2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe Review

Having disrupted the premium large SUV segment with one of the most beautiful and opulent and 7-seaters around that is the GV80, South Korean luxury marque Genesis has one more card up its sleeve that it hopes can make yet another impactful impression amongst potential luxury car buyers.

This time, more than just luxury the brand is showcasing its sporting flair through a coupe version of the GV80. A third row seat delete, curved roof and shorter rear overhangs deliver a candidly stylish and chic derivative of the GV80 that should have no issues swaying a few buyers away from the likes of the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.

Genesis understands the number one reason people shop in this segment – looks. And on that front the GV80 Coupe has absolutely nailed it. It’s a text book example of an SUV coupe done right. To me personally, the Genesis G80 remains the prettiest model in the Genesis line-up, but the GV80 Coupe is a close second.

The striking looks still packed full of signature details of the Genesis brand, including the ‘Crest Grille’ and ‘two-line’ headlamps and taillights. The chrome garnishes remain heavy but applied tastefully around the lower part of the body. The pumped up fenders house massive 22-inch wheels styled with more of those ‘two-line’ motifs.

Presence it has in spades. And at $135,000 a pop, that’s a prerequisite. No small chunk but the sticker still undercuts the equivalent X6 by some ten grand and the GLE Coupe by nearly thirty grand. Yet the GV80 Coupe trump both Germans in outright power.

Not surprising as the sole model on offer packs a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, 500cc more in capacity than the X6 and GLE. Shared with the GV80 SUV, the engine develops 279kW and 530Nm, channelled to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission for a 0 to 100km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds.

That’s all the performance you need in an SUV, really. Until some sort of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG rivalling variant launches under the forthcoming Genesis Magma high-performance line-up, this GV80 Coupe 3.5T is the sportiest model for now.

The core of the Genesis brand is still very much on refinement and luxury so don’t expect the GV80 Coupe – at least this non Magma variant – to be that particularly dynamic. More on this later but a Genesis review isn’t one without dissecting the interior. Like its SUV counterpart, the Coupe’s cabin is jaw-droppingly impressive. It is so because the interior feels like it belongs in a car that costs way more than $135k, think over $200k in the realm of Jaguar and Porsche.

From the exquisite leather upholstery to the precisely machined metallic switchgear, the cabin is a place of exceptional craftsmanship and uncompromised quality. The design is classy and suitably restraint. It blends harmoniously with the red upholstery which really does it for me. You feel like you’re in something a little more special than a regular luxury SUV. The flat-bottom steering wheel, partially finished in red cowhide, is a visual statement on its own. It falls such nicely to hand, too. Elsewhere, the red stitchings on the dashboard and door cards further elevate the sporting vibe.

Another drawcard of the cabin is the 27-inch single, continuous piece of ultra-wide OLED display that combines both the driving instrument cluster and infotainment display into one module. I can’t help but gawk at this cutting-edge piece of tech every time I hop inside the car. Stretching nearly half the width of the entire dashboard, this display has superb clarity and definition, I just wish it was better utilised.

By that I mean the software that runs the display. The interface still has a hint of Hyundai in it. Understandably, with Hyundai being the parent company of Genesis some level of software sharing is inevitable but here’s hoping that at the least the interface is bespoke to Genesis. In other words the interface and animated gauges don’t look upmarket enough, especially the driving instrument part.

That said the instrumentation display is quite customisable, with the ability to display the map not just from the built-in satellite navigation system but also from your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. At the time of writing that’s still quite rare in the segment.

The controls, especially those on the steering wheel used to customise the widgets on the instrument panel, aren’t that user friendly. There’s a scroll button for up or down selection and confusingly there’s an additional capacitive touch button for left or right selection. The latter doesn’t work very well and feels as though it’s there for the sake of showcasing touch sensitive tech.

The infotainment touch screen is much easier to navigate through and with touch control you don’t have to rely solely on the fiddly centre console rotary dial. I wish Genesis had gotten rid of the dial altogether as the way it’s positioned right next to the drive selector rotary dial, at times I got confused as to which dial is for what.

The usual array of storage compartments and cup/bottle holders can be found throughout the cabin, however the glovebox is small, the centre storage beneath the armrest is shallow and the door pockets are narrow. What’s cool, though, is that the centre storage has a segment-first built-in UV steriliser designed to rid your phone off germs and bacterias!

The front sport seats are superb, contouring nicely to your body with plenty of support. The rear outboard seats are suitably snug as well, thanks to the side bolsters, and unlike those flatter seats found in many rivals. While leg and knee room in the rear is generous, the tapered roof does mean those long in the legs will likely find their heads just brushing the roof lining.

As expected, the Coupe’s boot space is less than the SUV, measuring 644 litres against the latter’s 735 litres. With the rear seats folded, the space expands to 1,980 litres which is also shy of the SUV’s 2,147 litres.

Genesis GV80 Coupe standard equipment

• 27-inch OLED display with navigation
• AM/ FM/ DAB+/ USB/ Apple CarPlay / Android Auto
• Wireless phone charger with UV steriliser
• Bang & Olufsen premium audio system with 18 speakers
• 12-inch colour head-up display (HUD)
• 18-way power adjustable front seats with massaging function
• 4-way power adjustable rear seats
• Heated and ventilated front and rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated rear view mirrors
• Rear window sunshades
• Power operated tail gate with hands-free opening
• Power door latch (soft close doors)
• Panorama glass sunroof with power sunshade

The 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine is one of the smoothest I have driven. It’s not stressed at all, unlike a typical forced-fed engine. It’s more akin to a normally aspirated big V6, refined and effortless.

The V6 is paired well to the relaxing demeanour of the GV80 Coupe. I said relaxing because, despite being an SUV coupe, the GV80 Coupe’s dynamics aren’t significantly sharper than its SUV counterpart. Yes body control is slightly better and there’s a tad less roll in corners but if you’re expecting the drive to be sporty then it’s not quite there yet. Bear in mind this is just a coupe version of the GV80, not a Magma badged M and AMG slayer.

The good thing is the regular GV80’s handling is already pretty well sorted for a large SUV and the Coupe’s slight improvement in this department is all that’s needed to deliver a nicer driving feel around country back roads.

I was hoping that the regular GV80 SUV’s exemplar ride comfort wasn’t compromised in its transformation to an SUV coupe but unfortunately it did a little. At low to medium speeds it’s noticeably firmer so you feel more of the road imperfections. The flip side is feedback through the quicker steering wheel is better.

The V6 is a bit of a fuel guzzler. It’s rated at 11.9L/100km on the combined cycle, with a real world tested average of 13.0L/100km. That’s considerably higher than its European rivals.

Genesis GV80 Coupe safety features

• 10 airbags
• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Driver Attention Warning
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• High Beam Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance
• Safe Exit Assist
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go
• Surround View Monitor
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

The GV80 Coupe has one of the best warranty and aftermarket support in the segment. It’s backed by a 5-year and unlimited-kilometre factory warranty. It also comes with free scheduled servicing for the first 5 years or 50,000km, which could potentially save you $4k to $5k in servicing cost.

That’s not all, the Genesis Concierge Service will arrange for the pickup and delivery of your GV80 Coupe when it is due for scheduled maintenance or warranty services. While it’s in serviced, a Genesis courtesy vehicle is left at your disposal. Additionally, a 5-Year 24/7 Roadside Assistance program is complimentary.

Verdict

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T AWD pricing and specification

Price (Excl. on-road costs):	From: $135,114
Warranty:	5 years/unlimited kilometres
Warranty Customer Service:	5 years roadside assist, 5 years/50,000km free servicing
Country of Origin:	South Korea
Service Intervals:	12 months/15,000km
Engine:	Twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 direct/multi-point injected petrol: 279kW @ 5,800rpm, 530Nm @ 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission:	8-speed automatic
Drivetrain:	All-wheel drive
0-100km/h (seconds):	5.7
Combined Fuel Consumption (L/100km):	Claimed: 11.9 / Tested: 13.0
RON Rating:	95
Fuel Capacity (L):	80
Body:	5-door SUV, 5 seats
Dimensions (L/W/H/W-B) mm:	4,956/1,975/1,710/2,955
Ground Clearance:	207
Kerb Weight (kg):	2,325
Towing Capacity (kg):	Braked: 2,722 /Unbraked: 750