Genesis, the posh arm of Korean automaker Hyundai, has made it abundantly clear that its design prowess is a key focus. From the distinctive rotating spherical gear selector within the GV60 to the ambient lighting throughout the lineup, Genesis autos stand out in a crowded market. Festooned with an up to date brand that resembles that of super-luxury model Bentley, the 2025 Genesis GV80 appeals to these with high-end style and a price ticket that’s extra palatable to the plenty.
With the launch of the 2025 Genesis GV80 SUV, the model is taking its inside sport to a brand new stage with sustainable supplies. The comfy cabin of the GV80 is trimmed with a singular materials that transmits Genesis’ intentions, together with its use of fibers created from basalt, a volcanic rock, and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics from issues like single-use water bottles. One other inside possibility is what the automaker calls “Newspaper Wooden,” which consists of pressed reused newspapers layered with skinny slivers of actual wooden.
Right here’s extra about Genesis’ unusually sourced supplies and the way they’re made.
Melted rocks and plastics
Basalt is an igneous rock originating as fiery volcanic lava. Geologists name basalt an extrusive rock, which suggests it’s derived from magma that bubbled up from underneath the floor of the Earth. Genesis Senior CMF (shade, supplies, and end) Designer Grace Kim says the choice to make use of basalt cloth as an ornamental garnish was primarily pushed by the need to exchange the generally used carbon cloth and use one thing extra impressed by nature.
“Upon discovering cloth made by melting basalt rock and weaving it right into a sample resembling carbon fiber, we have been instantly drawn to its resemblance and performance,” Kim says. “It’s 100% basalt stone yarn, melted at very excessive temperatures and wound into thread.”
Nevertheless, she explains, since basalt cloth is primarily used for building supplies, it lacked aesthetic attraction. To handle this, Genesis designers experimented with varied patterns and included recycled PET yarn into the weaving course of to reinforce the ornamental facet. Earlier than being woven into the combo, plastic bottles are washed, disinfected, and floor into flakes, then melted and spun into yarn.
Dr. Peng-Cheng Ma, a professor within the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese language Academy of Sciences, explains how basalt fiber is made in Research Features magazine.
“The not-quite microscopic strands of basalt fiber are created by taking basalt, a standard volcanic rock, heating it to 1,500°C, and spinning the melted rock by a wonderful nozzle,” he says. “The ensuing materials is often then both woven right into a heat-resistant cloth, or used to strengthen supplies. When used to strengthen polymers, the ensuing materials is cheaper than carbon fiber and stronger than fiberglass.”
The ensuing look is hanging, and realizing it’s made from pure sources makes it extra fascinating. Genesis says it’s contemplating increasing the appliance to different automobile fashions.
Discovering new methods to make use of newspaper
Newspapers is probably not as prevalent as they have been a decade in the past as a result of rise of on-line publications, however there’s nonetheless loads of newsprint floating round that may be reused. Genesis put it to work within the GV80 as one other inside trim possibility, beforehand utilizing it within the G90 flagship sedan.
The GV80 Newspaper Wooden introduces varied improvements departing from conventional wooden finishes, showcasing high-quality design whereas minimizing environmental influence by recycling discarded sources, Kim says. Newspaper is subjected to warmth and stress with layers of coloured wooden and may be lower at completely different angles to create assorted design patterns.
“Departing from the traditional use of pure wooden veneers widespread in luxurious manufacturers, we sought methods to guard wooden sources,” she clarifies. “By combining neutral-toned wooden veneers with recycled newspapers, we achieved the elegant figuring harking back to pure wooden. The faint but seen textual content printed on the newspaper provides a singular factor.”
On the outside of the GV80, Genesis has a lineup of colours named for cities around the globe: Alta White (Utah’s snowy peaks); Uyuni White (the salt flats of Bolivia); Savile Silver (London’s trend row); Makalu Grey (a peak within the Himalayas); Capri Blue (the island off the coast of Italy), and Storr Inexperienced (Isle of Skye, Scotland). Vik Black required practically 100 iterations earlier than the design workforce was glad, Kim says, and it’s named after a volcano space in Iceland identified for its basalt sand seaside. Discover there’s no purple; that hue is reserved for the upcoming GV80 coupe, which can embody an electrical supercharger.
Your entire package deal is a continuation of Genesis’ ambition to face other than its rivals within the SUV section. It’s no shock that the GV80 includes practically half of the model’s SUV gross sales, and it’s solely wanting up.
