Who Makes Genesis Cars?

If you are looking for a new luxury vehicle but want something exciting, distinct, and fresh, you should consider a new or Certified Pre-Owned Genesis for your Frankfort drives. But, who makes Genesis cars, and who owns the Genesis car company? While the easy answer to both of those questions is “the Hyundai Motor Company,” there is more to it than that. Read on to learn about the history of this relatively new luxury brand, its origins, and where popular Genesis models like the G70, GV70, and the flagship G90 and GV80 are manufactured and assembled. 

Afterward, contact us online or visit our finance page from the comfort of your Richmond home to see if you prequalify for any of our current offers. You can also call us at 859-263-5020 to speak with one of our representatives. 

Who Owns the Genesis Car Company?

The Hyundai Motor Company owns the Genesis brand. Genesis Motors, LLC is the luxury division of Hyundai which took on a life of its own as a stand-alone division in 2017. What started as a plan for the Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan in 2004 was announced as an independent brand in 2015. Then, in 2017, the nascent luxury brand released the Genesis G90, which is still the brand’s signature flagship sedan. 

Since then, Genesis has grown in both popularity and name recognition by leaps and bounds, having sold over a million units by the end of August 2023. To put that into perspective, Genesis reached this historical milestone a mere 8 years after becoming a standalone brand, and only 2 years and 3 months after passing the half-million milestone in May of 2021. Thanks to a highly comprehensive and versatile lineup, elegant, immediately recognizable exterior designs, and technology-rich interiors, this luxury brand has and continues to make inroads into the highly-established luxury automotive market. 

Who Builds Genesis Cars & Where are Genesis Cars Built?

Genesis cars are designed in various locales around the world, from Rüsselsheim in Germany and Namyang in South Korea to the city of Irvine in the U.S. State of California. However, most Genesis vehicles to date, including the best-selling Genesis G80, are constructed and assembled in Ulsan, South Korea. It is fitting that a luxury brand that has made such waves in the global luxury automotive market should get its start at this plant, which is widely considered the birthplace of the South Korean automotive industry and one of the largest automotive manufacturing facilities in the world. 

That said, not all Genesis cars are built and assembled at the historical Ulsan automotive plant. 

The electrified GV70, the third all-electric vehicle offered by the luxury carmaker, was the first Genesis model to be assembled outside of South Korea. It was assembled in the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) facility in Montgomery, Alabama for the 2023 model year, and assembly at HMMA was quickly expanded to include the standard GV70 a year later in 2024. 

So what car company makes Genesis vehicles, and where? While the short answer is “Hyundai,” and “mostly in South Korea,” thanks to the brand’s popularity, the esteemed automaker has expanded the production of its luxury cars to a manufacturing hotspot in the American Deep South to meet demand. As the demand for luxury, especially the electrified variety grows, who knows where the luxury carmaker will expand to next? With rivals like Kia expanding EV production to locales like the Kia West Point Assembly Plant in Georgia, USA, perhaps Genesis will do something similar. 

Explore the Latest Genesis Lineup With Genesis of Lexington

To learn more about the Genesis brand, visit our dealership in Lexington to tour our showroom and speak with our experts. Get a sense of which Genesis model best suits your needs as a Georgetown driver, and be sure to ask our finance experts about our new vehicle specials and generous financing and leasing opportunities.