5 Reasons to Love and Hate the Genesis GV80's Control Knob

Want to use the sharp-looking infotainment dial? It'll take practice

written by Ryan ZumMallen^{Contributor
Ryan ZumMallen has worked in the automotive industry since 2012. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Ryan has also contributed to Road & Track, Autoweek, Trucks.com and more. In 2019, Ryan published his first book, Slow Car Fast, on the millennial generation and its unique take on modern car culture.}
7/26/2021
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GV80 uses an innovative dial controller that may have been overly ambitious.
Take our advice below and practice often, or else touchscreen-only use may be preferred.

You could say that infotainment systems are the "brain" of modern cars. They provide loads of information, offer a wide breadth of functions, and boast the computing power of a space shuttle.

But that brain means nothing if you don’t know how to use it.

In the 2021 Genesis GV80, the driver uses a control system that is part dial, part touchpad and part computer mouse. In our testing, we found that understanding how to use it is paramount if you want to enjoy the full GV80 experience.

How it works

The GV80 dial has four main functions:

Rotate or spin the outer dial.
Tilt the outer dial in the up/down/left/right positions.
Use the inner touchpad as a directional mouse or writing pad.
Click the inner touchpad to select choices.

In theory, a controller with so many functions should enable GV80 drivers to operate the infotainment system intuitively without taking their eyes off the road ahead.

However, the fact that the controller has so many uses means it takes time to become comfortable with it.

In our rating of the 2021 GV80, we called the rotary dial "somewhat clunky to operate." We also noted that because the on-screen pages change in size and layout, you have to use the controller in different ways from one screen to the next.

5 reasons to love it — and hate it

The controller in the GV80 is also used in the Genesis G80 sedan. While we certainly think the system could be easier to use, we don't think it should stop you from choosing a GV80 or a G80 if you're a big fan otherwise. After all, you can always tap and swipe on the touchscreen.

But to take advantage of the full range of toys and information that the GV80 offers, we recommend spending some time to practice and develop your controller skills. Here are five things you definitely need to know about the controller:

Looks great: The unique style adds a classy air to the cabin.
Very sensitive: It's easy to accidentally press the dial instead of turn it.
Fun to spin: Give the dial a whirl to feel like a Wheel of Fortune contestant.
Too many methods: All these components, each with multiple uses, is a bit much, especially when your primary mission is driving the car.
Back button is your friend: Click it to try again after your inevitable mistakes.

Edmunds says

The all-in-one dial and controller in the Genesis GV80 is a great example of the luxury brand's willingness to think outside the box. It's not easy to develop an intuitive infotainment system, and we applaud Genesis for trying something different. However, some competitors, such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE and BMW X5 have much more convenient solutions. The controller is not one of the GV80's strengths, but it's one of only a few weaknesses.

by Ryan ZumMallen

Ryan ZumMallen has worked in the automotive industry since 2012. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Ryan has also contributed to Road & Track, Autoweek, Trucks.com and more. In 2019, Ryan published his first book, Slow Car Fast, on the millennial generation and its unique take on modern car culture.