Auto Express 1572

EVER heard of Genesis? If you haven’t already, you soon will. The luxury brand of the Hyundai Motor Group has dabbled in Europe with top-end Hyundais, but it’s set to launch a major assault on the UK and Europe to take on – deep breath – BMW, Audi and Mercedes. So how can Genesis get it right where others, most notably Infiniti (which announced it’s giving up on Europe just a few weeks ago), have failed miserably? My star of last week’s New York Motor Show was the Genesis Mint concept. Its designer, former Bentley boy Sangyup Lee, told me he wanted to prove that luxury could come in the smallest of packages. And boy, was he right. I caught up with Genesis boss Manfred Fitzgerald (above, with the Mint)…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ● Third generation of Range Rover rival unveiled at New York show ● Due to go on sale this summer, with prices starting from £75,000 NOBODY has more SUVs in its model range than Mercedes, and the German firm has just crowned its line-up with an all-new version of the flagship GLS. The third generation of Mercedes’ Range Rover rival made its debut at last week’s New York Motor Show and will arrive in dealers this summer, priced from £75,000. The new GLS is longer and wider than the previous model, and one of the largest cars on sale, at over 5,200mm long and almost 2,000mm wide; only a Rolls-Royce Cullinan is bigger. An extra 60mm has been added to the wheelbase – now 3,135mm – which Mercedes…

Audi Q7 ALTHOUGH it’s shorter and cheaper than the GLS, the Q7 is just as premium and has seven seats as standard, but the third row is only suitable for children. Audi’s biggest SUV is also due a facelift, having been on sale for several years. BMW X7 THE GLS’s latest competition comes from BMW, in the shape of the X7. Its proportions are very similar, measuring 2,000mm wide, while the third row of seats is spacious enough for adults. Prices start from just under £75,000. Range Rover CONSIDERED the best luxury SUV on the market, the Range Rover isn’t available with seven seats, but it does cosset those inside with unrivalled luxury at this price point. You can also get long-wheelbase versions for more comfort. Volvo XC90 AS with…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler ● Habaniro stars at NY show ● 2021 car to retain this shape “Kia calls the concept an Everything Car. It’s a commuter, crossover, sport utility and adventure vehicle rolled into one” KIA is hard at work on the development of the next-generation Niro crossover, and at last week’s New York Motor Show the Korean brand gave us a glimpse of what we can expect in showrooms in 2021 with the Habaniro concept. Kia refers to the Habaniro as an ECEV – an Everything Car Electric Vehicle. So it’s a commuter, crossover, sport utility, tech workroom and adventure vehicle all in one. Although the concept features four butterfly-wing doors that won’t make it into production, the shape and various details will carry over to the next Niro. Among…

ELSEWHERE at Kia, the firm’s all-new full-size SUV, the Telluride, will heavily influence the look of the next-generation Sorento, Auto Express can reveal. Despite the success of the Telluride in the US, Kia’s flagship SUV will not go on sale in Europe – due to the fact it is only available with a 3.8-litre GDI V6 petrol engine. However, an insider at the firm did reveal that its chunky design will inspire the look of the next Sorento, which is scheduled to go on sale on 2021. You can expect the new Sorento to adopt a much beefier, squarer stance – which the Habaniro concept shows will also happen to the next Niro – along with a similar treatment to the front and rear lights. Kia’s SUV line-up will continue…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods ● Chinese makers dominate show ● Vast array of pure-electric cars SPANNING the enormous number of vast halls at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Centre last week was a spread of brand new cars from many familiar faces. These included Audi’s AI:ME concept, Volkswagen’s ID. Roomzz and the facelifted MINI Clubman. But this year’s Shanghai Motor Show was mostly dominated by new metal from some fresh-faced, homegrown brands. Despite a recent sharp downturn in sales, China’s auto industry is still the fastest-growing in the world by some margin. The market for new-energy vehicles, particularly electric ones, is the largest on the planet. Annual EV sales in China are predicted to surpass two million by 2020, so unsurprisingly, a significant amount of new cars on display in Shanghai…