Hyundai-owned Genesis has never sold a hybrid model; the brand has focused on combustion-powered cars and EVs since its launch less than a decade ago. That could soon change, as a new report indicates the first gasoline-electric Genesis models will go on sale in 2025.
Citing anonymous sources, The Korean Economic Daily wrote that executives hope the hybrid models will help lure buyers who are “hesitant to switch to all-electric vehicles” into showrooms. Full technical details weren’t provided, but development of the gasoline-electric drivetrain allegedly started in late 2023. It will reportedly be built around a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and it sounds like it won’t be a plug-in system.
“Hyundai has not determined whether to develop plug-in hybrid models under the Genesis brand,” the report claims. This leave two options: one is a 48-volt mild-hybrid system; the other is a standard hybrid system. Our crystal ball tells us the latter is more likely than the former.
Similarly, there’s no word yet on which model(s) will inaugurate the hybrid system. The Korean Economic Daily speculates that popular cars, like the G80 (pictured) and the GV70, will become the first Genesis hybrids but nothing is official. Genesis hasn’t commented on the rumor.
The timing is interesting, assuming it’s accurate, because Genesis announced a plan to launch exclusively electric cars starting in 2025. The publication notes that executives have backpedaled due to a softening demand for electric cars in key markets, including the United States. It’s too early to tell whether the brand’s goal of selling exclusively electric cars by 2030 remains set, or if that date has changed as well.
Genesis isn’t the only company that has come to this conclusion. Once written off as little more than a stopgap measure on the way to full EV domination, hybrid technology has become increasingly attractive in recent years as a middle ground between efficiency, practicality, and relative affordability. Mazda will launch two plug-in models in 2024 to meet growing demand for hybrids, the Kia Carnival gained a hybrid option as part of an update rolled out for the 2025 model year, and the Honda Civic Hybrid is making a comeback after a long hiatus.
While we haven’t seen a series-produced Genesis model yet, the brand experimented with gasoline-electric technology when it presented the New York Concept at the 2016 edition of the New York Auto Show. The design study took the form of a muscular-looking sedan that loosely previewed what a BMW 3 Series-fighting model could look like, and it was powered by a 245-horsepower hybrid drivetrain.
