Genesis GV80 2.5L: Is it a True Luxury Car?

When Genesis was split off from Hyundai, many thought it was going to be a slow, sad, spiral downward. We saw that when Nissan tried to make a go of Infiniti in Australia. Miserable sales forced the ailing brand to shut up shop. So, was Hyundai brave or foolhardy?

Genesis was originally sold as a Hyundai’s posh model, before being scythed off as a separate brand. With the original model, private buyers were not terribly interested. Hire car drivers bought them because there was little choice around a hundred grand. In other words, they settled for it.

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Oh, how things changed once Genesis became its own brand. It is now properly posh with real wood, real leather, and a cornucopia of clever gadgets. The drive is jolly impressive too. We’d previously driven the G80 sedan, and liked it.

In that review, I took the boys up the road north, for a weekend at Drover’s Rest, in wine country. GV80 is the SUV version of that car, and from the driver’s seat the difference is discernible only by a nice high driving position. Otherwise, the cabin is identical.

The range is short and sweet. There are 3 engines: a 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder,3.5L Turbo V6, and a 3.0L turbo diesel. All come in AWD, with the 2.5 also having a rear-wheel-drive model. All have a slick 8-speed automatic, and a divine interior. Spend 10 grand on the Luxury Pack, and even more goodies are piled in.

In this special series, we drive each engine, in 3 cars, with and without the Luxury pack. This one, the 2.5L, is sans luxury pack.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Car Review -2021 Genesis GV80 2.5 Rear Wheel Drive Review

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ABOVE: 2021 Genesis GV80 2.5

Outside:

Whether you like it or not, GV80 has an in-your-face presence that is both impressive, and unmissable. For me, GV80 is utterly stunning.

First, GV80 has much biglyness. Wherever it is parked, people do a double-take, cartoon-style. One lady even waited for me to return from my quickie shopping trip to ask about it.

20” wheels look fab. In fact, the big SUV comes factory pre-pimped. There are lashings of chrome, with dual rows of LED lights front and back, that are brighter than a small sun.

A shield grille, the size of a dance floor, is topped by an Aston Martin-esque emblem. The coincidence is not by accident. Genesis is really going for it.

The tail gate rises gracefully without you having to touch a thing. That’s handy after a hard day at mill, although it does tend to be a little moody. When it fails to proceed, you can use a button on the dash, or the fob, or at the base of the rear wiper. The latter is so cleverly hidden, Indiana Jones would have had strife finding it.

If you’re feeling daring, you can choose one of three matte colours. They’re all the rage in polite society. I like a matte finish despite its slightly menacing look. Check the pics, this is impressive in a way most luxury SUVs just aren’t.

Rather than tell you how big and well equipped it is, get your SPECIFICATION SHEET HERE:

Inside:

Ooooo, m-mmm, mama likes.

Cabin design has long been the Achilles heel for Korean cars. If the look was ok, the plakky bits were nasty. If the plakky bits were decent, then, the look was all over the shop like a man woman’s breakfast.

This time, it’s a lay-down- misère.

They’ve not put a foot wrong. The gorgeous centre console has a big fat bin topped by a bi-flap arm rest. The gear selector is a deliciously arty acrylic dial with knurled aluminium surround. There is a scratchpad/dial mouse on the centre console, but it is a bit of a faff to use on the move. And, the driver to passenger intercom thingy is a gimmick I’d gladly lose. A touch pad panel control s climate, with a 14.5” touch tablet atop the centre stack.

There are 5 and 7 seats models. Our car is a 5-seater, with heating and cooling for front pews.

The luxury is understated, with wood trim that has a matte finish. This looks ever so much classier than real wood that looks like fake wood. It is the look that “old money” likes. It fits in with the faded grandeur of a country pile with turrets.

All of this tasteful décor sits happily beside the high-tech bits.

The Qi charger is complimented by USBs front and back, with a couple of power outlets for road trips. While you’re tripping, you like a full-sized spare wheel too. That repair kit nonsense really gives me the irits, and I’m glad there is no hint of it here

There is an ambience that you simply can’t fake. It isn’t just the leather, timber, and lush carpets, it is how they’re put together.

The Drive:

We headed out into the bucolic bliss of the Aussie countryside, for a tasty regional pub lunch.

Only 10 minutes from home, the heavens opened in a downpour of biblical proportions. The car took care of business with lights and wipers coming on. The smart cruise was set, and the lane assist was on.

The rain was so loud that we had to speak up to be heard. Although the weather had gone badly tits-up, we felt comfortable and cosy.

It was then that I started to notice anomalies, particularly with the lane assist. With the wipers running at an Olympic pace, the rain was so intense that the line markings on the road had become indistinct. The GV80 insisted on drifting to one side or the other, then bitching at me for being too close to the line.

You really can’t rely on lane trace. Although care makers say they’ve developed the system to a point of modern dependability, I beg to differ. No matter the brand, it tends to turn off unexpectedly. Even the allegedly autonomous Telsa can leave you hanging.

The engine is nippy and the 8-speed auto is smooth. Even with half of our week spent on highways, the economy didn’t get better than 11k/100L.

We arrived at the pub in a quiet corner of a quaint country town. As we tucked into our fish and chips lunch, the tossed about a few ideas. We agreed the auto steering was not a hit, on this or any other car.

We loved the space, and the comfort, and the ambiance.

Cabin design is first class with the feel of a club lunge. Everything feels and looks premium, with the steering wheel coming in for a special nod. The Bentley-esque look won hearts and minds, and the buttons did exactly what you thought they would.

The level of noise was something a librarian would like, with the pleasing buzz of the 2.5 just a peddle-push away.

The couple in the back seats said there was a mountain of space, and that they’d happily spend a day there.

The real winner was the light and airy handling. Drive modes made the steering and throttle liven up, but the ride was a fixed setup. Standard shockers did bash about a bit on rough roads, but the majority of the time, you waft along in regal splendour.

Can GV80 out do the Europeans?

That’s a good questions, and our foursome was divided down the middle. The badge-conscious couple we adamant that no-one in their right minds would shell out 90 grand for a Hyundai. I’m not so fussed on a badge and really don’t care to waste money. If I’m getting what I want, I’d happily take a GV80 for much less money than a Merc or Beemer.

In fact, I prefer the calm cabin of the GV80 to the frenetic BMW interior, and the rather dull Mercedes cabin. For similar sized SUVs, there is not doubt that the Europeans look more premium, but you’ll pay another 50% for similar equipment levels.

What we liked:

When you indicate, side cameras display on the driver’s instruments, and the active driver aids are brilliant, except for the lane assist.

The driving position is great and gadgets like seat heating/cooling came in handy, even though I’m not usually a fan.

I prefer a full-size spare too, but would have liked the Apple CarPlay to be wireless.

Other than that, the  drive was divine.

Tags:

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