Genesis Shows its Performance Chops at the New York International Auto Show

New York – At a pre-New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) gathering at the Genesis House in Manhattan, we got up close and personal with three fresh vehicles from Genesis.

The 2027 Genesis GV60 Magma is a high-performance take on the GV60 fully electric compact crossover that broke cover in 2023. Is Genesis changing its stripes? Let’s just say it is adding stripes – racing stripes that is.

The premium Korean car maker goes racing this year, campaigning two GMR-001 Hypercars in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season. The team is called Genesis Magma Racing, piloted by an impressive lineup of drivers.

Genesis knows in its ten-year push to become an established luxury car maker that all the legacy brands – BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Audi – have racing pedigrees that go back decades. Not to mention storied performance sub-brands that have been producing lusty street vehicles for almost as long. It’s a big part of the premium manufacturer game, and Genesis is jumping in with its own performance sub-brand named Magma.

The first arrow out of the Magma quiver is the GV60 Magma. Resplendent in bright orange and wearing a rear spoiler a Porsche would be proud of, the Magma squats on its lowered sports suspension, the flared wheel arches barely containing the lightweight 21-inch forged wheels wrapped in staggered fifth-generation Pirelli P-Zero rubber (255/40R21 front, 275/35R21 rear). With its gaping front maw, there’s little doubt as to the mission of this EV.

The Genesis engineers have focused on the Magma’s suspension, redesigning just about every component to follow the mantra of “easy to control, fast and stable, precise, and selectable sportiness.” The lower arms, hub carriers and link structures have been redesigned, giving the Magma a 10mm wider track. The GV60 Magma’s roll center has been significantly lowered compared to the current GV60 — reducing the front roll centre from 122.3 to 41.6 millimeters and the rear from 169.6 to 80.1 millimeters. What does all this translate to? Genesis tells us improved maximum grip through high-speed corners along with enhanced steering and straight-line stability.

A new adaptive damper system incorporates stroke-sensing Electronic Control Suspension (ECS) technology that responds in real time to road conditions. This being a Genesis vehicle, ride comfort and refinement are not left by the wayside. The Magma’s structure is reinforced with 20 additional weld points, and new hydraulic bushing improve ride NVH on harsh surfaces.

The cabin gets snug and supportive sport seats with fabric inserts featuring orange stitching.

And what about power? Yes, there’s plenty of that. The dual-motor drivetrain is good for 609 horsepower, with a 641-hp overboost. Genesis stresses the 2027 GV60 Magma is all about fast, balance and comfortable performance as opposed to an all-out rearrange-your-innards assault on your personage.

The deep-green Genesis G90 Wingback Concept spawns from the Magma performance sub-brand, but here we see a gorgeous “shooting brake” expression of Genesis’ G90 flagship sedan very much in the style of the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo. There’s no doubt the Wingback is also a performance-oriented vehicle due to its salaciously flared wheel arches, 22-inch wheels, twin rear spoilers and aggressive snout.

Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke and his team have created a stunner. They need to build this, which will come to pass if interest is high enough. Signature Genesis design cues like the Crest Grille, Parabolic Line and Two-Line headlamps are present here, but intensified.

Built on an unmodified G90 sedan chassis, this styling exercise hints at a “bridge between Magma and the One of One bespoke program” says Donckerwolke. He also cites a saturation of SUVs, and this fetching Wingback certainly sidesteps that. It’s no secret that in North America there is a small but very enthusiastic market for high-performance station wagons. If brought to market, the fetching Magma Wingback would play to that crowd perfectly.

Of more immediate interest to Genesis shoppers will be the Prestige Graphite trim that will sit atop the 2027 GV70 SUV lineup. As an upgrade to the 3.5T Sport, this package adds a shadowy performance aesthetic to the handsome GV70. Those who cotton to the dark side will appreciate the Prestige Graphite’s black mirror caps, dark chrome exterior accents, and 21-inch forged alloys from which peek red brake calipers. The interior is dressed up with carbon fibre trim, Ultramarine Blue Nappa leather with ultrasuede inserts and a nifty new start-up animation.

The 2027 GV70 Prestige Graphite will be available in Makula Gray (seen here), Uyuni White, Ceres Blue Matte and Bering Blue, and should arrive in the latter half of this year.