Genesis 'committed' to current design ethos post-Donckerwolke
Luc Donckerwolke departed Genesis, and parent company Hyundai, but "Athletic Elegance" isn't going anywhere.
Luc Donckerwolke is a name familiar to those who've watched Genesis start to blossom in recent years with a distinct design language, so his departure from parent company Hyundai after five years at the end of April came as a surprise.
Despite Donckerwolke moving on to new things, Genesis is prepared to only embrace what the chief designer laid down as a blueprint dubbed "Athletic Elegance." Genesis CEO Mark Del Rosso told Roadshow in a phone interview Monday that Genesis is "absolutely committed" to the design ethos.
"I've never met a more creative, hard working group of people in my life," Del Rosso said of the design team. Though he didn't speak to Donckerwolke's exit specifically, the whole idea of "Athletic Elegance" is really found in the G80, which the CEO used as an example.
"When we think about athletic, we think about G70; it's very sporty, but still elegant. When we think about G90, it's very elegant, but still athletic. Right in the core is a stunning product that is the perfect balance, the new G80."
We can thank Donckerwolke and others for the shape of current Genesis cars, since past concepts absolutely predicted what we'd see today. It's especially true for the aptly named Genesis New York concept, which debuted at the 2016 New York Auto Show . The incredibly well-received Genesis Essentia concept doubled down on this notion, and the grand tourer reportedly has the green light for production.
We won't see what Genesis looks like post-Donckerwolke for a few years, though. Genesis has two new vehicles coming in the near term -- a smaller SUV and an electric car. Both will undoubtedly have the Belgian designer's fingerprints all over them.
