[THE INVESTOR] Amid growing speculation that Hyundai Motor will add a diesel vehicle to its luxury brand Genesis lineup, a company official said on June 16 that nothing has been confirmed.

Genesis -- which became a standalone brand last November – unveiled its G80 at the latest Busan International Motor show on June 2. After the show, local media reported that the diesel version of G80 will be released next year, in a move seen to aim to beat out European luxury carmakers here and abroad. 


“We haven’t officially announced any plans for G80’s diesel version,” an official at Hyundai Motor told The Investor. Same goes for Genesis’ large sedan EQ900, he said.

Despite recent Korean government moves to curb diesel-fueled cars as part of measures to counter fine dust in the country, industry insiders say diesel cars are still popular, thanks to its better mileage and increasing demand for SUVs.

As for Hyundai, the carmaker is not planning on reducing or discontinuing diesel models that are already on the market, saying it’s too early to make such decisions.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)