In just eight years, Genesis has become a credible rival to century-old luxury brands. But one thing that’s been missing is a performance sub-brand equivalent to the BMW M, Mercedes-AMG, or even parent Hyundai’s N. That’s about to change — and performance EVs are part of the plan.
Ahead of the 2024 New York Auto Show, Genesis announced Magma, which will produce performance versions of the brand’s cars. The name comes from the bright orange paint that will be Magma’s calling card, which could be seen at the reveal on a Magma-fied version of the Genesis GV60 electric SUV, as well as the gasoline G80 sedan and GV80 Coupe SUV.
The GV60 Magma certainly looks the part — and not just because of its volcanic hue. Genesis also gave it the typical signifiers of performance, including fender flares, a lowered stance, a wider front air intake, and a rear spoiler. The GV60 wears them well, along with more subtle features like front canards and roof fins to optimize airflow and 21-inch wheels with a special design that helps cool the brakes.
Despite the focus on performance, Genesis wasn’t willing to discuss specs. To justify its existence, the GV60 Magma would have to generate more power than the 483-horsepower GV60 Performance. That shouldn’t be a problem. The GV60 uses Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, and its corporate cousins have shown that the platform can handle a lot more power. The Kia EV6 GT boasts 576 hp, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N generates a titanic 641 hp.
As the more luxurious counterpart to those models, though, the GV60 Magma won’t just be about impressive numbers. Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis chief creative officer, explained that the brand is aiming for a more refined character that’s more about enjoying the drive than showing off.
While officially a concept car, the GV60 Magma will eventually reach showrooms. Donckerwolke said it was “very close to production,” but did not say exactly when it would arrive. If the GV60 Magma can do for performance EVs what models like the Genesis GV70 have done for traditional luxury cars, Genesis’ rivals will likely be hoping for some delays.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.