GV80 3.0 Diesel AWD: A Weekend SUV with Class

For years we’ve been telling people to buy the vehicle they need, not the one they want, so is Genesis on a winner with the new GV80?

In the second of our three GV reviews, we once again headed for our secret bunker deep underground. It is cold and grey, with the faint whiff of “end of days” about it. Concrete and steel blend unhappily with the coldness of the service pipes overhead, and the sound of fans extracting foul air somewhere far distant. Even with all that, bunkers are always so clean. It’s unnerving.

We drove the G80 HERE, and the GV80 2.5 HERE. There is a driverless parking demo HERE, and David’s radio interview HERE.

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Above: This Week’s VIDEO Car Review -2021 Genesis GV80 3.0L Diesel All Wheel Drive Review

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ABOVE: 2021 Genesis GV80 3.0L Diesel AWD

The Car:

Genesis GV80 comes in 3 engines, and rear wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and all have an 8-speed automatic. Our AWD, 3.0L is a hefty old chunk that manages epic performance. Even the 4-cylinder model is under 7 seconds 0-100. The 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 engines manage 6.9, 6.8, and 5.5 respectively. There’s an 80L fuel tank, so with a highway consumption of 7 L/100k you manage around 1100km from a tank of diesel.

Imagine taking 4 buds on a road trip sharing the costs. CO2 is an average of 232g/km and although that is still substantial, is much less than other similarly powered SUVs. Campers can tow 2722kg worth of braked load. Something to keep in mind is the 2267kg GV80 has a total weight limit of 3005kg. With 4 beefy lads on board leaves around 300kg worth of luggage weight. That’s not much when the back is chockers full of camping gear.

Everything is either electrically adjusted, with a near psychic ability to cater for your needs

The Drive:

I rounded up the usual suspects for a weekend met the gritty determination of school boys at a rice pudding. The mood was sombre. Sitting in the traffic only served to remind us all how government had mangled town planning to the point of total chaos.

We live in cities, only to make the escape from them all the more piquant. In the last few weeks, we’ve been conveyed to the weekend digs by the entire range of GV80’s. We’ve come to know them as members of the family. We’ve probed its nooks and crannies, and as we hurtled down the M5 headed for Bowral we made lists of what we liked and didn’t (see below).

With 4-up, the GV80 wasn’t bothered. There was 4 large bags and enough food for an army.

Corners needed Sport Mode once off the highway, and our muddy drive gets slippery in the wet. Rain had been apocalyptic, and parts would have been dicey were it not for the added grip of AWD and Mud Mode.

What Alan Said:

I drove the 2.5 into the 3.0, then 3.5 back-to-back. That’s something most won’t bother doing, but they should. The middle one is the diesel, and the one favoured for long distance travel.

AWD and adjustable suspension make life easier when things get a bit eggy. The ride is divine on the open road, but you need to deploy the sports mode once you meet tight bends. The steering is light on the petrol models, but is it just my imagination that the oil burner felt a little heavier? According to Genesis, the 3.5L petrol and 3.0L engines weigh about the same. The suspension settings are also the same, as is the assistance for steering.

That leaves me in a quandary.

Then there is the economy. Fuel consumption sat at over 10 L/100k. While the claimed 8.8L/100k is decent, you’re looking at 12L/k around town. Once we headed out of town, it dropped dramatically.

Then there’s the cabin. I loved the driving position, and the voluminous space afforded by intelligent cabin design. Casper’s generous hampers are legendary, yet there was room for enough bags for a weekend away.

Geneis is a Hyundai in a posh frock, so that means it will probably outlast Armageddon. So, it all looks good.

It would be churlish of me not to mention an obvious comparison to other similarly aspirational SUVs. Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mercedes GLE and Jaguar F Pace may or may not look the business, and they’re certainly packed with goodies, but everything is an option. You have to give them your first born to buy it, then you right and left arms as you tick more and more boxes. That handsome price doesn’t even guaranty reliability either. GV80 has a single options pack called the Luxury Pack. It is $10,000 and we also got the matte paint for a further $2,000.

What Casper Said:

I’m in love with the butchness of the lokks. It is Bentley-esque with the ugly bits knocked off.  Genesis is far less pretentious than Aston Martin too, and Lexus may have delicious cabins, the metalwork is way too polarising. Genesis is the Goldilocks car.

The infotainment is brilliant. It is easy to use, quick to respond and 21 speakers might be considered overkill, but more is better.

No one is saying a man with 300 grand to spend would buy a Genesis over a Bentley, that would be crazy, despite Bentley’s hideous front end. On the other hand, Genesis would certainly give Lexus a good run for its money, but there is far too much badge snobbery for it to leave a mark on the Germans.

Power operations from the rear for the second and third rows is great, but really should be in the middle and the front too. There is far too much schlepping involved in loading the car.

The engine sound inside is smooth and silky, but slightly more industrial outside.

What Max Said:

The power is immense. Nowhere was off limits down at the farm with AWD helped by the clever off-road settings.

Highway cruising is supremely quiet and the cabin is calm. The leather feels so soft, and seat heating and cooling works wonders. Left in full auto mode, it channels the desired temperature directly into your soul.

We demand a lot from cars. They’ve long since stropped being just a way to get around, and are now integrated in to lifestyle. The good thing about an SUV is that there is space for every occasion, even when you have to carry people you’d rather leave behind.

The gadget list is astonishing. It would be a gross miscarriage to dismiss Genesis just because it isn’t German or British. It is far more reliable than either of the Germans, as laudable as those noble sources of automotive gorgeousness are. As for American cars, the Hyundai group leaves them in a swirling cloud of embarrassment.

I should know, I struggle with my Mustang, piece of crap that it is

What Ethan Said:

Our family owned many SUVs. I’ve had an old pick-up, and currently own a 20 year old Range Rover inherited from dad via mum. As mum and dad move up the ladder, the cast offs go to the farm. I can speak to the questionable reliability as my car has been in the family since new. In fact, we have 5 Rangies going back to the very first model. Most have needed a lot of time with our mechanic.

The GV80 is magnificent in every way. A lot of the excellence comes courtesy of new tech that none of my cars have. It’s hard not to be blown away by the driver aids, and I’m happy to let the car do the work.

We used the GV80, instead of the farm hacks, to get supplies from the local town. We got a lot of looks, which I was chuffed about. I guess I’m easily swayed by shiny things.

The engine is a thumping great thing that is way better than most of the Rangies. The GV80 is also far more comfortable. Dad’s brand-new Autobiography has been excellent, but cost almost two and a half times the price of the Genesis.

It sits on the road with a determination and presence that demands attention.

Conclusion:

We liked the way GV80 looked and drove. Our trip was comfortable in a cabin that is a temple of good taste. We tried the driverless parking feature too. As great as it is, I can’t think of a time when you’d use it. You can move the big SUV back and forward using the key, and that is a feature I think would be handier.

Price: $103,600 (plus $10,000 Luxury Pack, $2,000 Matte Paint)

Engine: 204kw/588Nm

Econ: 8.8L/100k (avg), 95ron or E10 fuel

CO2: 232g/k

Trans: 8-speed automatic

Drive wheels: AWD (with drive modes on and off-road)

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