I don’t know if Genesis is going to actually build the X Gran Equator Concept, which the brand showed last night at the company’s fancy American flagship “Genesis House” on the edge of New York’s expensive and trendy Meatpacking district. I just know that I hope they do. Most SUVs seem to be getting buffer, like the Bronco, or softer, like the Lucid Gravity. There has to be space for something a bit more elegant and wagon-like. A throwback to the time before the word SUV even existed.
Up close, the X Gran Equator fits into the Range Rover Sport-sized category, with two rows of seats and a sloping rear roofline defined by the “fast” C-pillar. Because this is a concept car, there are only four seats separated by a central tunnel. Could this detail survive production? Maybe. The two pieces that almost certainly will live on in some form are the almost latticed integrated roof rails and split-tailgate.
Again, this is a concept, so you get all sorts of very mid-century modern touches that feel like they were pulled straight out of an issue of Dwell magazine.
Some of this is classic Genesis, including the two-line headlamps and taillights. I was talking to a car designer buddy last week and he mentioned how clever he thought this was. Anyone could have done two lines, but it’s Genesis who got there first. It reminded me of Roger Sterling’s famous line from Mad Men: “99-Cents. Somebody thought of that.”
With its long hood and aggressively angled rear, the rather squat SUV has some wagon-like proportions. Dare I say, it reminds me a little of an Infiniti FX45 that mated with an AMC Eagle Wagon? Not in a bad way. I love the Nissan Maxima-style quad moonroofs as well.
“The X Gran Equator Concept is an exercise in harmonizing contrasts—combining elegance with ruggedness, and the spirit of exploration with refined comfort,” said Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis. “It represents the orchestration of true off-road competence and uncompromising luxury, designed to enable the discovery of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes.”
Sure.
The inside is where it gets a bit more unconventional and Apartment Therapyesque.
I’m not sure I should even be writing about this. Let Blackbird Spyplane take a crack. In lieu of that, I’ll try my best to capture the preciousness of this all.
There’s a touch of old Range Rover here with the round dials, which are apparently inspired by “the dials of vintage cameras.” Again, sure. The fact that there are no big screens and real buttons makes this feel like a total concept, as do the grab handles. The two-shades-too-light-to-be-Tiffany-blue boxes in the front are part of the Gran Equator’s “modular storage solutions.”
The little bits of metal brightwork and geometric details on the seats here are why I think this car has a Midcentury Modernist feel, and you can really get a sense of this from the render above.
Overall, I dig it, though I have to share my favorite part of the whole press release:
The name draws inspiration from Equator, widely recognized as the “finest stallion” in the world of Arabian horses — a symbol of endurance, agility, and refined power. These qualities closely reflect the spirit of the concept: a vehicle that is both elegant and capable, engineered to perform in extreme conditions while maintaining a natural sense of grace. Just as the Arabian horse is known for its balance of beauty and strength, this concept embodies Genesis’ unique take on performance.
Even though I like this, I suppose this is how you can be sure this car wasn’t designed for me. I didn’t know the Equator was an Arabian Horse. I just assumed it was the imaginary line at zero degrees latitude that circles the Earth. Nope, apparently it’s a horse.
What’s also interesting about this reference is that Genesis acknowledges that the Middle East is a huge market for them. If you want one of the hotted-up Magma performance brand cars shown at last year’s show, your best bet is to live in a place like Abu Dhabi. Genesis is a little late to the game in China, so focusing on the Middle East as a growth market sort of makes sense.
Is this a perfect car for rolling around Jeddah? Absolutely.
exterior is rad the interior is too gaudy.
Oh please, please let this be the direction things are going in the industry. There is so much to like about this. I already adore the tossable Rivian R3x and this would be a lovely upsized compliment to that concept.
No screens! Oh my god, it’s not just one giant screen! Saints be praised, it has Buttons! Buttons! I don’t care if they build this or not, but if this portends Genesis’ interior design direction, I know what my next car is.
Mid which century? Dwell only started in exactly 2000.
Anyway, there is almost nothing I like about the styling of this concept, except the two little folding seats in the tailgate. That’s kind of interesting. Overall, though, there’s a lot of nope there for me.
The glass! All that glass! Visibility (of more than just the sky)! I hope this portends a greenhousier future.