Possible I’m starting to sound like a pop-up video ad that vexes your phone or tablet every time you sign in. Or, for my fellow old-timers, I’m sounding like a broken record.
But Genesis has exceeded expectations, again. Why am I surprised?
The new GV80 luxury mid-size SUV is as good as, or better than, anything I’ve driven. No need to keep shopping around if luxury, looks, and value are anywhere on your SUV shopping list.
No offense to BMW, but for less than half its XM’s high-end luxury price, the GV80 wins the SUV luxury title, hands down.
Consider if you will, the GV80 offers 375 horsepower, AWD, oodles of cargo room, will tow 6,000 pounds, and looks more elegant than the XM. It also will do 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds say Car & Driver magazine. Who am I to argue?
No, it’s not a plug-in hybrid, and no, it doesn’t have a fancy diamond-patterned inner roof liner with awesome mood lighting all around. But it also costs “just” $81,300 vs. the tested XM at $191,000. My shaky ancient high school math tells me I could buy two vs. one of the XM, and still have enough to buy a Mazda Miata for colorful fall backroad drives.
So here’s the deal.
The GV80 is an impressive two or three-row SUV that further polishes the Genesis image of beautifully designed (inside and out) vehicles, whether cars or SUVs. The twin-bar headlight and taillight styling theme continues. Think of Mercedes-Benz back in the day when all one needed to see was the peace-sign adorned grille and instantly knew it was a Benz.
These are classic lines that age well.
The roofline is swept back, lower at the rear than the front and the new grille looks like a piece of fine jewelry with its multi-faceted face. Sharp, plus this tester was bathed in a deep, dark, but sparkling Storr Green, a $650 add-on. White is the only standard color in keeping with luxury brands’ new profit center where they charge for most colors. I won’t mention who, but one luxury maker added $5,000 for a special paint job on a recently tested vehicle.
By the way, this was Genesis’s glossy Storr Green, a matte version is also available. One maintenance note on that, matte finish cars prefer to be hand-washed. Often a mechanical car wash can damage their finish.
Power for the GV80 comes from a muscular 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that creates 375 horses and 391 pound-feet of torque. Considerable! That turbo will blast the 5,115-pound SUV up to highway speeds as quickly as many sporty sedans, but as with a Lexus, the power is so smoooooth as to surprise when one glances at the HUD’s speedometer readout. Credit that to a perfectly geared 8-speed automatic transmission.
Multiple drive modes allows a driver to select Sport, Snow, Comfort and more to meet a daily commute’s needs.
Handling is moderately heavy to signal this is a luxury SUV, but nimble enough to clip off a corner’s apex when driving more aggressively on say, a winding country road. More important to us who are beyond (ahem) 55, the ride is wonderfully controlled and dampened to soften even the craters found on many Midwest roads. This is precisely where (other than price) the Genesis outperforms the overly firm BMW XM’s ride.
Both deliver AWD as standard, a benefit for winter driving, but neither is likely to be taken off road intentionally.
Inside the 2025 GV80 is upgraded with a 27-inch dual screen touchscreen along with an elegant Earth Brown leather interior and suede roof liner.
Riders oohed and aahed over the look and feel of the interior. Genesis seats are a soft quilted diamond-patterned leather with dark brown piping, while the dash and door panels are covered in a gunmetal gray leather-feel material featuring gray stitching. Quilted brown leather door inserts add color and help quiet an already hushed interior. The dash and doors also feature a white hash-marked pattern wood trim that lightens the look and adds sophistication.
Satin chrome trims the console and door releases while Genesis includes a premium Bang & Olufsen stereo as standard on this top-level 3.5T Prestige model.
The slightly curved dual screen display will likely grab a lot of attention as the luxury brands all seem to be going this way. Easy to use because it’s a touchscreen, but there’s also a tuner dial on the console that seems redundant. It also is easily confused with the same-sized gear-selection dial. Both function fine, but when in a hurry the two knobs can become an issue. The tuner knob really needs to be a different size, or moved back on the console so the transmission knob takes precedent.
Otherwise a perfect interior with comfort, luxury, and ease of function at premium levels.
Seats are well shaped and in Sport mode, the driver’s side bolsters automatically expand creating more lateral support. A lot of buttons on the seats sides too including one to extend the lower cushion an aid to long-legged drivers. There also are power buttons on the passenger’s inner edge seatback to adjust the seat to improve rear seat leg comfort.
Plenty of room back there too and rear seats also are powered to allow them to be folded flat via buttons on their lower sides. Or inside the power rear hatch are buttons to allow the split second row seats to be folded down. Monster cargo room, 37 cubic feet with row two in place and 84 cubic feet if those seats are folded down.
Both front and rear seat are heated and cooled, plus the steering wheel is heated, as is the large leather-clad center armrest.
Other interior perks include a power tilt/telescope steering wheel, wireless phone charger, 3-zone climate controls, “mood” accent lighting, and dual sunroofs whose shades open simultaneously.
Safety equipment? Sure, all the usuals, including smart cruise, emergency braking, blind-spot warning, etc. Genesis also offers a semi-autonomous driving system that’s so smart it learns the driver’s driving patterns and mimics them automatically once engaged.
On to the mundane, gas mileage. The EPA rates the GV80 at 16 mpg city and 22 highway, pretty middle of the road figures for a biggish SUV. I got 19.2 mpg in a mix of driving while the computer was thinking I was doing 21 mpg or better. Not unusual.
Pricing isn’t as scary as the numbers mentioned earlier. A standard level GV80 2.5T lists at $59,050 with delivery. That 2.5T indicates the engine is a lesser 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that makes 300 horsepower with a 311 torque rating, still offering good acceleration.
There are four more 2.5T trims from $60,050 up to the loaded Prestige at $71,800.
A 3.5T Advanced model with the larger V6 starts at $75,150 and includes many, but not all, of what you get on the tested Prestige, which starts at $80,650. Mine only added the deep rich paint job so settled at $81,300. Note that the 2.5T models are all 2-row SUVs while only the 3.5T models offer an optional third row.
Good news, too, in that Genesis continues to offer a stout warranty. That’s 5 years or 60,000 miles for the basic and 10 years or 100,000 miles for the powertrain. Additionally, Genesis offers three years or 36,000 miles of free maintenance, map care, connectivity service, and valet or loaner car service.
Competitors are mostly pricier for similarly equipped models. Those include the likes of BMW’s highly ranked X5 (see review), Volvo’s XC90, Audi’s Q7, and Porsche’s Cayenne.
For the price, ride, and looks, the debonair Genesis GV80 is a winner.
FAST STATS: 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD
Hits: Stellar looks, excellent smooth power, nimble handling, excellent ride, multiple drive modes, and AWD. Stylish luxury look and quiet interior, with heated/cooled front and rear seats, heated wheel and console armrest, dual sunroofs, wireless charger, full load of safety equipment, power tilt/telescope wheel, giant info screen, big cargo area, accent lighting, power driver’s lower cushion extender, power rear seat controls, great warranty.
Misses: Round shifter dial same shape/size as info screen dial so easily confused
Made in: Ulsan, So. Korea
Power: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, 375 hp/391 torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 5,115 lbs.
Wheelbase: 116.3 in.
Length: 194.7 in.
Cargo: 37-84 cu.ft.
Tow: 6,000 lbs.
MPG: 16/22
MPG (tested): 19.2
Base Price: $80,650 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $76,686
Major Options: Storr green paint, $650
Test vehicle: $81,300
Sources: Genesis, www.kbb.com
