Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai Motor America, continues to fine-tune its very impressive vehicle lineup with the launch of the 2025 GV80.
The newly redesigned GV80 is the first model change in over three years, featuring exterior and interior enhancements to improve performance and handling, comfort, and safety.
“The 2025 GV80 brings a new level of elevated cabin experience to the Genesis SUV lineup, making all occupants feel like honored guests,” said Claudia Marquez, chief operating officer of Genesis Motor North America. “Its new 27-inch widescreen display and array of new interior colors, materials, and finishes introduce an even greater sense of elegance to GV80.”
GV80 Exterior
The view of the GV80’s front end includes a newly designed Two-Line “Crest” grille and the Genesis signature “Two-Line” headlamps. The Two-Line headlamps now offer advanced Micro Lens Array (MLA) LED technology. Below the grille, larger air intakes, and a wide skid plate design on the front bumper are new enhancements, and a Guilloché-patterned metal hood badge adds a sophisticated touch to the new GV80.
The side view features new chrome trim that extends from the front to the rear bumper, also with Two-Line design. A super cool feature is front quarter-panel turn signal repeater LED lamps that enhance your intention to change lanes or make a turn.
Two wheels are available on the new GV80. The 20-inch design creates a multi-spoke look by intersecting two different spokes, and the 22-inch option features the omnipresent Two-Line design ethos.
At the rear, GV80 Two-Line tail lamps are well integrated, a significant design change cleans up the rearview, as muffler tips are now hidden in the bumper. The Two-Line design themes in chrome plated trim imbue GV80 with a clean, yet ultra-luxury look. During our media test drive, we trailed a 2024 GV80 with exposed twin-outlet exhaust pipes. My drive partner Jack Nerad, host of the nationally syndicated radio program “America on the Road” and I both preferred the new hidden exhaust design.
New exterior colors Storr Green and Storr Green Matte are inspired by the deep green landscape of the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
GV80 Interior
The interior of the new GV80 accentuates Genesis’ design ethos “The Beauty of White Space” while incorporating impressive new technologies.
The most significant new interior feature is the 27-inch OLED display that spans two-thirds of the upper dashboard. Wide screens are all the rage in the luxury vehicle segment, with some spanning the entire width of the vehicle. GV80’s display seems just right – not too small given the “screen race,” yet wide enough to provide selectable detailed information to the driver, and a plethora of comfort, convenience, and entertainment options for driver and front passenger, with split-screen views of navigation maps, media, weather, and audio controls.
The OLED display is as sharp as a high-end television, and the screen’s white background continues the Beauty of White Space interior theme.
You can start your GV80 with Genesis’ Fingerprint Authentication System, which can also be used to save your seat and side mirror position, radio presets, and more. The Genesis app also features “Digital Key 2” which lets you lock, unlock, or start the car from your smartphone. You can also share access with up to three drivers.
During the media presentation, Senior Designer Grace Kim led a workshop on how GV80 interior (and exterior) colors were chosen, and how interior materials like fine stitched leather, open-pore wood and other sustainable materials, and microfiber suede headliner all meld harmoniously to create a cabin that punches well above GV80’s super-competitive price point.
New interior colors include Smoky Green / Vanilla Beige, Ultramarine Blue / Glacier White, Smoky Green / Earth Brown, and Slate Gray / Bordeaux Brown.
Quality materials and design enhancements add to GV80’s overall elegance, the new Genesis metal hood emblem and available two-tone-colored steering wheels, an improved pedal design, and a center console featuring authentic materials.
Also new inside is a redesigned wireless smartphone charging tray that enables more convenient charging and provides improved visibility of the phone while it’s charging, an enlarged console cup holder, and one of my favorite features, actual knobs to control audio system volume and tuning. As a constant channel surfer, these knobs are a godsend. You can also change tuning via the crystal rotary controller on the center console or by using the touchscreen.
The new GV80 also sees a change in high-end audio, with Lexicon systems replaced by Bang & Olufsen. The B&O system offers 18 speakers with stylish aluminum grille covers and delivers clean, powerful sound. B&O Global Automotive Marketing Manager Lauren Gabourel showcased all of the features of the new system, including the ability to fine-tune acoustics via the “Beosonic User Interface.”
A really cool available interior feature is the “Mood Curator.” Mood Curator allows drivers to custom select ambient lighting, seat massage, window shades, sound, and fragrance selections to help curate your own interior “mood” via a home screen icon.
Power and Performance
The 2025 GV80 SUV offers two gasoline powertrain options: a 2.5-liter, 300-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine; and a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine outputting 375 horsepower. All GV80 trims are All-Wheel Drive, with a 50-100% rear-wheel drive bias for improved performance driving.
Drive Experience
GV80 models have always been a pleasure to drive, but the previous models fell short of the European competition in several areas, including NVH – Noise, Vibration, and Harshness. Translated, they were noisy at times. It’s crystal clear that with the new GV, Genesis isn’t playing around. Additional sound-deadening materials were added to the new model, and advanced engineering techniques eliminate the “droning” sound you can experience in a vehicle that uses high-strength aluminum and steel for safety. Active Noise Canceling is available depending on trim level.
Jack and I had conversations at high speeds without raising our voices to overcome road or wind noise, as both were dialed out of the GV80 experience. Some credit goes as well to Genesis’s choice of high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport tires, which are great when you want to carve corners, and quiet when you want to chill.
Our test drive rigs were all V6-equipped and performed as you would expect a 375-horsepower vehicle to perform. Smooth and linear, yet powerful thrust in on-demand, even when in “Normal” drive mode. Select “Sport” mode, and GV80 responds with full power. I’d previously driven 2024 GV80 models with the 2.5-liter I4, and acceleration with that drivetrain is more than acceptable. The benefit of better fuel economy with the I4 (19 mpg city/24 mpg highway versus 16/22 for the V6) gives GV80 owners two great choices depending on driving style.
An available Electronically Controlled Suspension with “Road Preview” reads the road surface ahead with the GV80’s front camera and adjusts the suspension to minimize the impact of potholes or speed bumps. Impressive.
GV80 Safety
All of the safety bells and whistles are standard or available depending on trim, but rest assured, every trim level is focused on occupant and pedestrian safety. A great example is the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist system that helps detect stopped vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and powered two-wheelers like e-bikes in front of you and can apply the brakes when necessary, assisting drivers in potentially avoiding or lessening the impact of a possible collision.
The GV80’s available Blind-Spot View Monitor displays a live image from mirror-mounted side-view cameras in the instrument gauge cluster when your left or right turn signal is activated. This feature can be particularly helpful with drivers with limited head-turning ability to check over the shoulders before changing lanes.
Crosswind Stability Control is also a very useful and high-tech safety feature. The system applies partial braking and steering torque to improve high-speed driving stability during high winds.
GV80 Trim Levels/Pricing
The 2025 GV80 2.5T Standard AWD has a starting MSRP of $57,700. It comes equipped with Genesis’ advanced driver assistance systems and features. New standard equipment includes the aforementioned 27-inch OLED integrated instrument cluster and navigation touchscreen, Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates for map and multimedia software and vehicle modules, Fingerprint Authentication System, USB Type-C ports, front 4-piston fixed monobloc brake calipers, and Two-Line Headlamps with Micro Lens Array technology.
The 2025 GV80 2.5T is available in four additional trims: 2.5T AWD, 2.5T Select AWD, 2.5T Advanced AWD, and 2.5T Prestige AWD. 2.5T AWD adds manual rear door sunshades, heated steering wheel, and Genesis Digital Key. Moving up to 2.5T Select AWD brings 20-inch Alloy Wheels, panoramic sunroof, and matte finish wood trim. Key features of 2.5T Advanced AWD include leather seating surfaces, Surround View Monitor, Blind-Spot View Monitor, Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, Remote Smart Parking Assist, and Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist. The well-equipped 2.5T Prestige AWD trim comes with 22-inch Alloy Wheels, Electronically Controlled Suspension with Road Preview, 3-zone climate control, heated rear seats, Ergo Motion driver’s seat, and head-up display.
The 2025 GV80 3.5T Advanced AWD has a starting MSRP of $73,800. This trim level has all of the equipment of the 2.5T Advanced AWD plus seven-passenger seating capacity thanks to its power-folding third-row seats, 4-zone climate control to help keep passengers in any row comfortable, and many features of the 2.5T Prestige AWD trim.
The 2025 GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD has a starting MSRP of $79,300. Stylish 22-inch Alloy Wheels are exclusive features including Nappa leather seating surfaces, microfiber suede headliner and pillar trim, power heated and ventilated second-row seats, heated front console armrest, power door closure and power rear door sunshades, digital rearview mirror, second-row vanity mirrors, and a rear electronic limited-slip differential.
No matter the trim level and engine choice, newcomers to the Genesis brand will be pleasantly surprised at all this SUV gives back to its owner at great prices. Owners will also be pleased with the standard 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 3-year-36,000 mile complimentary scheduled service, and Genesis Valet, where your dealer will pick up your GV80 for service, and leave a loaner vehicle for you until your vehicle is returned washed and vacuumed.
Also, new standalone Genesis dealerships (moving away from sharing facilities with corporate cousin Hyundai) offer customer care experiences befitting your choice to buy a Genesis luxury vehicle. More than 100 more standalone stores will open in 2024.
Genesis sold 69,175 vehicles in the U.S. in 2023, and the first quarter of 2024 is off to a great start with a record for the brand 14,777 vehicles sold with another record 4,768 GV80s finding new homes. In 2023, GV80 sales were one-third of all Genesis sales, with that number sure to rise with this very impressive redesigned 2025 GV80.
