Genesis gets green light
Looking to buy the new sedans from Hyundai spin-off Genesis Motors in South Florida? Beginning next month, you could be in luck. Genesis recently secured its license from Florida and the 2019 model year Genesis vehicles, including the new G70, should be available beginning in December.
The first — and so far only — car models sold by Hyundai spin-off Genesis Motors have been met with critical acclaim for packing luxury car features into a competitively priced package.
In recent months, automobile reviewers have showered praise onto the new G70 — a sporty entry targeted to fans of BMW’s 3 series, Mercedes-Benz’s CClass, or Audi’s A4.
The raves have motivated buyers to head to their local dealer to see the car, but their enthusiasm has been tempered by a major bummer: Despite being advertised throughout the fall, 2019 Genesis models haven’t been available for purchase in Florida and numerous other states.
After contacting area dealers recently, Fort Lauderdale resident Robert Katz said he was told “in a cryptic way [that] they can’t sell any 2019s. It’s been a mystery as to why.”
That should be changing in December, according to a Genesis spokesman, as dust settles following Genesis’ formal transition from being a nameplate of its parent Hyundai to being a standalone company (similar to how Lexus was spun off from Toyota in the 1980s).
With two sedans, the G80 and G90, Genesis began calling itself a separate company in 2016. But Hyundai dealers who previously sold Genesis as a separate model alongside the Santa Fe, Elantra, Sonata, Tucson and others were also allowed to sell the Genesis Motors versions.
But in late 2017 and early 2018, Genesis began requiring dealers that wanted to sell the cars to establish separate Genesis dealerships, which obligated the company to obtain a distributor license in all states that require them, according to Genesis spokesman Kevin Smith.
Only after the distributor licenses were in hand could Genesis enter into franchise agreements with dealers who wanted to become Genesis retailers and start shipping 2019 models, Smith said.
Genesis now has distribution licenses in 49 states and the District of Columbia after securing its license from Florida “a week or two ago,” clearing the way for dealers to begin processing their franchise agreements, Smith said.
Erwin Raphael, executive director of Genesis Motor America, said in a statement that “2019 model year Genesis vehicles, including the new G70, will be available in Florida dealers statewide beginning in December. We expect full availability in early 2019 as model-year launch inventory shipments are completed.”
One of the nation’s largest Hyundai and Genesis dealers, Rick Case said he expects to have 2019 Genesis models for sale in December.
Case, who sells numerous other brands, including Acura, Honda, Kia, Volkswagen, Audi, and Mazda, said he knows buyers have been waiting for new Genesis models. His dealership in Atlanta has been selling 2019 models for a month because Genesis secured its Georgia distribution license earlier than its Florida license, he said.
“When we got the G70s at our dealership in Atlanta, I sent one to each of my stores in Florida just for show,” he said.
He said he understands buyers’ enthusiasm. “I drive a G90,” he said. “It’s my favorite car. I don’t want to tell the Honda people that.”
Told that his wait might be nearing an end, Katz said he would hold off and get a new one at a South Florida dealership instead of buying one out of state as he had considered.
Although his current lease won’t expire until July, “once they get in, I’ll go and make a deal,” he said.