Genesis News: 2021 Genesis GV80 AWD Review by Mark Fulmer

A Distinctive New Luxury SUV from Genesis

Mark Fulmer
The Auto Channel

The first sport-utility vehicle from Genesis continues the already proven strong points of distinctive styling, comfort, and many more bells and whistles than its competitors for the same sticker price. As a family car, the GV80 with the 3.5T AWD Advanced+ trim got immediate positive response from the wife: "I like the the look and the color!"

As the youngsters climbed into the 2nd row, they were delighted to see that (1) they had their very own USB ports and AC port for keeping their ever-present phones fed and (2) they had their very own climate controls.

They also had their own double speakers in to door for those times when they would agree to listen to the front seat music selections.

"Oh yeah?" cried the little kids in the 3rd row seats, "we got some TOO!" and indeed they did.

SUVs are all about versatile space management, and the total passenger space is a very healthy 108.7 cubic feet with the following numbers for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd row passengers:

Headroom: 40.2 inches / 38.4 inches / 34.3 inches

Legroom: 41.6 inches / 38.7 inches / 30.3 inches

Shoulder Room: 60.2 inches / 58.2 inches / 53.2 inches

When it comes to cargo space, the 2nd and 3rd rows have power controls to flatten the all the seats in the row, or half of each row. Total space behind 3rd row: 11.6 cubic feet.

Total space behind 2nd row: 34.9 cubic feet

Total space behind 1st row: 84.0 cubic feet

The interior with its matte wood trim, the impressive 14.5-inch touchscreen well placed adjacent to the lower edge of the windshield allows for the driver to glace at it while still keeping the road in peripheral vision works well. Yes, it is a touchscreen, but the silver scroll wheel on the center console works well, and once your presets are set, the voice command system and steering wheel buttons are the best and safest way to make changes while driving.

The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6’s 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque performed with quiet precision. Hard acceleration produced a satisfying baritone growl, but other than merging and passing, the sportiness is there but in a refined manner. Doing my best economic driving techniques I was able to achieve 30 mpg. All in all, the GV80 was an absolute pleasure to drive, and one of the most praised by family members of all ages.