Genesis Actually Designed A Ute, But Shelved It… For Now

Genesis has revealed it plans to publicly show a previously unseen ute study next January, despite shelving the project in recent years.

The revelation came during a media roundtable, where we asked Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke whether the luxury marque was interested in joining Kia - and eventually Hyundai - in offering a dual-cab ute.

Donckerwolke confirmed the existence of a project, saying the study will feature in the January issue of Auto & Design magazine.

According to Donckerwolke, the company has explored the idea seriously in the past, but ultimately decided the timing was not right.

He said Genesis “did consider a pickup” but determined “it was not the right time, yet,” citing a need to focus on establishing the brand’s core segments first.

Donckerwolke stressed that Genesis must prioritise its current development programs, explaining that the company “still has to take care of the core business, of the core segments” before branching into new areas.

He described the ute study as one of several internal projects that have previously remained unseen outside the design studio.

These fresh comments arrive as Hyundai Motor Group readies multiple ute programs across its brands.

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Earlier this month, CarSauce reported local Hyundai boss Don Romano’s pledge to stay in his role until a ute reaches Australia, hinting at a mid-2028 arrival.

With the Kia Tasman having been on sale now for almost six months, Genesis now remains the only Hyundai Group marque without a confirmed entrant in the segment.

Despite the decision to shelve the vehicle, Donckerwolke suggested the idea has not been ruled out completely, noting, “Who knows, maybe, why not?”

He added that Genesis should take a staged approach to growth, saying, “One thing at a time, we first do the homework domain, and then we will look into what other satellites we can plug onto the product.”

In 2024, Genesis discontinued production of their 3.0-litre turbo-diesel inline six, so it is unlikely to make a return as part of a ute platform.

That leaves the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 and the 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder powertrains as potential candidates, though the brand could have something more in store.

The Chief Creative Officer also revealed his own interest in performance-focused utes, mentioning he owns “some very wild pickups” alongside the sports cars in his barn, adding that the company’s “horizon” will not be limited to traditional segments in the long-term.