Shot both on public streets and in a parking garage, this mule appears to be Genesis-derived, with what looks like an identical greenhouse, mirrors, and doors, but distinct front and rear sheetmetal, along with unique fascias, light clusters, and a different grille.
While the shots make the car out to be shorter and chunkier, looking at the size of the doors and the amount of sheetmetal between their leading and trailing edges and the wheel well openings leads us to believe that this is almost assuredly a reworked Genesis. The mystery machine certainly isn't terribly pretty, but it is less timid about its Hyundai branding, and the grille treatment does have some familial resemblance to it. Its size and shape would also seem to discount the much-anticipated Equus sedan, of which (very different looking) official sketches have already been released.
We also thought about the possibility of this being the upcoming Sonata replacement, but its proportions scream rear-wheel drive, and besides, we hear that Hyundai is going to veer more toward the increasingly-popular "four-door coupe" aesthetic for its next iteration, and this vehicle certainly isn't reaching in that direction.
So what gives? The Genesis sedan hasn't been on sale anywhere for a full year yet, so it's probably too early to start prototype testing of the model's inevitable first facelift. Further, some of the changes appear to be sheetmetal-level, which is very expensive and less common, and new lights aren't exactly cheap, either. Could its more traditional grille point toward a new domestic-only model?
Suitably mystified, we reached out to our friends in Hyundai North America, and they bluntly professed to not know what it is, either. Judging by the direction and tone of our conversation, we have no reason to doubt that they honestly don't know what this is, either.
more detail. ...
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