Genesis (the luxury division of Hyundai) continues to make the strongest case for itself that it belongs in the upper echelon of luxury vehicles, and that it's willing to go toe-to-toe with the Germans in the most profitable segments.
Case in point: SUVs with coupe-like roofs. Think BMW X6 or the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. I've mentioned before that I don't really get the appeal of an SUV with less rear seat headroom and less cargo space. But they do well for their manufacturers, and so Genesis now brings us a variant of the GV80 SUV, the GV80 Coupe.
What sets the GV80 Coupe apart is that Genesis didn't just trim the back, it beefed up what's under the hood. The Genesis GV80 SUV comes standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo with 300 horsepower. A 3.5-liter six-cylinder turbo with 375 horsepower is available at extra cost.
Genesis made that engine standard in the GV80 Coupe, and then added a twin-turbocharged, electronically supercharged mild hybrid version of the same engine with an output of 409 horsepower.
Zero to 60 sprints drop from 5.7 seconds to 5.2 compared to the regular 3.5T, and in a bit of wizardry, the more powerful GV80 Coupe 3.5T E-SC MHEV actually gets better fuel economy (18 city/22 highway as opposed to 16/22 in the regular 3.5T).
It is the most powerful gasoline engine Genesis offers, and the only other model where it's available (again, as an extra-cost option) is the flagship G90 sedan.
As I mentioned, a coupe roofline cuts into any SUV's interior room, and the GV80 Coupe is no exception. Cargo space falls from 36.5 cubic feet behind the second-row seats of the SUV to 30.3 in the Coupe, and from 71.7 cubic feet with the second row folded in the SUV to just 62.1 in the Coupe.
Rear seat legroom is unchanged at 38.7 inches, but the sloping roof costs the Coupe 8/10ths of an inch worth of rear seat headroom, and shoulder room for the second row drops by half an inch.
The base price of the 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T E-SC MHEV AWD is $85,750 ($87,100 with destination).
That price brings with it a lot of standard features, including a comprehensive active safety suite, eight-speed automatic transmission, electronically-controlled suspension, 22-inch alloy sport wheels, a panoramic sunroof, power door closure, power hands-free smart liftgate with auto open, power-folding outside mirrors with puddle lamps that shine the Genesis logo, Nappa leather seating surfaces, carbon fiber trim, a leatherette-wrapped upper instrument panel, microfiber suede headliner and pillars, power front seats with four-way power lumbar, power cushion extenders, bosters and driver ergo motion, power second-row seats, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, heated front console armrest, a heated power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, three-zone climate control, head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, a 27-inch OLED instrument cluster and navigation screen, a 90-day trial subscription to SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a Bang & Olufsen premium audio systme, active noise control, digital key, a wireless device charger and carpeted floor mats.
Our test vehicle had only two extra cost options, the Bering Blue paint ($650) and an NFC keycard for the digital key system ($30), bringing the as-tested price to $87,780.
I had a 225-mile roundtrip for lunch while I had the GV80 Coupe and it was a delight to drive. I got home as fresh as I was when I left. My colleagues at Western Automotive Journalists' Best of the Bay last October were so impressed by the GV80 Coupe (this very one, in fact) that it tied the GV80 SUV for Best SUV.
If you like the coupe-roof SUV style, you have a new addition to your shortlist.
