Wild Genesis X Skorpio Concept Revealed

Having established itself as a luxury brand and made its performance ambitions clear with its Magma sub-brand, Genesis is now pushing into the off-road space with a quartet of adventure-focused concept cars.

The headline act is the Genesis X Skorpio Concept, a Dakar-ready off-roader that draws inspiration from the black scorpion, known for its resilience and ability to thrive in harsh environments.

Revealed in the ‘Empty Quarter’ of the United Arab Emirates, the X Skorpio isn’t just motor show eye candy but a fully-functioning prototype with an 820kW/1152Nm V8, Brembo brakes and massive 40-inch tyres.

Lightweight panels of fibreglass, carbon fibre and kevlar surround a tubular spaceframe with an integrated roll cage, Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ Chief Creative Officer, describing the X Skorpio as “an extreme off-road vehicle designed to be driven across the toughest and harshest terrain.”

Despite the performance focus, the X Skorpio is not a stripped-out racer, with leather and suede coating the heavily sculpted bucket seats, dash and grab handles, while intricate patterns are created using laser cutting.

Genesis’ choice of reveal location was no accident, its new concept being “tailored to the automotive culture and lifestyle of the Middle East, where off-road racing and recreational driving – often at high speeds while navigating airborne jumps – are a favourite pastime.”

The luxury brand is obviously keen to establish a footprint in one of the world’s wealthiest areas and backed up the X Skorpio with three other concepts based on the GV60, GV70 and GV80 SUVs.

This is part of Genesis’ new concept car strategy, with vehicles reflecting the brand’s ‘Athletic Elegance’ design philosophy by combining ‘luxury’, ‘sport’ and ‘cool’.

Current examples include the Gran Coupe and Convertible, G90 Wingback and Magma GT, Donckerwolke saying “We create concept cars to inspire and ignite authentic passion for our vision.  

“They are designed to deepen the emotional connection with our customers by showcasing the ultimate desirability they’ve always dreamt of.”  

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