The svelte 2019 Genesis G70 has marked its turf on the "Monday Night Football" halftime show this season with stylish black-and-white promos that give consumers a game-day glimpse of the next phase of Korean luxury.
Meanwhile, many dealers are playing a waiting game, looking forward to their first shipments of the luxury sedans and more information on requirements to keep selling Genesis products.
Even in a crossover-heavy luxury market, hopes are high for the sporty sedan, which is expected to broaden the Genesis buyer base by drawing younger consumers, more women and the tech-savvy. It's the first Genesis product that isn't a carryover from the Hyundai brand.
And dealers are pleased with the pricing strategy, which includes a $35,895 entry-level option — the same price as the rival BMW 3 series — and a series of upper trim levels that can push the price to $53,245. Prices include shipping.
A Genesis spokesman told Automotive News the first G70s have been shipped, and that the brand expects 100 to 200 dealers to have them by year end.
That's the latest update in a timeline that has continually slid. When it debuted, the G70 was projected to reach U.S. showrooms in spring 2018. Then the release window shifted to summer amid tumult over the brand's retail strategy. Now, three weeks into fall, cars are trickling into selected markets.
Atlanta is one of those markets. Genesis of Atlanta received close to 10 G70s this month and began selling them as soon as they arrived.
The dealership is hosting a launch event for the sedan on Thursday, Oct. 18, that is to feature private showings, refreshments and test drives. The cars will be outfitted with cameras to capture the reactions of the drivers.
Atlanta is among the brand's top-performing markets.
"We've gotten a lot of floor traffic on the car," said John Noaker, sales manager for Genesis of Atlanta and Jim Ellis Hyundai. "We're getting people we haven't seen before from other brands. It's opening some doors. These are former Mercedes buyers, BMW buyers."