2024 Genesis GV80 review

A new coupe SUV variant and more tech arrive in the Genesis GV80 mid-life update, along with a significant price hike.

When coupe-styled SUVs first appeared on our roads, courtesy of the BMW X6 in 2008, motorists weren’t sure what to make of them. A tapered rear roofline gave them an aggressive road presence, but it came at the expense of cargo space and rear passenger head room – practicalities that constitute much of an SUV’s selling points.

Nonetheless, other carmakers have followed suit and, in the age of EVs with low drag coefficients to promote driving range, the sleek design of a coupe SUV seems here to stay. 

2025 Genesis GV80 coupe line-up

Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, has updated its flagship large SUV range and it now includes a coupe body style. The 2025 model-year GV80 is available as a seven-seat or six-seat wagon for $130,000 and $133,000 respectively, while the new five-seat GV80 Coupe is priced at $136,000. 

Genesis has shelved the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine alongside the 2.5-litre turbo petrol in favour of the last remaining powerplant – a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo carried over in each variant. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic and delivers 279kW and 530Nm in all-wheel drive (AWD), giving a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.6 seconds. 

Considering previous buyers could have nabbed the same drivetrain for $110k, it’s quite the price mark up, yet softening the blow is the Luxury Pack that was a $10,500 option before and now comes standard. Genesis says 95 per cent of customers opted for the Luxury Pack anyway, so the inclusion makes sense. The only options to choose from now are matte paint ($2000) and a rear seat entertainment package ($4500) that attaches two touchscreens behind the front seats for second-row passengers. 

2025 Genesis GV80 coupe design and features

 The exterior wagon changes are subtle: an enhanced grille, LED headlights, chrome trim on the lower front and hidden exhaust tips at the rear, to name a few. The Coupe’s sculpted rear is obviously the biggest departure and its sports dual exhausts sure aren’t hidden.

New to the GV80’s sumptuous interior is a sweeping 27-inch screen combining the driver display and infotainment into one glorious panorama. Other additions are an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, fingerprint recognition to remember driver profiles, a digital centre mirror, over-the-air update capability and even a centre console slot that sterilises your phone with UV light. The wireless smartphone charging tray has been redesigned to better view it on charge (curiously the GV80 only offers wired connectivity) and physical volume/tune adjustment knobs have been added for ease of use.

There are now 11 interior colours and five trim garnishes to choose from. The Coupe gets its own real carbon fibre trim, aluminium pedals and coloured seat stitching with matching seatbelts for a sportier flavour. Opting for the six-seat wagon gets you two plush, power adjustable captain’s chairs in the second row, while the seven-seat’s middle positions are still tiltable and slidable, giving relief to the third row’s tight space.

2025 Genesis GV80 coupe performance

A five-star ANCAP rating was applied to previous GV80 engine variants but the V6 remains unrated despite having almost every conceivable safety feature under the sun.

One is Highway Driving Assist 2 that engages with smart cruise control on the highway to autonomously lane change after you indicate – though an alert still reminds us to keep our hands on the steering wheel. As with other new releases under the Hyundai umbrella, audible alerts for speed limits and forward attention are jarring and revert to ‘on’ with every engine restart. 

Driving the GV80 is still an effortless pleasure from your quilted leather, massaging, 18-way power adjustable seat. Its ride is supple while remaining assured through corners, but there’s just a tad extra bounce in the suspension over road irregularities. Different drive modes of Comfort, Eco, Sport and Custom allow drivers to dial back or sharpen throttle and adaptive suspension settings, while only the Coupe gets a special Sport+ mode. 

2025 Genesis GV80 coupe verdict

Genesis expects the new Coupe to make up 30 per cent of GV80 sales. Regardless of body style, the GV80 offers levels of luxury and tech to compete with the big German brands, but its price is now nudging ever closer to them.

Pros: Stunning looks (Coupe in particular); Luxury Pack inclusion 

Cons: No engine options; price jump; pestering driver alerts 

Features

• Engine: 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo 
  
• Transmission: Eight-speed automatic 
  
• Power: 279kW  
  
• Torque: 530Nm 
  
• Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km (claimed) 
  
• Spare wheel: Inflator kit 
  
• ANCAP: Not tested 
  
• Price: From $130,000 (plus ORC)