Genesis introduced the second-generation G90 a little over a year ago, and while it may seem a facelift is already on the way, that’s not the case. Instead, the prototype wears camouflage at the front to hide sensors necessary for an upcoming major feature – LiDAR. An acronym for “light detection and ranging” or “laser imaging, detection, and ranging,” the new hardware will enable the fullsize sedan to have a level 3 autonomous driving system.
While the Lotus Eletre and Volvo EX90 electric SUVs from Geely have the sensors mounted on the roof, Hyundai’s luxury brand will be doing things differently. Genesis will mount them on the large grille, above two of the parking sensors. In case you don’t see the bulges, we’ve marked them out in one of the attached spy shots. It remains to be seen how obtrusive they will be once the disguise is going to be removed, possibly in the coming months.
For the time being, we’re getting the impression that LiDAR is better integrated as the sensors don’t stick out as much. The Genesis G90 won’t be the first production car to have the LiDAR incorporated in the front fascia as the Lucid Air has a similar setup, with the sensor mounted in the lower grille. Expect more and more vehicles to rely on this technology for sophisticated self-driving systems, including the Polestar 3 and the recently spotted Lotus sedan.
Genesis won’t be the only member of the Hyundai Group to offer a level 3 setup as the upcoming Kia EV9 has already been confirmed to receive a Highway Driving Pilot (HDP). Expect the technology to trickle down in the coming years to smaller and more affordable models. In the meantime, logic tells us the Hyundai Ioniq 7 due in 2024 and the yet-to-be-announced Genesis GV90 are likely candidates to get the LiDAR.
