A few days ago we reported that the stunning Genesis Essentia concept had received the production green light. Considering the report came from Motor Trend, which quoted Genesis North America chief Erwin Raphael as saying the automaker was committed to the car and strongly hinted to at least a limited production run, perhaps by around 2021-2022, it seemed pretty solid. However, it now appears Raphael was speaking without the necessary corporate approval. Jalopnik reached out to Genesis to seek confirmation and a spokeswoman's response was quite telling.

"Genesis is pursuing the feasibility of Essentia - but as of now, there's no production confirmation," she said. "Some reporters may have gotten ahead of themselves based on speculation. No timelines to share at this time."

Does this mean the Essentia will remain a concept only? No. Does this mean production will eventually happen? Unknown, but at least Genesis is not closing the door completely. If we had to take a guess, we'd say a limited production run is being planned, but Genesis has yet to work out various specifics. These include a platform and powertrain, design modifications (there's no way that glass canopy will reach production as is), and above all, a business case. But Genesis also told us at New York they were highly committed to the Essentia and would very much like to see it on the road one day.

Penned by famed designers Luc Donckerwolke and SangYup Lee, the Essentia is by far the brand's most stunning and beautiful concept to date. A production version would serve as the brand's halo model, but again, is there a business case? For example, the current G90 Ultimate flagship starts at around $75,000. Could a production-spec Essentia sell for more? Less? These are all questions Genesis is very likely working to sort out.