Genesis G80 electrified (Hyundai Motor Group)
Automakers and mobility service providers gathered at Seoul Smart Mobility Expo on Thursday to show off their latest electric vehicles and mobility technologies.
In the three-day expo that kicked off at the Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul, the country’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor Group’s Genesis brand unveiled the first electric powertrain variant of its luxury sedan Genesis G80 for the first time in the country. The model made its overseas debut at the 2021 Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in April.
The electrified G80 displayed at the exhibition boasted the signature G-Matrix pattern front grille, showing its identity as a Genesis car, and it was in the Matira Blue color the company said was inspired by nature and made exclusively for the electrified sedan.
To go along with the new car unveiling, the automaker has organized a special exhibition dubbed “Re:create” to artistically express and deliver the values of sustainability the brand promotes. The exhibit runs from Saturday to June 30 at the Oil Tank Culture Park.
The electrified G80 facilitates 87.2-kilowatt-hour battery and has a maximum driving range of 427 kilometers on a single charge, according to the automaker. The car is planned for launch in the domestic market later this year.
Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Thomas Klein poses with the Mercedes-Benz EQA at Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul on Thursday. (Mercedes-Benz Korea)
At the expo, Mercedes-Benz Korea also introduced the new EQA, its second electric vehicle, and an artificial intelligence-based infotainment system for the first time here, showing off its latest electrification and connectivity technologies.
Mercedes-Benz EQA is the German auto brand’s second electric vehicle, built on the compact sport utility vehicle GLA.
The exterior and interior designs have been made to resemble the GLA, but the closed, black panel radiator grille with a three-point star in the center of the front showed its identity as an electric vehicle.
Equipped with a 66.5-kWh lithium-ion battery and the intelligent thermal management system, the car provides a WLTP range of 426 km on a single charge.
According to the company, the EQA will be launched as a single model here, under the name EQA 250 in July. The optional AMG Package and AMG Package Plus will be offered to add sporty elements to the car for drivers to adjust their vehicles upon their lifestyle and taste, the automaker explained.
The new electric vehicle will be launched at a price of 59.9 million won ($53,600), the company said.
Mercedes-Benz Korea also introduced the Mercedes-Benz User Experience Hyperscreen, an artificial intelligence-based infotainment system, for the first time here.
Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen (Jo He-rim/The Korea Herald)
The automaker created a single screen spanning the entire dashboard of 140 centimeters -- the biggest Mercedes-Benz has ever launched -- for the new infotainment system.
Applications often used by each user, such as for navigation, telephone and entertainment, are presented at the top of the user’s field of vision, getting rid of the burden for users to scroll through submenus.
Up to seven profiles can be registered not only for the driver, but also for passengers, and it will provide a customized in-vehicle environment, such as by adjusting seat positions, the company explained.
The MBUX Hyperscreen will be launched in the market as the standard infotainment system in the Mercedes-Benz EQS, a luxury electric sedan that is planned for release in the second half of this year, according to the automaker.
“The EQA, the luxury electric compact SUV of the Mercedes-EQ brand, hails in a new era in urban electric mobility, which delivers efficient driving pleasure and a dynamic driving performance,” Mark Raine, vice president of product & marketing at Mercedes-Benz Korea, said in the presentation.
“We believe that our distinguished customers will experience a new level in digitalization and innovation unveiled through the introduction of the MBUX Hyperscreen by Mercedes-EQ, the latest trend in infotainment systems.”
At the three-day expo, some 40 companies are participating to present their latest mobility technologies, including unmanned aerial mobility services, robots and autonomous driving technologies.
By Jo He-rim (
herim@heraldcorp.com)