Genesis X Gran Equator Concept Presages The Biggest Visual Change Yet For Genesis
Ever since Genesis landed on its vertically-stacked-dual-headlights-usually-continuing-through-the-front-fender look, it's been one of the most visually distinct auto brands on the market. No competitor has leaned so far into the art deco inspiration that lurks behind Genesis styling, and that aesthetic has allowed the Korean automaker to carve out a niche in the otherwise crowded luxury market. But the company's latest concept, the X Gran Equator, makes a big change to that aesthetic — a change I genuinely can't tell if I like or not.
On every Genesis, the centerpiece of the front end is a crest motif. Whether it's a grille on an internal combustion car or a lighting element on an EV, there's always a point at the bottom-center of the car's front bumper. The X Gran Equator, perhaps out of a desire to be more rugged in keeping with its off-road bent, ditches that lower point in favor of two parallel full-length light bars. It's very, very different.
A real adventure vehicle
Before I get too into the weeds on this single change to the front end of a concept car, I should probably talk about what the X Gran Equator is. It's an ultra-luxe off-road concept, meant to take four people deep into the Sahara in the utmost comfort. Genesis calls it an "adventure vehicle," which is such an apt comparison from the world of motorcycling that I'm surprised no other carmaker has adopted it — adventure bikes are for riding to work while imagining going on an adventure, and it sounds like adventure SUVs could fit the same bill.
The X Gran Equator has 24-inch beadlock wheels, an interior that looks truly resplendent in its comfort, and a plethora of compact screens that evoke classic off-road gauge pods. Beyond them, though, there are no other screens in the car — no big media center stack, no dash-spanning widescreen. Instead, that space is filled with tactile functions: Buttons, switches, a grab handle for your passenger to cling to as you crawl over the boulders of Moab or fly off a dune in the Mojave. Adventure vehicle stuff.
That face, though
I keep coming back to that front end, though. Genesis' X concepts often tell of styling changes to come — the company says this particular concept is "not confirmed for production," instead pointing to its design language and features as being more production-ready — and this particular change could fully alter the face of Genesis as we recognize it. It leans further into art deco than prior Genesis cars, making the X Gran Equator look akin to an old locomotive, but there's something sterner about it than the old downward-pointed face on the brand's current and near-future cars. It's less human, more Robocop.
The X Gran Equator is full of neat little off-road-inspired touches, and promises a return to the physical buttons of yore, but its inhuman visage feels somehow sinister. Maybe it's just efficient packaging, a better way to route lighting for a more electrified future, but something about this particular incarnation of the double-stacked lights just feels off. Perhaps I'm just too caught up in the last art deco vehicle I saw that promised to ensconce its occupants in luxury while enduring the severity of any harsh conditions outdoors.
Amber DaSilva / Jalopnik