Luxury car brand poised to open twin-level 'studio' showroom in heart of Edinburgh

Premium car brand Genesis is gearing up to open its first Scottish “studio” outlet in a move that creates a dozen jobs.

The new outlet, situated across three units over two floors in Edinburgh’s upmarket Multrees Walk, is set to open its doors on July 10. The Korean car brand launched in the UK in 2021 with the opening of retail studio concepts in shopping centres, the first in Westfield London, followed by the converted Battersea Power Station, also in London, in 2022.

The new “contemporary gallery style” studio, featuring the likes of the “Electrified” GV70 SUV, is said to be inspired by Korean architecture and minimalist interior design and is located next to Max Mara. Multrees Walk, located just to the east side of St Andrew Square, opened in 2002 with the launch of Harvey Nichols, which is its only site in Scotland, and continues to welcome international designers and brands. The street is home to luxury retailers including Louis Vuitton, Canada Goose, Burberry and Johnstons of Elgin.

Andrew Pilkington, managing director at Genesis Motors UK, sponsor of the Scottish Open golf tournament, said: “This is our first studio opening outside of London and just goes to demonstrate the importance of the Scottish market to the Genesis brand. While we initially launched in London and the south-east of England, some of our first sales in the UK were in Scotland. We are looking forward to welcoming new guests to the brand, demonstrating our unique hospitality focus on Multrees Walk, as well as seeing more Genesis cars on the road in Scotland.”

Leigh Aitchison, centre manager at Multrees Walk, added: “Genesis will enhance the existing offering of luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Harvey Nichols and Burberry and we look forward to the opening of the impressively designed studio on July 10.”

Genesis is the luxury vehicle division of the South Korean vehicle manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company. The brand was officially announced as an independent marque towards the end of 2015. Genesis models are designed in Germany, Korea and the US and produced in Korea. In 2021, the brand unveiled its first production electric vehicle, the Electrified G80.