Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 3 hrs ago
Genesis develops six-year hinge system for pillarless GV90 doors
Genesis developed a new hinge for the GV90 Neolun, a luxury vehicle with doors that open without a central pillar between them.
The system moves the rear door outward by sliding it, then turns it open, so it does not interfere with the front door or intrude into the cabin.
The development took six years, beginning in 2019, and Genesis says engineers looked beyond the car industry for ideas.
Without a central pillar, the vehicle needs extra measures to secure the doors and reinforce the body around the wide opening.
Company tests found the roof withstood more than 14 tonnes of force in a rollover-style test, and a side-impact test left at least 320 millimetres of passenger space.
Genesis plans more demanding rollover testing, along with evaluations using 40 vehicles, more than 300 airbag tests and checks by outside organisations.
Genesis developed a dual-motion hinge for the pillarless coach doors of the GV90 Neolun, with development taking six years from 2019 to production.
The hinge lets the rear door slide outward and then rotate, allowing the front and rear doors to open independently without intruding into the cabin.
Genesis also developed door latches, soft-closing technology and structural reinforcements for the pillarless design.
Hyundai Motor Group’s internal tests found the roof could withstand more than 14 ton-force in a rollover test.
The company presented the engineering at a GV90 Tech Day in Incheon on October 27.
- Who
- Genesis developed the system for the GV90 Neolun.
- What
- A dual-motion hinge enables the pillarless coach doors to slide and rotate as they open.
- When
- Development began in 2019 and took six years to reach production.
- Where
- The system is fitted to the GV90 Neolun. The technology was discussed at a Tech Day in Incheon.
- Why
- To let the front and rear doors open independently without interfering with each other or reducing cabin space.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Genesis began developing the dual-motion hinge.
Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Eui-sun spoke at the GV90 world premiere in San Francisco about the challenges of trying something for the first time.
Genesis discussed the hinge and other GV90 engineering at a Tech Day in Incheon.
The dual-motion hinge reached production.
- Development start
- 2019
- Development period
- 6 years
- Door weight
- 70 kg
- Rollover roof test
- More than 14 ton-force
- Side-impact test
- At least 320 mm of occupant survival space
- Rooftop airbag deployment
- 0.08 seconds across 1,400 mm
What people are saying
There had been no case of combining swing and sliding to open a door automatically; we found the answer outside the automotive industry.
We considered sliding internally to open the large door stably, but it did not suit the prestige of a luxury flagship.
Our researchers worked very hard.
Like artisans concentrating for a long time to shape a moon jar, the GV90 holds the time and effort of many developers.