2024 Genesis GV80 Review and Test Drive
Emphasizing style, luxury, and refinement, the midsize SUV is also a more pleasant drive than expected.
Christian Wardlaw
QuickTakes:
Though the Genesis brand is less than a decade old, it has decoded the recipe for luxury cars and SUVs. The company's models exude classic style, sophistication, and refinement, and the 2024 Genesis GV80 is no exception. A midsize SUV equipped with two or three rows of seats, the 2024 GV80 looks terrific inside and out, feels high in quality, and is surprisingly rewarding to drive.
Genesis introduced the GV80 in 2021, and it gets a single impactful change for 2024: the return of the Prestige Signature trim level. Equipped with power-adjustable second-row captain's chairs separated by a large console, the GV80 Prestige Signature carries four people while boasting exclusive black 22-inch wheels and darkened trim.
The 2024 Genesis GV80 is an elegant and excellent midsize luxury SUV. Primary rivals include the Audi Q7, expensive BMW X5, dowdy Mercedes-Benz GLE, and sensible Volvo XC90. Notably, all but the Audi is available with an efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Christian Wardlaw
2024 Genesis GV80 Prices Put the SUV Firmly in Luxury Territory
The 2024 Genesis GV80 comes in 2.5T and 3.5T model series. You can choose Standard, Advanced, or Prestige trim levels for both variants, while the GV80 3.5T also comes in Prestige Signature trim. The base prices range from the high $50,000s to the low $80,000s, including the destination charge to ship the SUV from the Ulsan, South Korea, factory that builds it to a local dealership.
For this GV80 review, I test-drove the 3.5T Prestige Signature in Southern California. Genesis equips this model with everything available, and the only option on the test vehicle was Matterhorn White Matte paint. With the $1,350 destination charge, the manufacturer's suggested retail price came to $84,600.
Christian Wardlaw
Old-World Elegance, Inside and Out
Though its optional matte white paint doesn't accentuate its lines, the Genesis GV80's styling displays a sense of occasion. From the bold, diamond-mesh grille and slim two-line headlights with turn-signal repeaters on the fenders to the matching taillights punctuating the upswept rear window glass and tapered tail, the GV80 is a luxury Genesis SUV.
Prestige and Prestige Signature trims sit on 22-inch wheels. I prefer the Prestige wheel design, a chunky five-spoker with a polished finish. The Prestige Signature has an exclusive Y-shaped split-spoke design, but it's a challenge to discern any of the details due to the black finish.
Open any of the GV80 Prestige Signature's doors, and the cabin displays classic beauty and a faint whiff of retro. The test vehicle's high-contrast Ultramarine Blue and Dune interior was daring and decadent, featuring premium diamond-stitched leather, matte-finish wood, an artificial suede headliner, a two-tone steering wheel, metallic accents, and gorgeously detailed controls. Together, these elements make the GV80 Prestige Signature feel warm and welcoming.
Christian Wardlaw
The GV80 Prestige Signature Lacks Long-Distance Comfort, Practical Seating
The GV80 Prestige Signature has a button on the side of each front seat. Push it, and you can choose from three massage programs. You'll want them because those tautly stitched, diamond-shaped leather puffs feel like air bubbles when you sit on them, but after a few hours of travel, I had to stop at a rest area to walk around. The massage function helped on my return trip home. They were the most uncomfortable thing about the SUV.
I'm a fan, however, of the 2024 GV80's steering wheel. It's a two-spoke design that leaves the bottom half of the wheel rim free.
Genesis offers the GV80 with standard five-passenger seating. A third-row seat is available only in the 3.5T Advanced trim level. My test vehicle, the Prestige Signature, had seating for only four people, which didn't work out for a family outing to Santa Monica with me, Grandpa, my wife, and our two kids.
With only four aboard, the GV80 is roomy. I can't comment on long-distance rear-seat comfort, but the power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated captain's chairs with Relax Mode make a substantial difference. The legroom is surprisingly snug, though, considering the GV80's size.
Christian Wardlaw
The Genesis GV80 Provides Good In-Cabin Storage and Cargo Space
You should find enough places to stash things in the GV80's interior. Though minimalism rules, covers open to reveal a hidden storage tray and cupholders, and a useful bin is underneath the split center armrest. Genesis locates another tray under the center console, but using it can be an awkward reach. Storing the owner's manual there can free up space in the glove compartment.
Open the hands-free power liftgate, and you'll find 34.9 cubic-feet of cargo space. Four full-size suitcases can fit, leaving enough space for other luggage or backpacks behind them. Fold the back seats down, and a GV80 generously provides up to 84 cu-ft of cargo room. If you get a GV80 with a third-row seat, it supplies only 11.6 cu-ft behind the third row.
Christian Wardlaw
The GV80 Infotainment System Is Easy to Use but Falling Behind
The 2024 GV80 has traditional analog gauges unless you upgrade to Prestige trim with a 12.3-inch digital panel and subtle 3D effect. The 2024 GV80's 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system provides desirable features and adds access to a Wi-Fi hot spot this year. Unfortunately, to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you need to connect your phone using a cable and USB data port.
Nevertheless, I had no trouble using the system to stream music via Apple Music and Pandora, and the voice recognition system helped me find points of interest while navigating unknown areas. The Lexicon audio system sounded high-quality.
The user experience is simple enough. Though it has a touchscreen, the infotainment display is far from the driver and passenger, making it difficult to reach. Using the system's control knob on the center console is easier, but make sure you don't accidentally twist the similarly sized transmission selector located right next to it.
Christian Wardlaw
Genesis GV80 Highway Driving Assist Works Best in Certain Situations
Genesis equips the GV80 Prestige with every advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) and safety feature the SUV offers.
Unusual highlights include:
- A head-up display that shows ADAS status and blind-spot warnings
- Remote image capture capability for the surround-view camera system
- A camera-based Blind Spot View Monitor that shows the driver a live video feed of what's in the SUV's blind spots
- A Remote Smart Parking Assist system that can autonomously park the GV80 in parallel and perpendicular spaces
In addition, the 2024 GV80 has Highway Driving Assist 2. This technology combines the adaptive cruise control system with lane-centering assist and lane-change assist features to create a hands-on semi-autonomous driving aid.
During a round trip from Los Angeles to San Diego, the Highway Driving Assist 2 system operated smoothly in light or slow dense traffic. In moderate traffic situations, other motorists cutting into and out of the gap ahead of the GV80 caused too many sharp braking events and sudden surges of acceleration, so I preferred to handle the driving myself.
As for crashworthiness, the Genesis GV80 boasts a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Christian Wardlaw
Turbocharged Four- and Six-Cylinder Engines With Standard All-Wheel Drive
Genesis equips the GV80 with your choice between two engines. In the GV80 2.5T, a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder provides 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. In the GV80 3.5T, a twin-turbocharged V6 supplies 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic transmission powers all four of the GV80's wheels, and drivers can choose between Eco, Comfort, Sport, Custom, and Snow driving modes.
Upgrade to Prestige trim, and you get an adaptive damping suspension with road preview technology. It's designed to prepare an appropriate response to upcoming bumps and potholes before the GV80 meets them. Since Prestige models have heavy 22-inch wheels and tires with shorter sidewalls, it was helpful.
Christian Wardlaw
Fast and Quiet With a Good Balance of Ride and Handling, But It's Thirsty
Though the GV80 has standard AWD and 8.1 inches of ground clearance, it does not have an off-road driving mode. Plus, the 22-inch wheels don't wear the right rubber for adventuring, so I did not take the GV80 into the dirt, nor did I sample its 6,000-pound maximum tow rating. Instead, I kept to paved city streets, suburban boulevards, and high-speed freeways.
The twin-turbo V6 is a good match for the GV80. However, the effortless acceleration comes at a cost related to fuel economy. The official EPA ratings are 18/23/20 mpg in city/highway/combined driving, but my 3.5T Prestige Signature mustered no better than 17.2 mpg on my evaluation loop. Separately, driving primarily on the highway, the GV80 averaged 21.1 mpg during the trip to San Diego and back.
Christian Wardlaw
As expected of a luxury SUV, the GV80 is quiet inside. The suspension does well filtering harshness without completely numbing the driver from what's happening at the road surface, and my test vehicle felt sporty to drive but also refined and sophisticated. It could use some added compliance over sharper road irregularities, but I suspect that's something a GV80 Standard or Advanced model with smaller wheels and thicker sidewalls would likely provide.
Where the GV80 3.5T Prestige Signature most impressed me was on the twisty roads of the Santa Monica mountains. I didn't expect it to feel athletic, but it is. The 3.5T models have larger brakes, and they can withstand plenty of repeated hard use. The Michelin tires supply plenty of grip, and the adaptive suspension eliminates nearly all unwanted body motions while retaining plenty of compliance.
This Genesis probably won't put performance-tuned rivals on notice, but if you've written the GV80 off as nothing more than a Korean version of a Lexus, you're missing out.
Christian Wardlaw
Ready For a Refresh, the 2024 Genesis GV80 Remains a Compelling Choice
The Genesis GV80 is slated for a refresh in 2025, but one that's limited primarily to features and technology. However, selecting the outgoing 2024 GV80 forces few compromises.
When compared with its rivals, the GV80 3.5T is quite a gas guzzler, though, which may convince you to seek alternatives. However, after spending some time in the GV80 Prestige Signature, it's my opinion that none of its rivals make quite the impactful design statement that the Genesis does.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
