In an unusual move, Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury division, chose the United Arab Emirates as the stage to unveil a series of off-road concept models, led by the X Skorpio. This is an off-road monster powered by a large gasoline engine with not a drop of electrification, something considered today as politically incorrect as it gets in Europe.
The Black Scorpion is an extreme yet luxurious SUV, equipped with a V8 engine producing 1,115 horsepower and 117.6 kgm of torque. It rides on 18-inch wheels wrapped in 40-inch off-road tires. Generous approach and departure angles combined with a short wheelbase create serious off-road potential. Unlike Dakar-style off-road monsters, the cabin features leather seats, but inspired by the world of racing, the screen has been moved to the passenger-navigator’s side.
“The X Skorpio concept is tailored to the car culture and lifestyle of the Middle East, where off-road racing and recreational driving, often at high speeds while navigating airborne jumps, are a favorite pastime,” the Koreans enthuse in the press release. They claim that the Black Scorpion, a name chosen to reference one of the few animals capable of surviving in the desert, is the classic vehicle for the Rub’ al Khali, the “Empty Quarter,” a vast sand desert stretching across the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Alongside it, raised off-road versions of the GV60, GV70, and GV80 were also revealed.
Genesis has made no commitment to produce any of the models, although the idea of a luxurious and extreme off-road vehicle is waiting for one of the major manufacturers to adopt it. The primary goal is to increase presence in one of the wealthiest automotive markets, and among the last that are still not particularly sensitive to fuel consumption and air pollution, when driving between oil wells. That said, regulators in the Emirates are trying to tighten requirements in this field and align with Europe.