Genesis Drops Sporty GV80 Coupe Concept and We're Seriously Intrigued

• Genesis just released a seriously sporty GV80 Coupe concept.
• The concept serves as a statement of intent for the brand.
• It also hints that more athletic cars are on the way.

Genesis just dropped the seriously cool (and seriously orange) GV80 Coupe concept. Clearly inspired by the X Speedium Coupe concept that was unveiled in New York last year, the GV80 coupe isn't a two-door SUV but a sleeker version of the big three-row crossover that has served as the South Korean brand's biggest offering for the last three years. This version ditches the third row in favor of a steeply raked roof line, but that's not all the automaker's done.

Instead of being a people carrier, the GV80 Coupe is here to emphasize Genesis' sporty side in a big way. But since this is just a concept and not something the brand plans on actually building, you can think of it as a statement of intent and not a full-fledged product reveal. It does put on sleek display the breadth that Genesis has in its lineup and the lengths it's willing to go to deliver what it calls "more emotional, performance-oriented models" in the future.

The GV80 Coupe concept has a clear resemblance to the Genesis X Speedium concept, too. It features the same double-bar headlights and taillight features. The rear-wheel-drive architecture that underpins the GV80 is flexed in the concept with its long dash-to-axle ratio (the distance between the center line of the front wheel and where the dashboard starts), the muscular rear fenders, and the cool ducktail spoiler that's been integrated into the rear hatch.

Inside, the front seats are now carbon-fiber-backed buckets and the carbon itself is painted in body color. The coupe-ified SUV also ditches the rear bench seat area, installs two bucket seats on either side, and puts a center console between them. Where the cargo area would normally be is a massive G-Matrix strut brace to increase the chassis stiffness and make the whole thing feel more like, well, a sports car. Keep in mind, Genesis doesn't sell a dedicated sports car (but neither does BMW, Audi or Mercedes). But unlike the Germans, it also doesn't offer hardcore performance versions of its standard cars. This concept and the statement it makes might mean there's a shift in the way Genesis does sporty soon, but we'll have to wait and see.

Edmunds says

While Genesis has enjoyed a lot of success in the luxury space lately, it might finally be time for it to spice up the brand and go all in on performance. We can't wait.