Look out, Range Rover and Mercedes. Genesis is coming for you.

The Genesis Gran Equator will not just be a new SUV; rather, it will be a new type of SUV from the Korean luxury brand. The Gran Equator will take Genesis in a new direction, moving away from its street-focused SUVs. Instead, it will enter the rougher terrain currently occupied by Range Rover and Mercedes.

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Genesis has done a fantastic job building Bentleys for the masses. For example, ooze your butt into the quilted leather seats of one of its current SUVs and take in the colors, materials, and metal accents. Clearly, the manufacturer will offer you Rodeo Drive cachet for Ventura Boulevard prices. However, that approach steers it away from a large segment of the luxury SUV market. This segment is occupied by go-anywhere luxe SUVs like Land Rover’s Range Rover and the Mercedes G-Class. After all, high-end luxury is fundamentally about doing whatever you want, whenever you want. You might never take your family glamping in Moab, yet if you own a Range Rover, you could. With a Genesis GV90? Not so much.

The X Gran Equator concept, launched at the 2025 New York International Auto Show, previews the Genesis SUV that can do it all. Compared to existing Genesis SUVs, the design is simpler and less ornate. Furthermore, it is clearly off-road-focused, featuring big, knobby tires and plenty of ground clearance. We particularly like the bulging fenders with their narrow lip extensions. Lots of SUVs use massive plastic cladding to indicate off-road abilities they don’t possess. In contrast, the Gran Equator sends the same visual message as the Range Rover: If you have it, you don’t need to shout about it.

What you see here is a concept. Nevertheless, we see the production version of the Gran Equator, if it makes it to production, following the same theme. There’s something distinctly American in the long hood and upright pillars. Specifically, these characteristics remind us of the 1970s International Scout and 1980s Jeep Wagoneer. Similarly, the interior uses a big column shifter that would do an old Suburban proud. Crucially, it features simple, round gauges with no massive screen to be seen.