As a new luxury brand, Genesis has freedom to build peculiar and prominent concepts. Proof of that are all the concepts that the Korean brand has shown at the New York auto show – starting with the New York Concept in 2016 and followed by the GV80 concept and Essentia concept in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Now Genesis is continuing the tradition with the stunning Mint concept, and with its wild scissor-doors and seating for two, this all-electric city car is getting a lot of attention.
As with previous Genesis concepts, designers thought of all the details. “Why do you have to go around the car to leave your stuff in the trunk?” asked Manfred Fitzgerald, executive vice president and global head of Genesis. The design team, led by Luc Donckerwolke, created two scissor-doors behind the front doors that open up to a space behind the bench seat. The “trunk,” which is more like a shelf, is roomy enough to fit a golf bag, and thanks to the wide opening of the scissor-doors it’s easy to access. These doors can be opened or closed with a remote control.
As with the Essentia concept, there are a lot of lighting elements when the car is turned on. The Quad Lamps in the front give the Mint concept a nice posture, and the Crest Grille we saw on the GV80 concept makes an appearance in a different interpretation – as this is an electric vehicle. On the back, the LED strip and Quad Lamps from the front are replicated, and above them we find a charging port in the center. The swooping profile gives the Mint a wild look with its short front and rear overhangs combined with its big wheels. The Hunter Green matte paint and cognac leather make for a gorgeous combination that we wish wasn’t limited to a concept car.
Step inside, and the experience is very different. As you open the driver’s door, the bench seat automatically swivels toward the left side to facilitate ingress and egress. The spherical shifter is accessible through a deployable center armrest; when the car is turned on, the sphere rotates automatically to expose the shifter, which operates as a rotary knob. The interior is simple and tidy yet elegant and refined. The panoramic roof (à la Tesla) gives the small car a sense of space. Only one screen is located on the steering wheel, and it’s flanked by buttons to control everything from the nav system to the sound system. The air vents stretch from one side of the dash to the other, extending into a diamond pattern on the corners. The “G-Matrix” pattern, which is also seen in other parts of the Mint concept like the wheels, floor, and profile, is a continuation from the Essentia concept, which also incorporated diamond shapes in its interior.
Although he’d considered the future and autonomous driving, SangYup Lee – Hyundai’s global head of design – wasn’t ready to leave the steering wheel out. He added that the Mint concept is capable of Level 3.5 or Level 4, but it’s ultimately an electric city car that will require a driver at all times. “For Level 5 you have to be thinking about ride sharing or ride hailing services, and we think the driver of the Mint concept will want to have his or her own space at all times,” Lee added.
The urban car’s heart is a 350-kW-hr battery with an estimated range of 200 miles. Although this may not seem like much, Fitzgerald added that those who drive in the city usually drive somewhere between 40 and 50 miles per day and that the Mint concept could be their second car.
Just like with previous concepts, Genesis is testing the waters with the Mint concept to determine whether it will get the green light for production. The GV80 concept will become a production SUV by the end of this year, and the Essentia concept is still being considered for production. With the Mint concept, Genesis wants to prove that luxury can also come in a small package.
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