Genesis GV80 brings some heat to the SUV segment

This review first appeared in the June 2021 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin' News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California ­– In  just a little more than five years, Hyundai's luxury division, Genesis, has established itself as a major international player in the highly competitive luxo market.

It has done that with exceptional engineering, innovative designs and primo feature-loaded cars selling for a fair price.  And horsepower.

That last item was of particular interest for 2021 as Genesis introduced its first-ever sport-utility vehicle -- the midsize GV80. How would the GV80 stack up in a segment not necessarily known for robust performance?

Quite well, it turns out.

My week in the 2021 Genesis GV80 AWD 3.5T Advanced Plus -- pictured; photo by Charles Glover -- was a special experience. I enjoyed the exquisite. attractive interior and the luxury features that have blown away other auto reviewers.  But I also had a blast putting the GV80 through some very aggressive paces.

It was like having a Chevy Camaro and a Cadillac Escalade in the same week.

Power on the tester was generated by a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6 rated at 375 horsepower.  It makes the zero-to-60 miles per hour trip in six seconds flat.

Got your attention?  Yeah, it's one hot SUV.

Even better, it corners tight and sure.  Some have criticized what they called its less-than-smooth cruising characteristics.  I don't share that criticism.

There is a price to pay for the power curve; the GV80's fuel mileage ratings are a tepid 18 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

Inside the vehicle, it's a world of thoughtful luxury and wonderful design. The tester had matte finish wood trim, leather seating, heated front and second-row seats, a 14.5-inch high-definition screen and much, much more. That was backed by a full suite of state-of-the-art safety technology. Everything was enhanced by stylish touches, including beautiful stitching work on the seats.

All of it was standard, with a bottom line of $66,475 Expect to pay 80-grand and up for a similar package from another automaker.

And it looks racy from the outside, with another stylish feature: perfectly integrated quad lamps on the front end.

All that might be enough to sit back and relax for a car company that pulled down Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year award in 2019,  with the G70 sedan.  But more attention was focused on the GV80 in February, when golf superstar Tiger Woods violently crashed the one he was driving in Southern California. Excessive speed was blamed. That might have been the public relations kiss of death for some.  But the news turned positive for another reason: It was widely reported that the safety features of the GV80 likely saved Tiger's life in the horrendous rollover crash.

These and other factors are things to consider in a new-to-market SUV.  As for me, my only gripe was the lack of a floor-mounted  shifter as opposed to the console-mounted rotary gear changer. This GV80 is powerful enough to justify old-school floor shifter fun.