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Hyundai’s hard-to-Google luxury brand Genesis has done great things with sedans. We’ve been waiting, perhaps a little too long, for Genesis to get into the SUV/crossover game. Now, it’s happening. After releasing a teaser earlier this month, Genesis has revealed photos and some North American specs for the new 2021 GV80 SUV.
The GV80, which will have an optional third row, looks fantastic and elegant. It will offer two engines. The base will be a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-pot with up to 300 horsepower, and the upgrade option will be a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 offering 370 hp, not the ubiquitous 3.3-liter V6. Both engines should pair with an eight-speed automatic.
The GV80 will be available in rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive with an electronic limited-slip differential. Genesis has not confirmed the pricing, but the GV80 should start around $50,000.
The Hyundai Palisade and closely-related Kia Telluride have been revelations, offering exceptional value and interior refinement in the just-below-luxury SUV segment. The GV80 won’t share the bones from those crossovers, opting for a modified version of the G80’s RWD platform. But the success of those cars (and the sedans) will whet the appetite to see what Genesis can offer moving upmarket.
The Super Bowl Commercial for the GV80 suggests the brand will be targeting a younger, hipper, and perhaps not as brand-obsessed luxury buyer. It should hit the U.S. market sometime this summer.
