Hyundai wants to get Genesis to India, but awaits tariff clarity

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. wants to debut its luxury brand Genesis in India next year or the year after, but is awaiting clarity on import duties on fully built cars, two people aware of the plans said, at a time its sales have slowed in the world's third-largest auto market.

- Ayaan Kartik

The company is considering launching the GV80 luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) and the G80 full-sized sedan as its Indian subsidiary struggles to fend off competition from Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd., the people said on the condition of anonymity.

"Whether to import completely built units or completely knocked down (CKDs) units and assemble them here will be decided once there is clarity on tariffs," one of the people cited above said.

The entry of Genesis, along with plans to launch 26 new models by 2030, could bolster the portfolio of Hyundai's Indian unit, the country's second-largest carmaker, which saw sales fall in FY25.

Currently, completely built units (CBUs) attract an effective tariff of 110% in the country, while CKDs—cars broken down into individual parts and then shipped in for assembly in India—face an effective duty of 16.5%.