Words by: Adam Allen
We pride ourselves on devising story headlines that are so irresistible you couldn’t possibly imagine not clicking on them. After so many years and a trophy case bursting with accolades from automakers and readers alike (and a healthy dosage of modesty, as you can see) it’s abundantly clear that we have largely succeeded. Not wanting our humility to go unnoticed, we follow a similar template for each and every car that holds court in the crucible we call the Carpages Garage.
When we flexed our fingers and sat down at the keyboard and awaited the inevitable flood of inspiration (See? Modesty!) we realized that we could skip the brainstorming this time around. Before we could even begin the spit balling routine, it dawned on us that as of 2025, the Genesis brand is officially ten years old. Once we had a chance to digest that, we decided to craft this review around the idea that something can go a long way in a decade and we wanted to highlight that in the case of a relative newcomer to the luxury segment scene. That the Genesis brand has gone from an eyebrow raising ‘a luxury spinoff from Hyundai? Good luck with that’ to ‘have you driven anything from the Genesis brand? They’re SOOOOO hot right now’. This situation no doubt provides endless delight to those who have toiled away in the marketing department since day one. Genesis is not a fluke, far away from the flash-in-a-pan label that so many were ready to bestow on it. It is a thoroughly legit luxury brand and, like Lexus did in the 1990’s, has pried shoppers away from the showrooms of established prestige marques in droves.
This phenomenon started to gain traction in 2017 when the G70 was introduced. Your humble author can still vividly recall the sound of multiple jaws hitting the floor when it was unveiled and continues to sell like hotcakes to this day. “That’s great,” said the growing network of Genesis dealerships, “but everyone wants an SUV. Please give us one.” The stylists and engineers in Namyang began toiling away and in 2020 they pulled the wraps off of the GV80. Customers stepped over themselves to put one in their driveway; the dealers sighed in contentment. The arrival of the best selling GV70 not long after surely helped matters even more.
As of last year, the Genesis SIV portfolio diversified itself once again with the arrival of the GV80 Coupe as you see here. The ‘coupe-ification’ of luxury SUVs is not a new concept; BMW started the trend with the X6 back in 2007 with Audi and Mercedes Benz following suit with their own interpretations. There was just one problem- they are hideous to look at, at least to our eyes. Genesis fixed that by making a coupe version of the GV80 that doesn’t require you to painfully squint when beholding it. Quite the contrary; of all the SUVs you can buy wearing these kinds of clothes the GV80 is the most handsome example with only the Porsche Cayenne Coupe doing it better.
The Porsche may have a slight edge over the GV80 in terms of styling (not to mention a healthy advantage in outright performance) but it, and so many others in this classy segment, cannot hold a candle to the exsquisite confines of our loaded tester. ‘Sumptuous’ and ‘decadent’ were two words we heard oft repeated by all those who clambered aboard for a closer look. If there’s a whiff of cheapness inside we couldn’t detect it. The infotainment is a breeze to use and the resolution of those digital screens is remarkably good. So many carmakers still get this wrong, but Genesis nails it.
The last time we encountered such supple blue-hued Nappa quilted leather we were soaking up some rays on the dockside cocktail lounge of the Carpages yacht in Monaco. And while our little dinghy moored in Monaco is a fitting example of unchecked wretched excess, somehow the GV80 pulls off the very premium look without managing to be gauche. And, it should be noted, our yacht does not have expertly crafted red stitching on select surfaces, nor did it have red seatbelts which offered a pop of cheeky colour to a restrained but beautifully furnished interior.
With the snappy duds and a GV80 Coupe exclusive Sport+ drive mode, you may be fooled into thinking that the Genny is adroit at cutting the tarmac rug. It’s not that the GV trips over itself and lacks in the horsepower department, but it’s more rewarding to drive at a sedate pace. The suspension’s impressive comfort is somehow not affected by the large 22” rolling stock and it manages to feel taut and responsive at the same time.
At this point in time, we should likely cast the spotlight on two familiar yet accurate tropes the GV80 lineup and Genesis brand as a whole have had o navigate on a constant basis. The first is that the GV coupe and SUV have been called a ‘baby Bentley’ so many times we lost count. It’s so prevalent that Bently employees don’t get apoplectic in defiance the way they used to when the model made its debut. The truth is that a Bentley is plusher but not by much. Then there are the often heard but again no less on target matter of the incredible value any Genesis model entices buyers with over their legacy counterparts. From a pricing standpoint relative to what you get in with the whole package, the GV80 dunks hard on BMW X5, Audi Q5 and positively annihilates the Mercedes Benz GLE. That it is furnished just as nicely and drives with the same amount of steady poise is an added bonus. The GV80 as we know it is likely in the twilight stages of its very successful first generation. We can’t wait to see what Genesis has in store for the next one. What will it look like? Will there be a high-performance variant from its nascent Magma brand? No matter the plan, we have a feeling that the next decade of Genesis will bring the brand even more into the collective consciousness of an ever increasing swath of shoppers seeking luxury at a competitive price.
2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe - Specifications
- Price as tested: $104,500
- Body Type: 4-door, 5 passenger SUV
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/all-wheel drive
- Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6, DOHC, 24 valves
- Horsepower: 409 @ 5,800 rpm
- Torque (lb-ft.): 405 @ 1,300 rpm
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Curb weight: 1,754 kg (5,115 lbs)
- Observed Fuel consumption: 11.8/100km (20 mpg)