Genesis has been making waves with its Magma program, which aims to offer the same sort of performance as AMG and BMW M, and a new video captured near Hyundai Motor Group's R&D center in Namyang, South Korea, may give an indication of just how serious Genesis is about taking on the Germans. The video embedded at the bottom of this article shows a GV70 with bright orange paint (one of the Magma division's calling cards) and temporary but quad-exit exhaust tips that produce a rorty V8 rumble. Genesis has already confirmed that a 3.2-liter twin-turbo V8 is being developed for its Le Mans hypercar, and that road-going iterations will be aided by a hybrid setup, so this GV70 mule may be the first application of that new engine for the street.
Genesis Is Keeping Its Cards Close to Its Chest
Of course, the new GV70 Magma seen in the video (the rumble of which we hear at the 1:15 mark of the embedded video) may only be a test bed for the engine and not necessarily an indication that a GV70 is getting the eight-cylinder setup. The wheels and brakes appear to be standard items from the existing crossover, and besides the protruding exhaust tips and the eye-searing paint, nothing sets the design apart from the 2026 GV70.
Related: Just Like BMW M: Every Genesis Model Will Get a Magma Version
It's also worth noting that the GV70 doesn't yet appear on the Magma section of Genesis's site, but on the other hand, expanding high-performance offerings to multiple segments would make sense. And given America's love for the V8, using the engine wherever possible could lead to rapid adoption. With all of that being said, we may see a new V8-powered Genesis product in another form first: a station wagon.
Genesis Is Developing Seriously Cool Cars with Numerous Powertrains
Late last year, Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke indicated that the automaker's recent concepts, including the G90 Wingback wagon and Magma GT supercar, could come to production soon, albeit potentially in low volumes, saying the concepts "are very executable very fast with a minimum level of advance investment." A V8-powered wagon that's smaller than a BMW M5 Touring would be an enticing proposition, and a V8-powered GV70 crossover that competes in the same segment as the straight-six-powered BMW X3 M and AMG GLC 53 would be special and, in terms of its engine, unique. 2026 will be the year America gets its first Magma product, and more will follow, with Genesis working on high-performance and limited-edition versions of the G80, G70, and others, with both all-electric and combustion powertrains. Considering prototypes are being tested on the road, we should get more official news before long.
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