Genesis debuts new two-seat Mint micro car at New York motor show

South Korean brand’s luxury offshoot has a wild vision for the future of urban commuting and a feature that would make electric car viable.

Genesis Mint concept.

Luxury car maker Genesis has unveiled a micro electric car concept at the New York motor show.

Hyundai’s premium offshoot, which is due to launch in Australia in the middle of the year, says the funky two-seater is an evolution of the city runabout designed for crowded megacities.

The concept is a fresh take on an idea that has failed to capture the buying public’s imagination — a premium two-seater. Mercedes-Benz offshoot Smart still makes a two-seater but it has never really caught on.

Genesis Mint has more appealing styling that previous two seat micro cars.

Genesis says the Mint, finished in matt green, is lightweight and manoeuvrable but still fun to drive.

The concept was co-designed by teams in Germany, the US and South Korea. Chief design officer Luc Donckerwolke says it challenges the notion of what a luxury car should be.

“The Mint Concept disconnects the physical dimensions of the vehicle from its positioning as a premium product,” he says.

The designer says the concept “marries classic proportions with forward-looking, minimalist design”.

The wheels are pushed to the farthest point of the cars to maximise interior space.

The wheels are pushed to the extremes of the car to squeeze as much interior space from its tiny footprint as possible.

As with recent Hyundai vehicles, the grille is closed off, with only a slight opening to cool the battery pack.

The design is even more radical at the rear, where dramatic scissor doors open up to allow access to the parcel shelf that replaces the luggage space of a conventional hatchback.

Inside, maximum use is made of the tiny cabin through innovative use of storage options and lightweight textiles. “Cognac” coloured leather upholstery gives the feel and smell of luxury.

Genesis says the concept mimics the inner-city apartments of large metropolises, where designers and architects have come up with innovative ways to take advantage of every cubic centimetre of limited space.

The interior is said to mimic inner-city apartments of metropolises.

“The interior styling of the Mint Concept takes influence from the Korean tradition of embracing the empty space, as well as modern European furniture design,” Donckerwolke says.

The centre console between the front seats can be folded away to create a bench, while the instrument panel and bench seat also swivel to provide better access.

Six screens surrounding the oblong steering wheel displaying vehicle functions. A seventh screen in the middle of the wheel provides the most vital driving information.

The instrument display is located in the centre of the steering wheel rather than behind.

Genesis gave away little in technical details about the car, other than to say that its high-intensity battery and motor could deliver 322km per charge.

It will also be able to accept 350kW of charge, allowing it to recharge more rapidly than current EVs, which are mostly limited to 100kW chargers.