Ram and Genesis headline a quiet NYC line-up

While it remains a staple fixture on the automotive event calendar, the New York auto show tends to play second fiddle to the larger Detroit-based NAIAS. There were a handful of launches and model refreshes shown last week, but it was news out of Ram Truck and Genesis that caught our eye.

The Ram 1500 REV is a big model for the Stellantis-owned brand as it plays catch up in the electric pick-up truck race – Ford already has the Lightning, while Chevrolet will soon roll out the Silverado EV and GMC the Sierra EV. Ram originally showed a concept of the electric 1500 at CES in January – featured in the latest issue of Interior Motives – which in hindsight looks pretty close to production-readiness. It is a sturdy looking thing that will surely appeal to the pick-up crowd in much the same way the ICE models do.

Mark Trostle, vice president of Ram Design, told Interior Motives that it was about sticking to the brand’s core values and the mantra of “no spaceships” ensured that the concept (and now the production model) carried traditional proportions: “We certainly wanted to take the opportunity to push it proportionally, aesthetically, but we still wanted to retain the soul of our brand.”

The truck is built on one of Stellantis’ shared platforms, STLA Frame, which is designed specifically for full-size EVs featuring a body-on-frame design. It is wider in the middle to house the battery pack safely, while a full-length aero belly pan helps to create what Ram describes as “the segment’s most slippery truck” with an “estimated” .340 drag coefficient.

Terms such as “contemporary” and “bold” certainly seem fitting. Relatively clean surfacing on the sides is countered by a more aggressive front end, characterised by the ‘tuning fork’ LED headlights, wide grille and 20” to 22” wheels. Inside, and the cabin is described as the benchmark for truck interiors with a mix of authentic, premium materials.

While this could well be a work vehicle, trucks like these are generally seen as a luxury purchase and so although attention was paid to durability, it is primarily about comfort and aesthetics. A quite traditional trio of carbon fibre, leather and metal combines with a new 14.5” touch screen on the dash, flanked by a slightly smaller 12” driver display behind the wheel.

While Ram will be keen to get both new and existing truck enthusiasts on side with the new electric 1500 – championing a quiet, fast powertrain that can go the distance – the press release does also include an extensive section that lauds the performance of its diesel trucks.

Over at Hyundai Motor Group, its luxury arm Genesis is teasing a new variant of the GV80 full-size SUV. Although a concept for now, we understand that the GV80 Coupe is fairly close to being production ready and was given a public outing in New York for the first time in a dramatic “magma” coloured exterior.

Inspired partly by the Speedium concept (which we saw in Seoul last year, as it happens) the GV80 coupe concept sports familiar ‘Two Line’ taillights that bleed into the rear quarter panel before sharply cutting off at an angle. Unlike the Speedium, the taillights also span the full width of the car like twin light bars. The theme continues at the front, with a prominent front grille separating dual headlights at either corner.

Although this is clearly in the crossover mould, it does justify its coupe suffix. Its long bonnet combines with a ducktail rear boot spoiler, again a clear influence from the Speedium, creating what Genesis describes as a “sporty character.” Heavily flared wheel arches are filled well by chunky five-spoke forged aluminum wheels; Luc Donckerwolke, Group Chief Creative Officer, has spoken about his fascination with wheel design, and that certainly seems evident with this project.

If the exterior design subtly hints at its performance credentials, the interior shouts about it. Passengers get four bucket seats with carbon fibre back rests, and there is even visible bracing behind the second row.

Sporty SUVs are nothing new and the general idea is to blend the driving dynamics of a sporty coupe or sedan with the ride height, space and comfort of a luxury SUV. The same is true for this show car, but there is more to the design story than simply following industry trends.

“At its inception, the Genesis brand began creating luxury sedans, which evolved into the G70, G80, and G90 models,” notes Donckerwolke in the associate release. “Over the past seven years, we have added more lifestyle-oriented models to the portfolio, such as our GV80 and GV70 SUVs. Now we are pushing the envelope with more emotional cars that elevate Genesis’ performance and dynamic attributes.”

It’s Shanghai up next in the motor show calendar, so we will report back on the latest as it happens out there. With so much activity among Chinese brands of late, we expect it will be domestic-heavy as usual but perhaps with more of a European flavour as design studios pop up on the Continent.