The Hyundai Genesis Is Dead in the U.K.

In the U.K., Hyundai has reportedly moved a mere 50 units of the luxury saloon since 2015.
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The Hyundai Genesis luxury saloon (yes, saloon) will no longer be available in the United Kingdom, according to Autocar. A move that proves unsurprising and completely understandable considering the Korean automaker has only sold 50 of them over there since 2015. That’s not exactly a lot.

“The Genesis was never built for the European market, it was conceived for the Korean and American markets,” Hyundai U.K. Managing Director Tony Whitehorn said to Autocar. “It shows a saloon car with a 3.8-litre engine is not really what is demanded in Europe, and in particular in the UK.” No demand for 3.8-liter sedans in the Europe? We don’t know about that, Tony. 

In the U.K., Hyundai’s 5 Series/E-Class/A6-fighter was sold in one trim level that cost more than $65,000 (converted from £50,705) and only came with the 3.8-liter V6. This made it more expensive than some of the entry-level, more economical models of its aforementioned, more prestigious German rivals and sheds some interesting light onto why the car was so unpopular. 

In any case, Hyundai sounds pretty impervious to the Genesis’s British demise as its introduction to the U.K. market was apparently an experimental one. “We brought it in as much just to sample it: lots of people told us they’d driven a Genesis in America and liked it. It was also available in Australia and had done well there, so it was engineered in right-hand-drive. So we thought fine, let’s trial it and see how it goes,” said Whitehorn.

As to when/if Great Britain will get Hyundai’s luxury Genesis sub-brand, Whitehorn said that no decisions have been made as of yet. Considering the first car’s sales performance and subsequent departure, I wouldn’t hold my breath.