magma performance, concept gt, racing

The hospitality suite is located right near the final corner of the Le Mans Circuit. At the track, two GMR-001 cars are running their first 24-hour races – and showing plenty of speed. In other words, Genesis clearly wants to let people know that it didn’t enter the World Endurance Championship just to make up numbers.

Jacky Ickx is an ambassador and a major show of strength, while high-calibre drivers like Daniel Juncadella and Andre Lotterer show significant investment. Oh, and Genesis unveiled the Concept GT the day before the big race. All this reinforces the message that the intention to offer a clearly defined roadmap, even on the product side, is very real.

On the occasion of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, Charles Fuster, Genesis brand director for Italy and France, answers questions about the Korean automaker’s future – from the Magma to the Concept GT, including hybrids, EVs and internal combustion power.

This story originally appeared on Motor1 Italy

Question: Origin in Italy still mostly unknown. How do you build a premium brand from scratch?

Answer: This is our reality, and we’re not afraid to say it. Every day, when you tell people you work for Genesis, the response is, “I don’t know that.” Here too, walking among the crowd, the first thing you hear is that the brand is not recognised. But then you may also have heard that the cars look great. And this is where you start. We are coming with great ambition, but also with great humility. Those two things have to go together…

Is motorsport one of the tools to increase brand awareness?

It is an extraordinary marketing platform to get brand recognition. There’s a very technical aspect to this: the technologies we use on the track may end up in road-going cars tomorrow. But there’s also instant visibility, which is equally important.

The Genesis Magma Racing Team is made up of people who have won. (Cyril) Abiteboul won with Renault, (Gabriel) Tarquini won in Formula 1, and Lothar Kollatz won at Le Mans. This is no styling exercise – it’s proof that the company has decided to bet on motorsport to make a mark in Europe, with people who know what it means to win.

Photo by: Genesis

The Italian market is often suspicious of non-European premium brands. How do you somehow react to that which has always inspired the Germans?

We can be a very reliable option for someone who has always learned the German language – let’s be clear. Our cars are premium: attention to detail, high quality materials, performance. It is only on the basis of product that we can respond to established competitors.

The challenge is not the product; This is credibility. And credibility is earned over time, through consistency. It took the Germans a hundred years. We were born in 2015, so it also takes humility to recognize that we need time off.

You are entering Italy with a 100 percent electric lineup in an EV-resistant market. Is this not counterproductive?

This is a fair question. The new development is that in 2027, a hybrid engine will arrive on the GV70. It’s a pragmatic response from the company: We bring products to the street that customers want, not what someone tells us we have to make. That said, we’re also entering the right segment with the GV60: the compact SUV segment is where EVs make the most sense, including for corporate fleets.

Then in 2028 comes the new multi-energy platform dedicated to Genesis, scalable from the compact segment upwards, ready to accommodate any type of hybrid powertrain – from full hybrid to range-extender, including plug-in hybrid. As the saying goes, fifty shades of hybrid.

Photo by: Genesis

Have you stated volume targets for Italy?

This will depend a lot on the distribution network we build. In June, we will open the Padua showroom, in October we will open the Rome showroom and in 2026 it will be the turn of Milan.

We’re not racing for volume; We do not need to buy from the market. Others have done so, but that is not what is being asked of us. We like to build something concrete.

Genesis is a premium brand of Hyundai. How do you manage that dual identity?

We are the premium brand of the Hyundai Group, and that’s not a problem: we trust a company that has a 25-year history in Europe, sells 600,000 cars a year, and has a recognizable design identity. But in the market, we want to be the Genesis-only Genesis. You will never find a Genesis in a Hyundai showroom, nor will you find a Hyundai special edition bearing the Genesis name.

Dedicated distribution, dedicated showroom, a distinct identity. In terms of sales and marketing, we are Genesis. In terms of technology and belonging to an industrial group, we are Hyundai’s premium brand. This is the same path Lexus took with Toyota, even though they had more time than before.

Photo by: Genesis

Magma performance is sub-grand. Doesn’t this risk confusing positioning?

When the Magma was presented to me, I immediately thought of Mercedes-AMG or BMW M. He corrected me. For Genesis, the Magma is not just about performance: it is a testament to what the brand can do at the highest level.

Not just the power, but the materials, the aerodynamics, the attention to detail. It’s the best of each model, taken to extremes. The goal is to have a Magma version of every vehicle in the lineup to show how far it can go. Of course, we have to be good at explaining it: the risk of confusion exists, but it can be managed with precise communication. And when you launch Magma on a new model (not one that’s already been on the market for three years), it’s much easier to communicate the situation.

Is GT a marketing move or a real product commitment?

This is not just marketing, and I want to be clear about that. The GT is an industrial demonstration of what we are capable of. If you have such a car in the showroom, the customer walking in immediately understands that this is a brand that can make an excellent compact SUV and also a wonderful grand tourer. It’s like having price bands from one to ten in a showroom: it adds depth and credibility to the brand.

Look at the evolution from the first GT presented at Le Castellet last November to today: it’s already a remarkable progress. This reflects the pace and ambition of development. Genesis aims to remain in that segment. This is not a temporary exercise.

I don’t know exactly when it will reach the market. I can’t tell you any exact date. But if you look at how fast the project is developing and the progress that is already visible, we would like to get there soon. Let’s say, the day after tomorrow. And this will be good news for everyone.

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