How Genesis Design Delivers Sustainable Luxury

Genesis is a luxury brand that builds vehicles that are beautiful to look at and just as beautiful when you open the doors. Usually, that means plenty of leather and wood, maybe even real metal or crystal. While Genesis does have traditional materials in its cars, its designers aren’t content to simply do what has already been done. Instead, they’re innovating.

This isn’t just about using the same fabrics and trims in new ways but about developing wholly new materials not previously used in automotive applications. It’s about focusing on sustainability. It’s about taking a holistic approach to design that creates a premium, luxury experience for customers as the brand continues to separate itself from its Hyundai roots.

At the Genesis GV80 first drive in Texas, Genesis Design North America senior CMF designer Grace Kim talked about the design process. She told CarBuzz how stone and old newspapers were turned into beautiful interiors and how it all fits with the brand’s goals for carbon neutrality.

Unique Materials

On the list of interior trims for the GV80 is something called newspaper wood. “The newspaper wood in the GV80 not only aligns with Genesis’s goal of carbon neutrality but also addresses the primary concern of the CMF [Color, Material, Finish] team. Extensive research was conducted to develop a material utilizing discarded newspapers from everyday life,” said Kim. This product made its debut on the G90 sedan to provide customers with something other than the wood veneers typically found in luxury vehicles. “We sought ways to protect wood resources,” said Kim.

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The resulting material doesn’t look like newspaper, but rather like an eye-catching striped pattern. Look closer, however, and the letters in the original print are still there, giving away its newspaper origins. “The faint yet visible text printed on the newspaper adds a unique element,” said Kim.

Creative Upcycling

The team also found ways to use real wood without having to cut down more trees. “The forged wood varnish currently used in the G80 EV is made from large quantities of wood scraps discarded by major furniture companies, making it another upcycling idea,” she added. Creativity is a key part of the design process at Genesis and goes beyond Kim and her team. It involves partners around the world that include research teams and institutes working together on new ideas and new materials.

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“We establish regular collaborative forums with R&D centers specializing in material development and discuss various items annually to foster collaboration,” she said. Their work also involves looking toward the future. What’s popular today may be out of style in five years. Kim explained, “Material development can take at least 2 years, sometimes even more than five. GV80 also incorporates the results of such years-long efforts.”

Seeing The Future

Designers need to predict the future as they choose the materials and color palettes for vehicles that may be years from production. “Our team consistently strives to analyze and predict trends by attending various global trend exhibitions such as the Milan Furniture Fair and Maison&Objet, where they can read and interpret the changing global trends every year,” said Kim. It’s no accident that Genesis design looks like the future and not the past.

“However, through regular R&D collaborative forums, we proactively develop new materials comprehensively for the entire lineup in advance,” she added. This helps each Genesis vehicle look unique while still keeping a unified design. It’s one part of what has helped Genesis become an established luxury brand in less than a decade.

Stone Turned Fabric

It’s also part of how they ended up creating a new fabric out of stone. “The decision to use basalt fabric as a decorative garnish was primarily driven by the desire to replace the commonly used carbon fabric,” said Kim. “Upon discovering fabric made by melting basalt rock and weaving it into a pattern resembling carbon fiber, we were immediately drawn to its resemblance and functionality.”

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It also fits the team’s “Inspired by Nature” theme. Since basalt fabric is something used in construction materials, it didn’t quite look like something suited to a luxury car. That required a bit of extra creativity: “Our designers experimented with various patterns and incorporated recycled PET yarn into the weaving process to enhance the decorative aspect.” This also fits with the company’s focus on sustainability.

There is a bit of trial and error. “Delivering these ideas to customers involves numerous tests and failures, which can be quite challenging for CMF designers,” she said, but it also has its rewards. “The journey from somewhat quirky ideas (like using basalt yarn) to actualization is incredibly fascinating,” said Kim.

The process isn’t easy, but it’s key to creating the unique style and luxury of the Genesis brand, helping set it apart from established rivals. “Such materials represent an important element of the Genesis brand, aiming to deliver new value to customers,” said Kim.