TOP ENGINEER MAPS OUT GENESIS STRATEGY FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE, NEXT-GEN POWERTRAINS

HWASEONG, Korea, June 10, 2025 — From developing new propulsion systems to integrating the latest technologies into an evolving lineup, nothing excites Manfred Harrer more than a tough challenge.

At Genesis, there just never seems to be an end to them.

“I’m an auto engineer, and I’m quite a passionate one,” says Harrer, Head of the Vehicle Development Tech Unit at Hyundai Motor Group (the Group). “With my roots in vehicle dynamics and performance, my latest mission to marry Genesis’ premium luxury approach with a performance approach is incredibly exciting.”

The Genesis Newsroom recently sat down with Harrer near his office at the Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Korea, to learn more about the brand’s high-performance Genesis Magma initiative and plans to introduce hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and extended-range EVs (EREVs).

How is progress coming along for Genesis Magma?

The first Magma model to go into production will be the GV60 Magma, and our planning for this, to bring this to the market, is really very, very aggressive.

From a technical standpoint, what do you think Magma signifies for the Genesis brand?

The Genesis brand right now stands for premium luxury refinement. It’s optimized. It's a very comfortable experience, perfect for premium luxury. Magma is the performance bridge leading to more powerful engines, a bolder stance, a wider body and a lower ride height. Magma is aimed at the customer who wants more horsepower, higher top speed, and bold and sporty optics in each segment.  

How about Genesis’ entry into the realm of motorsports? What impact do you think it will have on the brand’s overall tech advancements?

Motorsports is the toughest testing environment you can find in the auto world. We’re talking about high speeds, aerodynamics, cooling strategies and durability enough to last 24 hours. The things we learn coming out of these races can create a great opportunity for all of us to further enhance our products.

What innovative technologies are currently being developed for future Genesis models?

We’re working day and night to build Genesis-dedicated technologies. Digital experience is super important for us, and so are next-generation propulsion systems, which will allow us to gain even more power and more fuel efficiency.

Is there anything a bit more specific you can share about the future lineup, for instance, the flagship G90?

We are currently enhancing the G90 with numerous ideas for new technologies, including digital experience and improvement to ride quality. We’re also looking forward to more powertrain variations, which go in tandem with our broader efforts to optimize our whole propulsion lineup encompassing electrified and hybridized solutions. 

So the G90, now based on an internal combustion engine (ICE), could have more variations in terms of powertrain?

Definitely. More variations are coming.

Let’s talk about EVs. How do global trends like the EV chasm influence your R&D strategies?

The EV chasm, with this gap between early adopters and the market, is really about the fact that completely transforming or transferring to EVs is taking longer than expected. It's a hard lesson for the whole automotive industry right now and we must react and innovate. We cannot push so hard and bring only EVs to the market. It was a bold goal from us years ago, but we must adjust and face the reality of differences in our customers — that not every customer is ready to go there.

What we’re doing in the meantime is developing hybrid and other hybrid-similar technologies for our customers before we can really go 100-percent EV, 100-percent zero emissions. We will soon offer a larger variety of new EV cars and updated or new Genesis models, with modern propulsion lineups, like the hybrid I mentioned already, or even alternative technologies like the EREV.

Speaking of hybrids and EREVs, when will the first Genesis production model of each hit sales?

Believe it or not, a couple of days ago we had a test drive of our future lineup with hybrid propulsion. This is going full steam, but now is not the right moment to reveal the exact date when we can really bring it to the market. But I promise you, we are working intensively to bring it sooner rather than later. And this is really advanced technology. It fits perfectly with the brand’s premium luxury approach and is the next step for our electrified propulsion.

How will EREVs improve the overall driving experience?

The beauty of EREVs lies in combining EV driving characteristics — instant high torque and serene cabin space — with a longer range. It’s kind of a modern hybrid: You can use it as an EV on a daily basis, but if you have to take a long trip, say, from San Francisco to Las Vegas, and you don’t want to carefully plan your route around EV charging stations, it provides seamless driving with the ICE generating electricity for you. This freedom is generating a lot of excitement around the world.

But there’s more to EREVs than range. There’s also the ample power for towing capacity — the energy to tow something like a horse trailer — which remains an unsolved issue with EVs.

How is Genesis collaborating with other companies in the area of EV batteries?

We’re a Korean brand, and the advantage I see here is that we have a strong network of Korean partners that thrive globally. They have battery know-how and technology, and we speak the same language and share the same culture, which allows seamless collaboration and innovation. It’s truly an outstanding environment for an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] like Hyundai to have these partners to work together on not only traditional cells but also on performance cells you will see in the future.

A couple of years ago, the Group announced it would develop a next-generation EV platform aimed at providing significant improvement in driving range on a single charge compared to the Group’s current E-GMP platform. Will this platform also be adaptable to HEVs and EREVs?

We are indeed developing an EV-focused platform dedicated to Genesis that’s aimed at improving driving range on a single charge. Furthermore, to overcome the EV chasm and respond to market conditions, we have begun upgrading this platform to make it adaptable to future tech like EREVs.

What strategies are being employed to maximize driving performance in this new EV/EREV platform?

We can’t do much about the weight of the underfloor batteries in EVs. What we can do, however, is modify weight distribution within the vehicles by optimizing the placement of various components and adjusting the balance of systems. For example, different types of tires could be used at the front and rear to enhance the grip level. Another way would be balancing the drivelines. In the future, you will see more drive-oriented, more powerful e-motors with a rear-wheel bias. This would bring balance by pushing the vehicle from the rear.

What’s really important is that we are now working on a new kind of torque vectoring system for future Genesis models, especially Magma, really cutting-edge, which will bring back agility at every speed. The combination of that with smart tire selection will bring dynamic and performance to the car, despite the mass.

It’s been a year since you’ve joined the Group. Compared to your previous roles working at other car companies in Europe, what particular strengths have you noticed so far in the way of working at Genesis?

What fascinates me most about the Group as a whole, not just Genesis, is the vertical integration. We have about 40 partners and affiliates with whom we work closely together in an intricate automotive value chain. It’s quite unique to see a deep understanding of practically everything — from customer requirements to the manufacturing of small components — and I think this is what makes a huge difference and gives us a lot of innovation power.

What excites you most about the future of Genesis?

I’d have to say combining Genesis’ premium luxury approach with a performance approach. We have really great products in the pipeline that will allow us to create a new foundation and open a new chapter. And most importantly, we have passionate colleagues who will help us get there.