Now Who's Copying Whom?

[thebells]

Anybody see the August issue of MotorTrend? Page 18 has a couple of pictures of the 2014 S Class MB and that front end looks a whole lot like my 2012 Genny, eyebrows and all. The backend certainly favors her a bit as well. Glad to see them going away from their sharp edge designs....

I guess since Genny's design is supposedly a copy of several of its competitors, they will claim that theirs is simply an evolution of something that Hyundai previously copied.

Works for me...keeps mine looking fresh.

 

[Jimmmmbo!]

Yes, I noticed that a few weeks ago. I thought the same as you did.

I can't say that Hyundai originated the concept, but it is definitely odd to suddenly see this design trending in an upscale car ...

 

[YEH]

The MB F800 Style concept - which is the basis for the new MB designs definitely has a bit of Hyundai's fluidic sculpture in it, esp. up front with the headlight design.

People have made way too much of the Genesis grill "ripping off" Benz simply b/c it has a center divider.

Aside from the fact that the center dividers are diff., the grill slats are different as well (Hyundai starting the whole "surfacing" of the grill slats which many others (esp. Chrysler w/ the 300 and 200) have run with.

And also numerous automakers/brands have used a center divider on the grill (Cadillac as recently as in the 1990s), and it was pretty standard during the '20s thru the '40s.

In addition, MB also uses numerous grill designs w/o the center divider for the grill designs with the oversized MB star at the center w/ either 1, 2 or 3 grill slats (which many other automakers also do).

The whole comparison of the Genesis to MB is really for those who really don't follow automotive design.

Otoh, comparison of the Genesis to BMW was much more on point due to the greenhouse w/ the Hofmeister kink (altho BMW didn't originate that design element).

But basically almost every automaker has utilized the Hofmeister kink at some time or another; Honda continued to use it on the Accord which is why w/ its new taillight design the new Accord looks eerily similar to the Genesis from the side/rear (Honda also uses it for the RLX and seemingly will also do so for the TLX).