You've probably seen the grainy spy shots by now. A massive, purple-interiored SUV sitting in a field or a testing lot, with its doors swung wide open like a grand cathedral. No B-pillar in sight. Just a giant, yawning chasm of luxury. That’s the Genesis GV90, and honestly, it’s doing something even Rolls-Royce hasn't quite dared to do with a modern SUV.
While the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has rear-hinged doors, it still keeps that thick metal pillar in the middle for structural support. Genesis? They're basically deleting it.
The Genesis GV90 coach door setup isn't just a party trick. It's a massive engineering headache that the Korean brand is determined to turn into a status symbol. If you're looking at the luxury EV market for 2026, this is the one feature that changes the "prestige" conversation from "How much did it cost?" to "How did they actually build that?"
Why the Genesis GV90 Coach Door is a Big Deal
Most cars use a B-pillar. It's that vertical post between the front and rear doors that keeps the roof from crushing you in a rollover. When Genesis showed off the Neolun concept in early 2024, everyone assumed those center-opening "coach doors" were just concept car fluff.
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They weren't.
Luc Donkerwolke, the Chief Creative Officer at Genesis, basically went on record saying that if they were going to do a flagship, it had to be a "true" flagship. No half-measures. To make a B-pillarless SUV work, Genesis had to get creative with metallurgy. Since there’s no post in the middle, the doors themselves have to act as the structural "bones" of the car when they're latched shut.
The Engineering Behind the "Suicide" Swing
The term "suicide doors" is a bit grim, but it's what people call them because of the old-school fear that they’d fly open at high speeds. To prevent that—and to pass modern crash tests—Genesis filed several patents. One is for a "Cinching Device for Door Latches." Basically, it’s a high-tech motorized system that uses a lead screw to pull the doors tight against the frame.
It’s not just about a soft-close click. It’s about creating a seal so tight that the car regains its structural rigidity the moment it's closed.
- Reinforced Hinges: The rear hinges are massive. They have to support the weight of a heavy, armored-spec door without sagging over time.
- Safety Interlocks: You won't be able to just "pop" these at 60 mph. The software prevents the motors from engaging unless the vehicle is fully stationary.
- The "Limo" Variant: Word on the street—and by "street," I mean leaked internal presentation slides from late 2025—is that the coach doors might only come on a special "Executive" or "Exclusive" trim.
Standard models will likely have regular doors because, let's be real, coach doors are a nightmare in tight Costco parking lots. You need space to swing those beauties open.
Interior Vibes: More Lounge, Less Car
When those coach doors swing open, you aren't just looking at a backseat. You’re looking at a living room. The latest spy shots from November 2025 showed a "Purple Silk" and "Royal Indigo" interior that looks more like a high-end boutique hotel than a Hyundai product.
Because there’s no B-pillar blocking the view, the ingress is "graceful." You don't slide into the GV90; you sort of just... walk in.
Real World Specs and Expectations
We’re looking at a June 2026 production start at the new Ulsan EV factory. Genesis is aiming for the top of the food chain here.
- Platform: It's built on the new "eM" platform (part of the Integrated Modular Architecture).
- Range: Expect 300 to 400 miles, though real-world highway driving in a brick-shaped SUV will likely bite into that.
- Price: The standard GV90 might start around $100,000, but the one with the coach doors? You're looking at $150,000 or more.
That puts it in direct competition with the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV and the upcoming electric Range Rover. It’s a bold move for a brand that was selling rebadged Hyundais not that long ago.
The Reality Check: Is It Practical?
Honestly, probably not. Coach doors are the ultimate "look at me" feature. If you have a chauffeur, they’re amazing. If you're a parent trying to grab a toddler out of a car seat while parked between two F-150s, you're going to hate them.
There's also the weight. All that extra bracing in the doors and the floor pan to compensate for the missing pillar adds mass. In an EV, mass is the enemy of range. Genesis is betting that the people buying a $150k SUV care more about the "red carpet arrival" than whether they get 3.2 or 2.8 miles per kilowatt-hour.
What’s Next for the GV90?
We’re expecting a full, non-camouflaged reveal any day now, likely at a major international auto show. The delay into mid-2026 was reportedly due to fine-tuning the Level 3 autonomous driving software. Genesis wants this thing to drive itself on the highway while you sit in those swivel seats (yes, they’re trying to make swivel seats happen too) and enjoy the B-pillarless view.
If you’re planning to put a deposit down, here is the move:
Check the Garage Clearance: Measure your width. These doors need room. If you have a narrow two-car garage, the coach door version might be a non-starter.
Follow the "eM" Platform News: This is the first car on this architecture. Any news about battery density or motor efficiency for the eM platform will apply directly to the GV90.
Watch the Trim Levels: If you want the coach doors, you likely have to go for the "Exclusive" four-seat layout. If you need a third row for kids, you'll probably be stuck with conventional doors. You can't have both.
The Genesis GV90 coach door is a flex. It's Genesis proving they can out-engineer the Germans and out-style the British. Whether it survives the reality of 2026’s cooling EV market is another story, but for now, it's the most interesting thing on four wheels.