Hyundai set to launch Genesis global luxury brand

The 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan is shown at the Toronto Autoshow (Autofocus.ca)

Hyundai is spinning off its premium Genesis cars into their own luxury sub-brand, and plan to launch six new Genesis models by 2020, the Korean automaker announced this week.

Hyundai said in a statement that the Genesis brand will stand apart as a "'human-centered' luxury" brand, meant to compete against the world's most renowned luxury car companies.

Related: The 2015 Hyundai Genesis in pictures

This means you can expect Genesis cars to deliver "innovation, balanced performance, athletic elegance in design and hassle-free customer experience."

“We have created this new Genesis brand with a complete focus on our customers who want smart ownership experiences that save time and effort, with practical innovations that enhance satisfaction. The Genesis brand will fulfill these expectations, becoming a market leader through our human-centered brand strategy,” said Euisun Chung, Hyundai Motor Company Vice Chairman.

The new Genesis brand will receive a new logo – a revised version of the winged badge the cars currently wear – and, like several other premium car product lines, a hierarchical alphanumeric nomenclature. Specifically, each model name will start with 'G' followed by a number—"G90," for example, or "G80."

The brand's design language will be dictated by Hyundai's new Prestige Design Division, to be overseen by Hyundai Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer and headed by Luc Donckerwolke, formerly of Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini, from mid-2016 onward.

The first Genesis-branded cars will initially go on sale in the Korean, Chinese, North American and Middle Eastern luxury car markets; European and other Asian markets will follow shortly after.