Genesis had its best-ever year in the United States in 2019 with 21,233 retail sales. If the number does not say much, you should know it’s more than double the amount of cars sold in 2018 (10,311 units).

While notable, the growth is not that surprising given that 2019 was only the third full year of sales for the standalone Genesis brand in the United States. In comparison, another newcomer in the States, Alfa Romeo, sold 18,292 in the USA in 2019, down 23.1% over the previous year (23,800).

This means there was a lot of room to grow and there still is, particularly now that the Hyundai-owned luxury carmaker is gearing up for its SUV offensive, starting with the GV80 this year. The fact that cumulative Genesis sales were up 106 percent in 2019 compared to the prior year is mostly due to the launch of the G70 sports sedan in autumn 2018.

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While in 2018 Genesis only sold 409 copies of the G70, last year it shifted 11,901 units. This means the sports sedan accounts for more than half (56 percent) of the brand’s 2019 sales. As for the larger G80 and G90 sedans, sales dropped slightly or stagnated, respectively. The G80 executive sedan sold 7,094 units (over 7,662 units in 2018), while the G90 luxury sedan sold 2,238 units (over 2,240 units in 2018).

Genesis’ growth is also attributed to the expansion of the brand’s retail network, which now comprises around 350 dealers – more than double the number of dealers it had in 2018.

The luxury brand has big plans for the future and expects continued growth in 2020 thanks to the launch of its first SUV, the GV80. By the end of 2021, Genesis’ current portfolio of three sedans will grow to six vehicles, with the addition of an electric vehicle and two SUVs – the midsize GV80 and compact GV70.