2021 Genesis GV80 3.5T review: A lead-off home run

Nobody’s truly good at a thing the initial time they attempt it, but Genesis is performing to buck that trend. The 2021 Genesis GV80 is the freshly spawned Korean automaker’s initial SUV of its individual and, just like the greatly revised G80 before it, this midsize luxurious SUV is completely ready to make its mark in a occupied segment — and rapid.

A stunner, inside and out

The 2021 Genesis GV80 definitely instructions attention. A person driver rolled suitable up subsequent to me on the highway and honked the horn of their sedan until eventually I turned my head, at which place I was satisfied with a automobile complete of thumbs up. The GV80’s exterior is exclusive in reality, I would contemplate it the prettiest ute in the segment. The headlights are like no other and the way the fastback-fashion roof line carries alone backwards sales opportunities to a automobile that appears to be like it really is constantly in movement.

The GV80’s interior manages to impress even additional than the exterior does. This wonderful layout is part and parcel with the GV80 encounter, no matter of trim. I might not completely embrace the two-spoke steering wheel, which is a minor unwanted fat for 9-and-3 hand positioning, but the structure is uncluttered and the styles baked into the leather-based ooze luxurious. The GV80 is suitable up there with Mercedes-Benz in phrases of interior good quality and at its cost place, I would say it actually trounces the Merc on price by itself. My tester’s a minor monotone with its beige getup, but there are some genuinely wild combinations out there, such as a two-tone motif with loads of blue leather-based.

Every thing I contact is manufactured of possibly leather-based or metallic, with superior-good quality knurling on the stalks and infotainment controller the GV80’s cabin feels extremely-premium. A person of my favourite components is the weather control, which has a smaller touchscreen that allows me configure airflow and supporter velocity independent of the computerized functionality. Even the temperature dials appear and experience high priced.

The GV80’s interior would not forego functionality in favor of all that variety, possibly. Absolutely sure, the door panels are a minor light-weight on storage house, but the flowing middle console has a decently sized cubby less than the transmission dial and the armrest opens up for a bit additional storage. It’s roomy as heck, as well, with a second row that would not scrimp on headroom irrespective of a somewhat cut roof line. Innovative As well as trims have an optional 3rd row as perfectly that, in accordance to my colleagues, isn’t suitable for completely developed humans, but it works for young ones.

On-highway serenity 

The 2021 GV80 is not a svelte fellow, clocking in at some five,000 pounds with AWD and all the bells and whistles, but my tester packs Genesis’ bigger motor selection. The twin-turbocharged 3.five-liter V6 generates 375 horsepower and 391 pound-ft of torque, and when it might not be the most sonorous six-pot on the block, it will drive the GV80 forward with alacrity. Shoot regardless of what gap you want you will find additional than more than enough torque on faucet and the 8-velocity computerized transmission effortlessly swaps cogs as required. You can find loads of throttle and brake modulation on offer you for serene, dip-free of charge starts and stops, participating in into the correct-luxurious angle incredibly properly.

Most European midsize luxurious SUVs attempt to bake some sportiness into their existence, with relative good results. The GV80 attempts to choose additional of a pure-luxurious angle to its driving characteristics and it really is largely profitable. The Innovative-trim product in my driveway comes with Genesis’ highway-scanning adaptive suspension, which employs cameras to preload the suspension in the celebration it has to manage some nastiness, which can be a alternatively massive deal on the automaker’s Korean home turf. In Michigan, it does a commendable position taking in up gross roadways, but the complete encounter feels a bit stiffer than I would choose, even with anything dialed to its plushest location. An optional air suspension would change this thing into a freakin’ cloud, so here’s hoping Genesis finds a way to shoehorn a thing like that in right here later on. The GV80 is under no circumstances definitely exciting to toss all over, simply because that’s not what it really is manufactured for, but it really is loads assured if your commute requires a couple of twists and turns.

Luxurious carries on to be the priority when searching at other components of the driving encounter, as well. The cabin is loads tranquil, many thanks in part to thick glass and an energetic noise-cancellation method that works like the headphones on your desk. It’s a properly placid time for equally the driver and the driven.

Fuel economic system is aggressive for the GV80’s course, but outside the house of that bubble, it really is not definitely all that and a bag of chips. 3.five-liter versions, which appear regular with all-wheel travel, are EPA-rated at eighteen miles for every gallon metropolis, 23 mpg freeway and 20 mpg combined — with premium gas, no considerably less. two.five-liter variants are a minor considerably less thirsty at 21 metropolis and 25 freeway, but it really is nonetheless sufficiently thirsty.

Prime-notch tech

In my G80 assessment, I spoke at duration about how significantly I liked Genesis’ new infotainment method — and it really is no different on the 2021 GV80, which is to say that it rules. The 14.five-inch exhibit atop the dashboard instructions attention with its delightfully relaxed home display and simple navigation, irrespective of whether I am reaching to contact the display alone or (additional likely) manipulating the rotary dial on the middle console. Buttons over the weather control provide fast access to the normal attributes like the navigation, audio or options menus. Just about every corner of the method isn’t just interesting, it really is intuitive and it would not choose long for me to determine out my most popular way of undertaking points. Apple CarPlay and Android Car are out there, but not wirelessly, and as my boss Chris Paukert pointed out in his assessment, there is no selection for a Wi-Fi hotspot or rear-seat enjoyment right here, which would seem like a foolish omission when most of the GV80’s competition have all that. It’s not a deal-breaker, just a head-scratcher.

Only Prestige trims get the wild gauge-cluster display that employs digital trickery to give the effect of actual physical depth, which usually means my GV80 is trapped with the tried using-and-true actual physical cluster that involves a reasonably sized facts exhibit in the center. This is about the only corner of the car or truck that reminds me of the car’s Hyundai-primarily based provenance, since it appears to be and acts like the exact getup seen in autos like the Sonata. It’s great it does the position it really is supposed to, it really is just the only part of the cabin that I would not get in touch with exclusive.

Just about every GV80 comes with an impressive volume of safety tech, such as parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, lane-holding support, blind-spot monitoring and computerized emergency braking that can detect equally pedestrians and cyclists. The Innovative trim throws a surround-look at check, mirror-mounted cameras and rear computerized braking into the blend, as perfectly as Distant Wise Parking Aid (aka Smaht Pahk), which can roll the car or truck forward and backward when the driver presses the remote from outside the house. It’s some awesome stuff, even if I only ever use it to demonstrate off.

All GV80s also include Genesis’ Freeway Driving Aid, which combines the energetic and passive safety aids to maintain the car or truck in its lane on the freeway when holding pace with site visitors. It can help lessen some of the tedium of a site visitors-laden commute, but it really is a fingers-on method so vigilance continues to be a requirement. It does a commendable position, but the GV80’s lane-centering tech can be a minor intense at moments and I am a really energetic driver so I normally depart the method off.

Down to brass tacks

Despite embodying the complete-on luxurious encounter improved than approximately all its competition, the 2021 Genesis G80 isn’t a lender-breaker. Starting at $49,925 such as location, the GV80 3.5T AWD Innovative before me kicks off at $65,375, which is impressive in context a BMW X5 xDrive40i starts at about $sixty two,000, when a Mercedes-Benz GLE450 is about a grand over that. And then you will find the Audi Q8, which instructions approximately $70,000. All 3 of people motor vehicles are before possibilities, as well. Hoo boy.

It’s a weird working day when a automobile can be equally a serious price and an illustration-setter in its storied segment, but that’s the 2021 Genesis GV80 in a nutshell. It manages to provide an excellent luxurious encounter in its truest variety, eschewing the idea that each and every car or truck wants some underlying sporty angle, when someway beating its biggest competition on cost when retaining good quality that rivals them. You would believe that the GV80 was Genesis’ 3rd crack at a luxurious SUV, but nope at times, you strike gold on the initial swing.