| Hyundai Motor's Genesis GV80 / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor |
By Nam Hyun-woo
Hyundai Motor's luxury Genesis GV80 SUV is becoming a headache for the carmaker as its diesel model has displayed a series of powertrain issues.
Debuted in January this year, the GV80 is the first SUV of the Genesis brand, bearing strategic importance for the brand's growth. However, as glitches continue to be reported, doubts are growing over Hyundai's diesel powertrain technology that is struggling to meet enhanced environmental regulations.
According to data from Rep. Yang Yiwonyoung of the Democratic Party of Korea, Tuesday, the GV80 barely passed the Ministry of Environment's emissions test, which caused a delay in its launch from November last year to January this year.
In the data obtained from the ministry, Hyundai Motor applied for the GV80's emissions certification in September, submitting the company's own test results that showed the vehicle emits 0.0522 grams of nitrogen oxides (NOx) per kilometer, which is 45.78 percent of the ministry's cutoff of 0.114 grams per kilometer.
In the ministry's verification tests, however, the vehicle emitted 0.186 grams per kilometer, which is 163.15 percent of the cutoff, and failed to pass. Hyundai Motor postponed the launch to find the cause, which was determined to be a temporary error in the vehicle's electric water pump.
In the second trial, the ministry tested two GV80s ― the one tested previously and another that had the problem rectified ― and their emissions were 99.13 percent and 96.49 percent of the limit, barely winning certification.
Yang said, however, the vehicles' emissions were no better than violating emission regulations, given that aging emission reduction devices display less efficacy over time. The tested vehicles' mileages were below 10,000 kilometers, thus it was apparent that the vehicles' emissions will surpass the cutoff soon after their sale he noted.
“Hyundai Motor generally aims to achieve 50 to 60 percent of the emissions standard when it is developing new vehicles, and the GV80 aimed to achieve 90 percent,” Yang said citing an unnamed Hyundai Motor official. “However, the GV80 passed the test with up to 99.13 percent. Depending on traffic conditions, the vehicles could have violated the standard.”
This is not the first time that the GV80 has experienced a setback in sales. Since June, delivery of the vehicles has been halted for nearly two months after their diesel engines displayed intermittent vibration issues, something confirmed by Hyundai Motor.
Last month, Hyundai Motor launched a recall of 8,783 GV80s based on the risk of engine stalls. Since its launch in January, the vehicle has faced eight recalls, four of them for issues related to engines.
“Diesel vehicles boasted their fuel efficiency and power in the past, but are now losing ground due to strengthening environmental regulations,” YangYi said. “Carmakers are making various efforts to reduce diesel vehicles' emissions but are also increasingly facing technological limits. It is time to kick out diesel vehicles.”
Hyundai Motor refused to comment.