Essentia made a big splash at the annual Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este event to prove it’s a veritable head-turner as all eyes were on the concept while it was silently cruising along the shores of Lake Como in Italy.
From the butterfly doors to the intricate copper-painted wheels (I don’t want to be the guy that has to wash those), the Essentia hints at a very promising design language for Hyundai’s standalone premium brand. Then there’s the minimalist interior proving less is more with an uncluttered look while being chock-full of the latest tech. Best part? Despite being a somewhat futuristic concept, it still has a steering wheel and if you go back and read the press release, you won’t find any of the following words: “autonomous,” “self-driving,” or “driverless.”
The low-slung coupe is not only pretty, but seriously quick, needing a mere three seconds to reach 60 mph (96 kph) from a standstill. Genesis’ all-electric vehicle packs several electric motors and a high-density battery pack. While technical specifications have not been disclosed, we do know the concept offers a level of performance similar to sports cars wrapped in an electric luxury coupe package.
Hopefully, the Essentia is more than just a tease and Genesis will bring it to the market.
See the 2023 Genesis Essentia and all of the other upcoming new cars in our future cars list.
Video: NM2255 Car HD Videos / YouTube
Gallery: Genesis Essentia concept
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