Over the past few decades, the premium segment has proved almost impossible for newcomers to break into, such is the stranglehold Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have on it. Volvo has made a great case for itself, while Lexus has long been a solid left-field alternative. Tesla, too, with its electric vehicles.
But many others have tried and failed, which makes Genesis’ attempt interesting. It’s new to Europe, but the spin-off from Hyundai actually launched in 2015 in its home market of South Korea. It has been selling cars in various markets, shifting 130,000 units last year, and hopes to increase that in Europe with very competitive pricing.