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Genesis Mint concept points to electric city car

Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis is poised to introduce its smallest car to date: an electric hatch with 300km of driving range and fast-charging capability.


Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis may be in its infancy but it has an eye on the future with the Mint concept unveiled on the eve of the New York motor show overnight.

The two-seater show car is a pointer to an electric hatchback that promises more than 300km of driving range and 350kW fast-charging.

“Mint belongs in the city, and we are proud to introduce our evolution of the ideal city car in New York,” said Manfred Fitzgerald, the global boss of Genesis.

The Mint concept was jointly designed by the company’s styling studios in Germany, the US and South Korea and is designed to combine compact dimensions to handle congested cities but still offer ample comfort.

While a production version it yet to be confirmed it’s likely the production version – still at least three years away – will be able to seat four occupants.

When asked about the likelihood of a production version of the Genesis Mint coming to Australia, spokesman Guido Schenken said: “The Genesis Mint concept represents the future for luxurious all-electric city cars and whilst it has not yet been confirmed for production, we will be lobbying Genesis HQ to try and make it happen.”

The spokesman added: “We’re actively pushing to bring all future Genesis models to Australia; we’re extremely excited by the brand’s potential locally.”

After numerous delays the Genesis brand is now due to launch in Australia in June with a flagship store in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall. Other capital cities are due to follow.

The first two models will be the G70 sedan (a BMW 3 Series rival) and the refreshed G80 limousine. At least two SUVs are due to follow in the next two years. 

The electric hatchback, if it goes into production, is likely due in or beyond 2022.

Here’s hoping it will have some of the concept car’s cues.

The oblong steering wheel is surrounded by six information screens. A seventh screen mounted flush in centre of the steering wheel displays key driving information.

In lieu of a conventional boot with a rear hatch, the Mint concept has a large parcel shelf designed for occasional use. 

Access to the rear compartment is via “scissor-style” side openings with a “low load-in point to allow for easy stowage and retrieval”. 

The interior of the Mint concept has space for phones, man bags and handbags, “temporary items that are essential for day-to-day life”. There’s also a rear-mounted charge port for phones and iPads.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

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Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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