Genesis has been on a rocketship ride to the moon in the past few years ... starting as a sports car sub brand of Hyundai and then proving what they could do with the Equus, Genesis is now solidly my favorite affordable luxury brand. If you are looking for an absolutely fantastic luxury SUV that looks, feels, handles, and quite frankly has better quality than almost anything else it competes with, look no further than the 2024 Genesis GV80.
Ok, so that's a by of hype from me and that's what I was going to write before photos and drive impressions from the updated 2025 Genesis GV80 started to come out from their launch event earlier this month. I still stand by what I said ... the GV80 is hands down my favorite luxury SUV and while it comes in around $80,000 ... that's really not bad in a market where we're looking at $100,000 pickup trucks!
The question here is - do you want to go bargin shopping for what is certainly one of the best luxury SUVs on the market but now you can probably save a few thousand dollars since dealers are making space for the 2025? Or do you want to wait and get even more luxury, more tech, and other features that they've added to the refreshed model? Either way, you're going to have a vehicle that is the envy of everyone that you park next to.
I had my first experience with the GV80 in 2021. I loved driving it then, but I didn't quite realize just how good of a vehicle it was until Tiger Woods crashed it in Los Angeles. Despite the car being pretty beat up, the safety features and design of the vehicle allowed him to survive. This is miraculous since in other vehicles, the result certainly wouldn't be the same.
Since then, I've been passionate about telling others that Genesis is the luxury brand they should consider if they are looking at Lexus, Lincoln, Cadillac, even BMW, and Mercedes. To be fair, though, none of those brands are identical, and each has its own personality. The same is true for Genesis as well.
Why I Love The Genesis GV80
For me, Genesis just feels "right" ... it may not be the right luxury car brand for everyone but for me ... it checks ever box I'm looking for.
Technology
Hyundai has aways been an industry leader when it comes to technology and so it should be no surprise that they take this to the next level with the Genesis brand as well. For instance, while I've talked about SuperCruise and BlueCruise in the past and how those technologies make road tripping more enjoyable but I don't like how it's limited to certain roads. Here with the GV80, their lane keeping / lane centering technology is the best I've ever experienced. There are absolutely moments (such as exit ramps) where the camera and lidar based system fails. But on the drive between Toledo and South Bend, I could literally 'set it and forget it'. This allowed me to be more relaxed, less stressed, and more focused on the road since the car took care of all the basic things (except passing).
Additionally, the GV80 is loaded with other tech, such as the ability to pull itself out of tight parking spaces without having to get inside. This sounds silly, but as a bigger guy, that's a huge feature since I've had moments when I was afraid to open the door and nick the car next to me because of strong winds or simply couldn't open it wide enough because someone parked too close.
If you don't believe me about it's leading position with automotive tech - in the 2023 J.D. Power report, the company ranked highest among all brands reviewed for Tech Innovation!
Safety
Thankfully I didn't get a chance to test the safety features but suffice to say, the GV80 has pretty much ever safety feature that you can ask for. Plus, as we've seen with Tiger's crash ... the car is ultimately survivable even in significant crashes.
From a practical standpoint, safety features also mean that they fit seamlessly into the driving experience and the GV80 excelled in this regard. For example, when someone was passing me on a road, I knew where they were without needing to turn my head and look. When I was turning, a camera displayed a view from my left or right tire so I could avoid curbs etc.
Comfort
I'm a big guy and quite frankly there seems to be a paradox with SUVs these days ... I don't quite understand how a smaller vehicle like the GV80 (not small but significantly smaller than the Lexus TX we drove recently) can make me feel comfortable but in larger vehicles I feel cramped. There's a thin line between feeling uncomfortable in a small space with a large body and feeling like the car was designed for you.
Once again, the Genesis GV80 NAILED IT and not only did it "feel" comfortable but you could customize the seat in all sorts of ways based on your height and weight.
Not only that but the materials that surround you simply feel luxurious, soft where you want to sink in, heavy and firm where you want to feel strong. This of course is even more enhanced with the 2025 version where they took the seats and interior materials even further into the ultra luxury realm.
Style
Without a doubt, style is subjective. However, when you have people getting confused between Aston Martin or Bently and Genesis then you've got something right going on here. To an ultra-luxury snob this might feel like you're eroding the brand or getting a knock-off. That's sorta the way I felt initially when looking at Genesis years ago. Today though, Genesis is Genesis. It is modern, hip, stylish, cutting edge and doesn't fell like it has that legacy to struggle with as it embraces younger buyers.
For instance, no matter how much Lincoln or Cadillac tries to innovate ... the brands are still legacy. The same is true for BMW and Mercedes as well.
With Genesis, they can go bold, with striking lines, prominent grill, unique lighting and flares etc. and not have to worry about what someone thinks the brand should look like.
This freedom has allowed them to propel the brand to the forefront of design. While the GV80 is undoubtedly a very similar shape to every other SUV out there, it feels unique. It feels special when you see it in your driveway.
It also makes YOU feel special driving it to work, picking up a client, or on a long road trip.
Specs And Features Of Note
This review is a bit different than our typical ones because driving the GV80 (and other Genesis cars to be honest!) is an emotional experience. This is something that other cars don't always evoke from me and so I wanted to share my personal perspective. However, it is also important to consider the actual specs and features of the vehicle ...
The GV80 comes in two powertrain options, a 2.5 turbo with 300hp and 19.24 MPG and the 3.5T that we tested out with 375hp and 16/22 MPG.
The driving experience here was exactly what you'd expect when paired with it's electronically controlled suspension controlled by a front camera that can even adjust automatically to potholes, speedbumps and other road conditions.
Genesis GV80 Is The One You've Been Looking For
Price wise the 2024 GV80 starts at about $60,000 for the 2.5T and $73,000 for the 3.5T ... as tested with the Presitge package that includes 22" wheels, Nappa Leather and fully loaded tech, the vehicle comes in at about $80,000.
This is an astonishingly good deal when you consider the total package. I referred to it earlier as "affordable," and considering it competes with vehicles above $100,000, it is a surprisingly affordable option that leaves one feeling a sense of comfort and excitement. While the brand may not evoke the immediate sense of luxury that Aston Martin or Bently does to older buyers, for anyone under 60, this is a brand that speaks to us.
Beyond those academic notions, the reality is that I had a conversation with my wife about how we could potentially stretch our $60,000 budget for a new car to include the GV80. It didn't make sense for us since even $60k was already a stretch. However, for folks that are in that price range already ... this is the one to get.
