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Launch occasions are often crammed with executives speaking about “ardour”, “DNA”, and “emotional journeys”. The launch of the Genesis Magma sub-brand in France in a single day was no completely different.
However when you strip away the advertising and marketing fluff and have a look at the arduous knowledge, the arrival of a high-performance division isn’t simply an “emotional journey” for Genesis. It’s a industrial necessity.
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Genesis makes glorious automobiles. The GV60 small electrical SUV, specifically, is a critically acclaimed darling – it’s quiet, quick, costs extremely rapidly, and appears like nothing else on the highway.
However in Australia, nearly no person is shopping for it.
The grim numbers
In line with the newest VFACTS knowledge, Genesis has offered simply 15 examples of the GV60 to date this yr.
To place that in perspective, that’s a 77 per cent drop in comparison with the identical interval final yr. It’s presently the model’s slowest-selling quantity mannequin, trailing considerably behind the top-selling GV70 mid-size SUV (which does the heavy-lifting for the model), and the GV80 massive SUV.
Whereas the model total is fairing nicely in a tricky 2025 market (up nearly 15 per cent to October) thanks solely to the GV70, the GV60 isn’t doing so nicely.
The issue isn’t the product; it’s the cut-through. In a market dominated by the ubiquity of the Tesla Mannequin Y and the badge snobbery of the Germans, the quirky GV60 has struggled to seek out its voice. It’s a superb automobile that too many consumers merely don’t know exists.
The halo impact
That is precisely why Magma exists.
“Magma is the ‘superhero’ of Genesis – an alter ego,” says the model in its official press launch. And superheroes get seen.
By taking its slowest-selling EV and giving it the Magma therapy – searing orange paint, 478kW of energy, and a drift mode – Genesis creates a headline-grabbing halo automobile that forces individuals to have a look at the GV60 once more.
It’s the identical playbook utilized by Mercedes-AMG and BMW M. The purpose of the C63 AMG isn’t simply to promote C63s – it’s to make the C200 look cool sufficient to purchase.
Manfred Harrer, the brand new head of Genesis Efficiency Improvement (and a former Porsche engineer), admits that is an “engineering transfer” designed to ship a message.
“It’s for positive additionally a message to the shopper – it reveals how severe we’re relating to efficiency,” mentioned Mr Harrer.
Can it save the GV60?
Launching your high-performance sub-brand in your slowest-selling mannequin is a calculated danger.
If the GV60 Magma is pretty much as good as its {hardware} suggests – it’s primarily a extra luxurious Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – will probably be among the finest efficiency EVs on the planet.
That credibility permits Genesis to cost extra, construct status, and primarily reboot the GV60 nameplate within the eyes of Australian consumers.
Genesis wants velocity, noise (even when it’s simulated), and a spotlight. Magma delivers all three.
MORE: Discover the Genesis GV60 showroom
