Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Genesis GV80 3.0D AWD 5-Seater
Pricing: £75,915 as tested; starts at £62,415
Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Body style: five-door SUV
CO2 emissions: 209g/km (VED Band 191-225: £1,345 in year one, £490 years 2-5)
Combined economy: 33.1mpg
Top speed: 143mph
0-62mph: 7.5 seconds
Power: 274hp at 3,800rpm
Torque: 588Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Boot space: 735-2152 litres
What's this?
This is the GV80, a luxury SUV from Genesis. Who, we hear you ask? Well Genesis is the luxury brand of Hyundai, although the South Korean car company prefers everyone to see Genesis as a standalone brand. It's the same as Lexus and Toyota, Infiniti and Nissan. It was first launched in 2015 and has done reasonably well considering it was only in a few markets. It's the number one selling premium car brand in its home market and has done well in the US, but it's now expanding with China and Europe being added in 2021.
What Hyundai really want you to know is that they intend to put service above sales. If they don't sell cars they won't exist so it's probably just clever psychology to make us like them more, but okay, we'll play along. It means no dealerships, instead there will be around six Genesis Studios, the first of which has opened at a Westfield Centre in London.
These will be staffed by 'personal assistants' rather than sales people. They are there to offer advice, arrange a test drive and hold your hand through the whole ownership experience. If you do want a test drive, a car will be delivered to you. That will be the case if you buy one too and if it needs servicing then your personal assistant will arrange collection and delivery and ensure you have a courtesy car in a similar spec. See, you're feeling all warm and fuzzy about the brand already.
Let's get back to the GV80 itself though. It's big, almost as long as a Bentley Bentayga. It has the look of those massive SUVs you see driving over dunes in the Dubai desert or parked outside a glamorous shopping centre in Qatar. It seemed slightly less at home in the narrow hedgerow-lined country lanes of Buckinghamshire.
As with Lexus, Genesis has put lots of kit in as standard, so while the range starts at £56,715, it's actually quite good value in the premium SUV segment. You get a real feeling of high-end luxury, with sumptuous leather, open pore wood and knurled metal dials that are actually made of metal. It's all a bit Bentley.
That's on the inside though, on the outside its looks are rather unique. There's a 'two-line' design philosophy we are told, which means two lines across the front side and rear. The design is a little disjointed with a different look from all angles, but if different is what you're after then it ticks the box.
How does it drive?
Be under no illusion, this is a big SUV and you feel it. It floats along with that slightly soft feeling that could make the kids feel a bit seasick, but it's got some clever tech to try and alleviate that. Genesis has taken a leaf out of the Mercedes S-Class book and included electronically controlled suspension with what it calls Road Preview. Essentially a camera scans the road ahead and a computer primes the suspension to try and negate the bumps or holes in the road. It works too.
There's lots of other electronic kit, such as active cruise control, lane keeping assist and Road Active Noise Cancellation, which Genesis shortens to Ranc, which it isn't. It basically creates an inverted sound wave to cancel the noise coming in from outside the car. It's clever and it too works rather well, meaning you can spend more time listening to the up to six other passengers chatting about how nice the ride is.
The 3.0-litre turbodiesel is great at low revs but it does run out of puff quite easily, with maximum torque at 3,000rpm and max power at 3,800rpm. It's engineered to get you up to the national speed limit and then sit there for mile after mile of comfortably cushioned motoring as though someone strapped wheels on a Lazy Boy.
Everything is easy to use, with a great touchscreen infotainment system and a superb digital instrumentation display. A great thing to mention here is the video from blind spot cameras which is displayed within one of the main dials in the cluster when you engage an indicator. It's not only a good safety feature, it looks cool too. Safety is extensively taken care of in the GV80, with loads of airbags, more electronic systems than you'll find in a Currys and a five-star rating from Euro NCAP.
The controls in the centre console are a pleasure, partly because of that feeling of touching real metal and there are loads of places to store bits and pieces. Talking of space, there's lots of it and it's unlikely any of your passengers are going to complain of a lack of head of legroom. The boot space will cope with most Saturday morning DIY or antique furniture purchases or everything for the family holiday.
Verdict
The GV80 isn't going to be a main seller for Genesis and they know it. It's a flagship model for now but it shows what the brand can achieve and how well it can approach the concept of value for money in the luxury segment. If you want something that has presence and way more features than German rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes for your money, then it could be what you are looking for. Or you could wait until the GV70 comes along later this year and ask a personal assistant not to sell you one of those.
Exterior Design
Interior Ambience
Passenger Space
Luggage Space
Safety
Comfort
Driving Dynamics
Powertrain
