Genesis GV90 Stuck in Ditch Rescued by a Volvo Loader

If the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is not fancy enough for you, Genesis is preparing a luxed-up version, which is expected to be called the GV90. The Neolun concept, unveiled nearly a year ago, gave us an accurate preview of what’s to come regarding a high-end, three-row electric SUV. Meanwhile, prototypes are being tested to iron out any potential kinks before the production version arrives. During a recent session, things didn’t go well.

One of the camouflaged prototypes testing in Lapland got stuck in a snowy ditch and needed assistance to get out. A spy video shot by professional car paparazzi CarSpyMedia shows the incident’s aftermath. A Volvo L60E loader with its mighty 6.0-liter inline-six diesel engine arrives at the scene of the minor accident to save the day by towing away the immobilized SUV. The GV90 likely escaped unscathed, but the same can’t be said for the driver’s ego.

The video is a good opportunity to see the Genesis GV90 carrying the production body, albeit still heavily camouflaged. Despite the disguise, we can’t help but notice that Hyundai’s luxury brand has seemingly decided against putting the concept’s suicide doors into production, considering the prototype appears to have regular B-pillars. When the concept debuted in March 2024, head of design SangYup Lee told Motor1 that Genesis wasn’t ruling out retaining the Neolun’s setup. However, it looks like the suicide doors and pilarless center sadly didn’t make the cut.

The road-going model appears to have thicker lights front and rear, new turbine-style wheels, and chunky side mirrors instead of the concept’s skinny cameras. The door handles may give the impression they’re sticking out from the body, but that’s likely the extra camouflage playing tricks on us. Like the GV60, its bigger brother will likely have flush door handles. Elsewhere, the prototype gives the impression that it hasn’t changed much – it’s big and boxy while looking substantially different from its Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 cousins.

Rear-wheel steering appears on the menu, but the GV90 isn’t the first Genesis to offer this feature; the G80 and G90 also have it. When a vehicle is this large, reducing its turning circle becomes necessary. Genesis never said how big the stately EV would be, but an Ioniq 9 is 199.2 inches (5060 millimeters) long and has a massive wheelbase stretching 123.2 inches (3130 millimeters). The Kia EV9 is nearly as large.

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While the Ioniq 9 and EV9 base versions have a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup, the GV90 might get standard dual-motor, all-wheel drive. Remember that the EV9 GT packs a mighty 501 horsepower, while the Ioniq 9 Dual Motor Performance is rated at 430 hp. There’s room for more since the updated EV6 GT has 641 hp to match the Ioniq 5 N.

However, the GV90 might be more than an EV9/Ioniq 9 in a tuxedo since it could ride on the new eM platform. Hyundai announced the architecture back in 2022, saying the first cars would get the dedicated EV hardware in 2025. The South Korean brand touted a 50% boost in driving range on a single charge compared to existing electric models on the E-GMP platform.

The Genesis GV90 should break cover later this year, although sales in the United States might not start until 2026.