The first model from Hyundai’s new luxury brand - the Genesis G90 - has been unveiled in Detroit.

The new model is the flagship of the brand’s line-up and will compete at the top of the premium luxury car segment. It features ‘world-class technological innovations and the highest levels of refinement, convenience and dynamic performance’ according to Hyundai.

Created by the new Prestige Design Division, the G90 represents the brand’s ‘Athletic Elegance’ design theme. The silhouette is described as both powerful and refined, with its prominent bonnet, generous wheelbase and minimised overhangs. Inside the cabin, fine materials and textures from top automotive suppliers meet human-centered ergonomics to provide occupants with ‘absolute convenience and luxurious comfort’. At the front a ‘CREST’ grille features the winged Genesis emblem. Available with full-LED signature headlights (V8 model) they flow from fascia to wing – a key design element of the new Genesis brand. On the lower fascia, standard LED Daytime Running Lights add to the distinctive illumination signature.

The new saloon features GENESIS SMART SENSE, a suite of active driver safety technologies. These cover the full spectrum of safety says Hyundai, from driver alertness and focus to total occupant safety, and even the safety of other drivers around you. This suite brings together systems such as Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Smart Cruise Control, Smart Blind Spot Detection and Lane Keep Assist.

The G90’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) uses sensor fusion technology to help avoid a potential collision or reduce its impact. With this system, the car will employ automatic braking when it detects another vehicle or pedestrian at an unsafe closing rate of speed. This system uses the front radar from the Smart Cruise Control system and the forward camera from the Lane Keep Assist (LKA) to provide this extra margin of safety.

Hyundai says G90 owners will ‘immediately notice’ the highest standards of refined performance and describes these characteristics as central to the Genesis brand, adding that ‘even with this sporty and responsive character, the G90 interior environment remains well-mannered’. Power comes from either an all-new 3.3-litre direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V6 or the Tau 5.0-litre direct-injected V8 for ultimate power.

The Genesis brand was created for a new generation of discerning consumers, which will see six new Genesis models launched by 2020.