Genesis Boss Thinks German Automakers Invest in “Stupid” Tech

Says reliability and comfort are more important.

The boss is Albert Biermann, the former head at BMW's M Division.

Article : motortrend.com/news/genesis-boss-thinks-german-automakers-invest-stupid-tech/

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motor1.com/news/180727/no-genesis-n-models-planned/
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He can report back when the measuring bar for luxury cars is called something other than S-Class.

If he's lucky enough to witness it in his lifetime.

Putting screens in the back seat is stupid.
Being able to read stocks and news headlines on your gauge cluster is stupid.
BMW and Mercedes are both doing an awful lot of stupid shit, things no one really wants. They're stuffing in gimmick after gimmick just to pad feature lists.

He's 100% right. Not just German's but the industry, especially for high end cars (hell not even super high end where I expect superfluous shit but middle range high end) is spending money on allot of needless shit, for the hype factor like he says.

>Important Points in case if you are not in a situation to go to the article.

1. Australia’s Drive reports that Biermann dismissed a lot of the new features in luxury cars, calling it “all marketing.” He then added, “Much of this exists for media, to give a hype, to show the technology level. But how many people really buy it later on? If the tech will fail, you’re just adding the burden to the buyer, right?”

2. Speaking to reporters at the launch of the new Genesis G70 sports sedan, Biermann took aim at his former employer and other German automakers, claiming they’re wasting money on technology that is only marginally useful.

3. According to Biermann, Genesis has decided to focus on simpler, more useful features that can be trusted to work for years to come. That’s partly because Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker’s cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road.

4. Biermann also thinks that at a certain point, cars get big enough that automakers should stop pretending they can be corner carvers. “If I want to sell a G90 to a U.S. customer, there are other OEMs that show their flagship car on the racetrack,” he said. “The car in the luxury car segment, they show all the racetrack talent, but which 2.2-ton (4,850-pound) luxury segment car will ever see the racetrack?”

5. “In our G90, you will not find any air suspension, or active roll-bars, or active whatever. A camera sensing the road, and this stuff. It’s stupid,” Biermann explained. “We have a solid Hyundai steel platform, tonnes of high-strength steel—okay, it’s a little bit heavier than the other cars—and we have adjustable shock absorbers, and that’s it. We still outpace the S-Class in the double lane-change in the Consumer Reports. We almost beat the BMW without all the fancy stuff.”

6. On the one hand, Biermann definitely has a point. Luxury sedans offer plenty of features that sound more exciting on paper than they are in practice, and when they break a few years down the line, fixing them can be pricey. Plus, it’s not like most luxury flagship buyers are more interested in their cornering than their ride comfort.

7. But you also have to wonder if he isn’t saying this partly because he doesn’t have the budget to invest in developing similar technologies. After all, Genesis has only been around since 2015, and launching a new luxury brand is incredibly expensive.

8. Either way, for buyers who want a luxury car that’s focused more on comfort and reliability than gimmicks, it sounds like Genesis is your brand.

>Basically that's the whole article but in short of few sentences.

Ah yes, double lane changes, that's exactly what buyers of luxury are looking for. Definitely not ride comfort.

Uhh the definition of luxury is shit you dont need. You dont need much horsepower, much safety, or even doors on an automobile. Thus, luxury features started appearing. High hp engines and awd are luxuries too, especially when FWD fulfills most peoples needs 99% of the tims.

Damn, nigga's roasting everyone. He's not just roasting the companies but the customers too.

lux·u·ry
NOUN

the state of great comfort and extravagant living:
"he lived a life of luxury"
synonyms: opulence · luxuriousness · sumptuousness · grandeur · magnificence · splendor · lavishness · the lap of luxury · a bed of roses · (the land of) milk and honey · the life of Riley


Luxury is not pointless gimmick features, its an elevated level of refinement, of quality. Luxury cars are not luxurious because they have a feature list full of useless electronics. They are luxury cars because design, materials, and comfort is above and beyond that of the norm.

Looks like he's brought oldschool sensibility with him into the company, which is good.

Tbh I'd get a newer Genesis over a BMW or any other just because it looks nicer.

Dude used to make M cars for a living, he's not some gook

Well he's not wrong

My dad probably only uses like 10% of the features in his S Class. Damn thing can parallel park itself but he's not interested in that sort of thing and relies on himself and the parking sensors at best
Still uses an AUX input as well

>That’s partly because Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker’s cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road
That's pretty dope, if they won't cost a lot of money to maintain.

see
Stuff like BMW's gesture controls are total fucking cancer

>Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker’s cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road.
Finally, a company that does not believe in planned obsolescence
> If the tech will fail, you’re just adding the burden to the buyer, right?”
Got some pretty big guts to say that while working in the luxury car business. But true nevertheless.

I agree with him. I like hearing about gimmicks but I really don't need my car to feel like a concept vehicle. There's no bigger comfort than being sure your shit won't break down and not thinking about how your car is losing value by the second.
And I completely agree on the performance aspect. If you go to a track often enough for it to matter you'll probably get a cheap shitter to beat on.

But do 10 year old hyundais drive like they did when new? Last new hyundai I tried felt like a 10 year old car already.

My dad's 325i got fancy navigation and all that shit but he still uses his phone with Waze stuck in the dash.

10 year old hyundais were significantly worse than the ones they're pumping out now

And you're expecting a $80k Genesis to have the same build quality as a $20k Sonata or something. The cheap cars are designed by gooks, the expensive cars are designed by veteran Germans

>chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker’s cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road.

Why would they want this (from a chairman point of view)?
Does the average car buyer and especially the one who buys "luxury" cars still care about durability? Don't they just sell the car every 3 years?

Sorry but it is really hard to believe there are still car makers that care about the condition of their cars when they reached shitbox status.

Car navigation is so retarded TBQH. I once did a test with my mom on a long drive and it took us through buttfuck nowhere. Instead of pointing us to the highway that led directly from the city we were in to our destination (practically a straight line) we went through a ton of small villages until we just said fuck it and turned it off. The villages and roads were surprisingly nice though. I ain't even mad.

Because they want credibility. Having a reliable car doesn't mean everyone just buys one and keeps it forever, it means they build up brand loyalty. They build up a reputation, and its reputation that largely drives sales.

Builds a better reputation for their cars in the long run. Think about how Japanese manufacturers made stupidly reliable cars when they were first introduced compared to domestic stuff where people accepted the fact that it was normal to fix your car every other weekend

And look at how old Mercedes was renown for building durable shit

It may cost them early on but it pays off in the long run. Hyundai and Kia already built a reputation with their fans for their long warranties

Good thing shit like Android Auto exists now

Yeah I was surprised to see that this guy was the one behind M cars. I mean from his words it's almost evident that he obviously wanted reliability but his superior officers weren't listening to him and constantly told him to STFU about reliability and value.

The cars might not depreciate as fast, since they're not massive money pits like Mercs or Jags. Also it builds brand image.

Better depreciation builds brand loyaty and desirability. Its a long-haul strategy rather than chasing current trends like what most automakers are doing now with EV and automated driving.

reminder Genesis isn't going to produce performance model as it views ICE technology as '''outdated'''
motor1.com/news/180727/no-genesis-n-models-planned/

>Sorry but it is really hard to believe there are still car makers that care about the condition of their cars when they reached shitbox status.
Lexus exists and gained that brand image just because their cars are a solid choice when it comes to reliability, dependability and repair costs. Of course every car depreciates but Lexus cars go slower but luxury is still luxury even if you get a 2007 Lexus LS for 8k.
Why don't you people don't actually allow companies to be good? The fact that a company will "care about the condition of their cars" even after years is a great fact.

Good thing the Koreans invest all their money on design

>motor1.com/news/180727/no-genesis-n-models-planned/
At least they are planning a GT coupe, which is seriously cool.

But holy shit do I love the side profile of the G70!

People only buy performance models because of brand and badge, makes no sense to make a sub-brand within a sub-brand

And everyone's chasing electric

He's not wrong, there's a reason why people like old bmw more than modern

/our_boys/ aren't

Mazda themselves said their new engines are just a stop gap and that electric in inevitable

Mazda also said that EV sellers were basically deceiving the public, and liquid fuel isn't going away.

>outshekel the germans and steal their lead designers
>reproduce luxury cars without most of the bloat
>designing cars for real human beans instead of a 3rd sheet to tape onto the dealer's window feature list
are Mazda and Genesis /ourguys/?

Not gonna lie, I like where they're going.

They certainly have the most based execs.

totally copied guilia front fender lmao

The entire design is derivative of the other luxury cars in the market, but it somehow does it better

I'm getting 4-Series GC vibes if anything, but cleaner somehow.

once they start coming up with their own body ddesigns instead of taking other cars and tweaking it just enough to be considered different i think theyll end up dominating the import luxury market

>but it somehow does it better
Claims to go where no claims have gone before.

I'm not too worried about that, Lexus essentially started by building Mercedes clones too.

Everyone seems to forget this

Not even memeing. The Genesis looks so happy while the Audi looks like it wants to skull fuck my mother

The Genesis lights look a little goofy if you stare at them for a minute, but over all its a pretty competent looking sedan.

key word being "started"

Yeah, and Genesis is just starting right now. Give 'em one or two generations to build up some prestige, and they'll be able to get away with making cars that look different from the rest of the segment.

>Gooks hire an Audi designer to design their new luxury cars
>people are shocked when the gook luxury cars look like Audis

no, luxury is comfort and extravagance.

Rolls Royce including a customizable dashboard gallery, is luxury. including a customized whiskey decanter and matching glasses in the back, is luxury. Seats made from actual hand-stitched leather made to the custom specifications of the customer's back, is luxury. adding Tv screens for the back seats, and an automated butt scratcher is not luxury. it's a gimmick.

this isn't the 90's anymore, where having a GPS was a high tier luxury item you were lucky to find in a car, and having a car phone in the Lincoln was a big deal.

tech is fickle in our rapid progress society. Just filling cars with tech that will easily break, and cost a lot to fix, and will be outdated in 2 years, is gimmicky, not luxury.

an 80's or 70's Benz or Rolls is still luxurious today, because they were focused on LUXURY, not gimmicks. And proper luxury is something that will hold up 2 decades from now, even if tastes have changed.

>Does the average car buyer and especially the one who buys "luxury" cars still care about durability? Don't they just sell the car every 3 years?
well that's a question that depends on the person.

just like a normal car buyer. if you have the money to buy a new car, will you? or do you stick to the one you have because it's reliable and you really like it?

there's some older rich guys that still have their 70's luxury cars because they really like them. they might buy a SECOND one, but they keep the first one.

well at least he admits that Ev tech is just pompous luxury bullshit and ICE is for plebians

>Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker’s cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road.

Based Chung. He's the hero we needed.

Creating a long term brand reputation that people will respect. The same thing that over time allowed Toyota and Mercedes to become the massive players they are today. It's not like people stopped buying new Camrys or S-Classes because older models still ran well.

>Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker’s cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road.
While the CEOs of all other car manufactures wants to steal money of the customers and not let the engineers do their job. Fucking great job, Hyundai

>Veeky Forums in the year 2025
>buy the 3k accent meme
>hyundai reliability
>remember when the Nips made good cars?
>which one is more bloated, Acura or BMW?

I'm 1 part worried 2 parts excited, the future is now.

Don't get worried. At least Genesis is striving to be the best of all. Also I really hope Lexus doesn't go to shit. I really want Lexus and Genesis at the top of the game. All other German brands have turned into this disgusting money sucking leeches.

>“We have a solid Hyundai steel platform, tonnes of high-strength steel
I don't understand how having their own steel changes anything. Can anyone enlighten?

I assume it's them being confident in their chassis, and using traditional shocks/struts instead of pneumatic/finicky air electronic systems like the VAGinas or BMW. Hopefully the hype lives up to the goods.

They're boasting about strength and rigidity of the frame. Going by their crash test ratings they're obviously doing something right.

Building the car that people should want rather than the car they actually do want is a losing strategy. I wish it wasn't, but marketing gimmicks work for a reason.

Lexus pulled it off

RWD v6 Mazda6 when?

Yeah, but the foundation of Germans is all about having a history of making history. There's only one reason the world's first automakers remains first in innovation. Benz said it best: "The love of inventing never dies." They are just the pioneers of innovation.

Of course, the new tech will break down, but Germans have a big pair to getting new shits into production. The buyers wants the new tech, then Germans are the best candidates in this area.

Got you both. Thank you.

>They are just the pioneers of innovation
Yeah innovations that last for a month.

Is that a cyclops light in the grille?

Well, then companies like BMW, Audi and the Mercedes must be able to give free maintenance for the tech inside the car that is obvious to go wrong. Because when people spec em up, they expect it to work for life.

No it isn't. It's something like lane keeping assist.

Others are using aluminum to lighten things up.

Dammit I got my hopes up.

Used G90s are selling for anywhere from 49k to 70k with all of that luxury. Jesus, this is one heck of a deal. Why isn't Genesis the best already?!

so a car for people not interested in driving? i'll pass, thank you

Logically speaking all full size luxury cars are meant for the passenger to enjoy in but today all full size lux cars have a lot of driving dynamics in them. I'm sure the G90 is also not short of that because they focused on more comfort and value.

it's probably not bad or anything, but it's more like... volvo than BMW i guess? There isn't anything wrong with being a volvo, its just not very interesting

>80K Genesis

Eighty grand for a fucking Hyundai? I mean I realize that I probably sound like the people who said, *insert price for a Lexus in their early days* for a Toyota in the 90s, but damn seems like a bit much, but if they can bring the quality then sure, guess we'll have to see really, hopefully they can.

why do people think the interior of this 70k car looks good? that "wood" looks like its made of play dough and the clock is cringy.

Yeah, Volvo is a bit below in driving dynamics but that shouldn't be a factor where you do not choose them because the media already makes the people convince that it is a "boring car to drive" just because it doesn't perform well enough like the others do. The new Volvo S90 doesn't have paddle-shifters, so people comes to the conclusion that it's not so good at driving. It's doing it's job of rewarding the passenger with utter comfort but people have been injected with shit like "more tech means more innovation." I really do think it's just stupid that these companies just follow on tech and waste their precious resource, the money on and the features are only going to get used like once and to show on a commercial. Albert really is making an important point to the luxury car industry.

Why don't you just stop being a badgewhore and accept this is what value is called?

First off, new volvos are god damn gorgeous. But its just not my kind of car i guess

>the money on and the features are only going to get used like once and to show on a commercial

i dunno, if it's useful and all it will probably be used. Im not even sure how much stuff is in new car like that

>Actually more hyped over the new suzuki swift

Volvos are generally well-crafted cars, but I've never been comfortable in one. Plus they stopped being reliable in the '90s.

Audi is suuuuper ugly

i'm not a badge whore. people shit on caddys and ugly ford interiors for the base model plastics, yet this cringe volcano flys? the goofy steering wheel alone is a tragedy

The difference is "luxury" vs "comfort".

"luxury" cars are stupid, "comfy" cars are great.

I agree with him. All that dumb shit is why you can buy a $130k MB 10 years later for less than a 20 year old f-150.

Nah thats because of an oversupply on the used market.

Mechanically they're okay these days, but their electronics are a shitshow and offering nothing but a crappy I4 across their entire range is a joke.

Yeah like wtf. The same fucking engine with different power across the whole fucking line up. What the hell was Volvo thinking. Emissions and bullshit?

>Emissions and bullshit?
Exactly that.

>Americans never pioneered anything t. Western Yuropeon
Westies are such fucking hacks
t. Eastern Europoor

>measuring bar for luxury cars is called something other than S-Class
I am sorry Hans, but the LS took that one long time ago

>former
And now we know why

why not? you get 320 hp from the T6 and 410 from the T8. the i4 is enough

Underrated post desu

I gotta agree.

Shit like built in navigation, lane departure whatever, and all that superfluous technology is pointless. The old codgers who can actually afford these cars are too old to understand any of that, and never use it. Worse, systems like navigation which require updates are useless as soon as warranty/service expires. And depreciation of these techno-luxury cars is only equaled by the cost of maintenance once the warranty is up - these cars are completely consumed before the odometer reaches 6 digits.

Expensive brands like Mercedes used to stand for something. Now they are just status symbols for their asshole clienteles' pissing contest.

Give me an early 70s Cadillac (LS swapped) luxo-barge over the current crop of so-called German luxury cars.

You realize Albert Biermann was one of the most important people in the development of the E30 M3, right?