| MSRP | $49,945 |
|---|---|
| Edmunds suggests you pay | $49,319 |
The 2021 Genesis GV80 is the first SUV from Hyundai's fledgling luxury spinoff. We've known this midsize SUV was coming for a while now. In fact, the only surprise is that it took this long. It's a proper rival to some well-established competitors, including the Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Lexus RX and Mercedes-Benz GLE.
For style, the GV80 has a big shield-shaped grille that's similar to the one that debuted on the updated 2020 G90 sedan. It's flanked by a new quad headlight design. Whether you like or hate the new look, it's fair to assume you'll be seeing a lot more of it on upcoming Genesis models. Inside, seating for five is standard on most trim levels, with only the Advanced+ model adding a third row for a total of seven seats.
All GV80s go big on technology. There's a horizontal 14.5-inch touchscreen along the top of the dash, plus an 8-inch digital gauge cluster display. One cool feature of this display is that it can show nearly three-dimensional navigation prompts. The same sensors that watch your eyes for fatigue and attentive driving can adjust the graphics to make the direction arrows or your adaptive cruise control graphics seem almost 3D. There's also an excellent head-up display that shows speed, navigation and alerts from driver safety aids.
The Genesis GV80 isn't a perfect midsize luxury SUV, but it's closer than anything in its price range has a right to be. Check out the categories of our Expert Rating below to get our in-depth evaluation.
Edmunds' Expert RatingThe 2021 Genesis GV80 takes an all-inclusive spa-day approach to its luxury SUV. There are three main trim levels: Standard, Advanced and Prestige. All are available with either a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (300 hp, 311 lb-ft of torque) or a turbocharged 3.5-liter six-cylinder (375 hp, 391 lb-ft). They are connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2.5-liter is available in both rear- and all-wheel drive, and the 3.5-liter is AWD-only.
2021 Genesis GV80
2021 Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 and the GV80 both place an emphasis on technology and comfort. The emphasis on tech is almost to a fault — in trying to push the limit of infotainment design, Genesis and Audi have come up with controllers that are more cumbersome to use than they really need to be. Audi does give you three rows of seating as standard, while Genesis limits it to its GV80 3.5 Advanced trim only.
Mercedes consistently sets the standard for luxury. Indeed, the GLE has a top-notch interior design, outstanding comfort, and plenty of available technology and safety features. Mercedes gives you more engines to choose from too. But the overall differences here are slight, and you'll have to pay considerably more for a GLE compared to the GV80.
Acura is readying a redesigned MDX for 2022, but in the meantime it could be worth checking out the outgoing generation. It has sportier handling than the GV80 and, like the Audi Q7, standard three-row seating. The GV80 is more luxurious than the MDX, however. It has a higher-quality interior and more of the latest safety and technology features.
The 2021 Genesis GV80 is the first SUV from Hyundai's fledgling luxury spin-off. We've known this midsize SUV was coming for a while now. In fact, the only surprise is that it took this long. Seating for five is standard on most trim levels, with only the Advanced+ model adding a third row for a total of seven seats.
The GV80 is smooth as elevator music but much less boring. Both the 300-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder and the optional 375-hp turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 are quiet and spread the power out with the unblemished ease of a master baker applying buttercream.
If you've ever sat on a piece of midcentury furniture and thought, "I wish this was softer, wider and massaging," the GV80 is the SUV for you. The seats, available in both man-made and cow-sourced leather upholstery, are big and padded yet bolstered enough to keep you planted around corners. They're also highly adjustable, heated and ventilated, and if you opt up to the Advanced or Prestige packages, your second-row passengers can enjoy similar adjustability and warm rears. Back-row passengers in the optional Advanced+ third-row seating won't be stretching out, it's a tight fit back there, but they will have cupholders, vents and small-item storage.
There's a heated battle right now in automotive design between the button brigade and the clean-space contingent. Too many buttons is cluttered and confusing; too few means complicated touchscreen menus. A side skirmish involves storage space: too many cubbies and crevices makes a car look pockmarked and messy; too few is inconvenient.
There's a lot happening inside the electronic brains of the GV80. There's a horizontal 14.5-inch touchscreen along the top of the dash, plus an 8-inch digital gauge cluster display. One cool feature of this display is that it can show nearly three-dimensional navigation prompts. The same sensors that watch your eyes for fatigue and attentive driving can adjust the graphics to make the direction arrows or your adaptive cruise control graphics seem almost 3D. There's also an excellent head-up display that shows speed, navigation and alerts from driver safety aids.
Let's talk about the joy of automatic seat lowering and raising. A push of a button and the second — or optional third row — folds flat. And with another push, they rise back up and click back in place. It's a real back-saver for shorter drivers who dread the deep lean and shove of getting a heavy seat back in position while also holding groceries, a stroller and a baby.
With the four-cylinder engine, the GV80 makes an EPA-estimated 23 mpg combined in the RWD model and 22 mpg with AWD. The V6, which has AWD as standard, drops to 20 mpg. These figures are about average for a midsize luxury SUV.
The 2021 Genesis GV80 takes an all-inclusive spa-day approach to its luxury SUV. There are three main trim levels: Standard, Advanced and Prestige. All are available with either a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (300 hp, 311 lb-ft of torque) or a turbocharged 3.5-liter six-cylinder (375 hp, 391 lb-ft). They are connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2.5-liter is available in both RWD and AWD, and the 3.5-liter is AWD-only.
Edmunds saysThe Genesis GV80 isn't a perfect midsize luxury SUV, but it's closer than anything in its price range has a right to be. It's distinctive, pretty, comfortable and refined. You can quibble with the limited backseat space and the slow phone connectivity, but you'd be hard-pressed to impress for less.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2021 Genesis GV80:
The least-expensive 2021 Genesis GV80 is the 2021 Genesis GV80 2.5T 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $48,900.
Other versions include:
