2023 Genesis GV80 hybrid
The Car Connection Expert Review Show
September 29, 2022 Likes
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Buying tipThe 2023 Genesis GV80 does well enough in 2.5T form, but the snarl and rush of power from the V-6—and the fine attention to detail in top-end Advanced+ trim—provides plenty of reasons to go all-in. features & specs2.5T AWD 3.5T AWD 3.5T Advanced + AWD The 2023 Genesis GV80 is a bombshell of an SUV that impresses inside and out, blasting away at traditional luxury brands.What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Genesis GV80? What does it compare to? The 2023 Genesis GV80 is an elegant big SUV with room for five or seven in a pinch. Shop it against the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Volvo XC90. Is the 2023 Genesis GV80 a good SUV? Review continues below The 2023 Genesis GV80 is a spectacular, standout choice. It’s as pretty inside as out, its turbo engines provide good power, it rides well, and its attention to detail tops rivals that can cost far more. It’s a 7.8 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.) What's new for the 2023 Genesis GV80? This year, the GV80 drops the base rear-drive configuration. This big SUV wears stately lines outside and a soothing, gorgeous cabin inside with seating for up to seven passengers in a pinch. Straddling the line between retro-chic and high-tech, the GV80’s exterior combines a traditional grille up front with stacked head- and taillight assemblies, big wheels, and a sloping, almost sporty roofline. It’s upscale without being totally pretentious, though it looks every bit of the $70,000-plus that Genesis charges for a fully-loaded model. The base 2.5-liter turbo-4 churns 300 hp to all four wheels, while the available 3.5-liter V-6 ups the ante to a healthier 375 hp. An 8-speed automatic comes standard no matter the setup. High-end versions use adaptive dampers that communicate with a forward-facing camera system to prep the suspension for road imperfections. They’re sedate and composed, if not quite sporty or nimble. Fuel economy is a low point, at just 22 mpg combined in the thriftiest form. Inside, the GV80 positively pampers in rows one and two with good space, comfortable seats, and spectacular attention to detail. The 14.5-inch touchscreen mounted high on the dash houses a good infotainment system (if you can reach it), and it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard. Crash-avoidance tech checks all the expected boxes, with options including a head-up display, a surround-view camera system, and a blind-spot camera system that projects a live view into the instrument cluster. How much does the 2023 Genesis GV80 cost? The GV80 starts at $56,645 in base 2.5T trim. You’ll find synthetic leather upholstery, real wood trim, heated front seats and steering wheel, and a big 14.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. About $7,000 more buys either the V-6 bundled with a sunroof and cooled front seats or a package containing leather, a sunroof, a surround-view camera system, and Lexicon audio. Where is the 2023 Genesis GV80 made? In South Korea. Few vehicles at any price offer the breathtaking lines of the Genesis GV80.Is the Genesis GV80 a good-looking car? It’s a solid 10 to us. The 2023 Genesis GV80 wears crisp, tailored lines that could have come from a top, ultra-luxury brand’s studio, and yet there’s something subtle and unpretentious about cohesive overall shape. A big shield of a grille up front draws eyes forward from narrow, stacked headlights, which are echoed in the taillight design at the rear. The athletic shoe-like shape from the side brims with fun details, including another appearance of the stacked design element, a smidge more brightwork than the conservative German brands might be tempted to offer, and a brash, huge rearmost roof pillar that combines with a gentle slope to the profile to provide a sporty pretense not quite matched up by the GV80’s driving dynamics. Gorgeous wheel options and a huge palette of paint colors add to the GV80’s appeal. We’re just as enamored with its interior, which seems to draw its inspiration from upscale nightclubs. The wide dash has a low, sloping top punctuated by an enormous 14.5-inch touchscreen. Limited brightwork—especially compared to the exterior—includes a few strips that define select control areas. Matte wood trim adds to the appeal. Sure, the quilted upholstery on some versions may be a touch too much for some, but the spectacular attention to detail keeps us coming back for more. Review continues below The 2023 Genesis GV80 lacks the athletic feel of some competitors, though it’s plenty quick and cosseting.Grunty turbocharged engines and a balanced overall feel help the 2023 Genesis GV80 earn a 7 for performance. Is the Genesis GV80 4WD? Yes, all-wheel drive is standard on all models this year. There’s no low range, though, so don’t plan on mud-plugging in this chrome-laden SUV. How fast is the Genesis GV80? The standard 2.5-liter turbo-4 puts out a healthy 300 hp, which is probably good enough for most of us. Its 8-speed automatic transmission doles out that grunt to all four corners with authority, and Genesis includes several drive modes available at the tap of a button to adjust steering heft and throttle response. Sure, there’s some lag off the line, but overall the GV80 builds power well enough for day-to-day use. Those who want more will find it in the big 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, which ratchets power up to 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. That’s plenty of grunt to overcome a curb weight that can top 5,000 lb with passengers and fuel aboard. Even the big engine suffers a hint of lag from a stop, though it’s still plenty peppy. The GV80 never manages to overcome its heft when hustled. It’s less interested in hurrying between points than it is regally gliding along. The ride is firm but far from harsh, and the optional adaptive dampers take the edge off of the bigger wheel choices that look oh-so-good. These trick dampers work in concert with forward-looking cameras that prep them for road imperfections ahead. There’s somewhat of a disconnect with them that we suspect is not lacking in the base, more conventional setup, though we haven’t driven that version. The retro-style two-spoke steering wheel hints at the GV80’s land yacht personality, though it’s plenty precise and has a nice heft even in standard mode. There’s none of the nuanced feel that helps guide the similarly plump BMW X5 down a curvy road with sports sedan-grade precision. Instead, the stately GV80 is at its best when less rushed. Review continues below We’ll take any seat in this pampering house.The Genesis GV80 sets the standard for interior excellence. It’s beautiful, spacious, and loaded with spectacular details. We rate it at 10 for good comfort and space for five people, a big cargo area, and stunning materials. Base versions wear convincing synthetic leather, made more appealing by a huge range of power adjustment (and heating) for the front seats. The second row offers up a decent 38 inches of leg room paired with plenty of head space and a standard bench capable of seating three abreast. Second-row captain’s chairs bisected by a wood-emblazoned console are available. The Advanced+ trim comes with a third row that works best for kids, but other versions are strictly five-seaters. Three-row models have just under 12 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rearmost seatbacks. All versions include a somewhat paltry (by big SUV standards) 35 cubic feet aft of the second row, though that grows to 84 cubes with those seatbacks folded down. No GV80 feels cheap inside, though the Prestige trim level goes for broke with a suede-like headliner, softer leather upholstery, more power seat adjustment up front, and an active noise canceling system. Some versions can even be outfitted with a spectacular green and brown hue, though the more common tan/blue breaks convention just enough for most shoppers. Review continues below The 2023 Genesis GV80 scores well in crash tests.How safe is the Genesis GV80? Top scores from both the NHTSA and the IIHS each earn the Genesis GV80 a point for safety. A good array of crash-avoidance standard features and options helps seal its 9 out of 10. The IIHS rates the GV80 a Top Safety Pick+, while the NHTSA’s five-star overall rating is tempered somewhat by four-star rollover and frontal impact scores. Standard fare includes automatic emergency braking, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitors. A surround-view camera system and a head-up display are available. Perhaps most appealing is the Prestige version’s automatic parking system, which is especially useful due to the chunky rear roof pillars. Review continues below The Genesis GV80 is very well-equipped in any form.It’s not cheap, but the 2023 Genesis GV80 makes few excuses for its feature set. We rate it at 9 out of 10 thanks to good standard features and options, a big touchscreen, and a terrific warranty. Base models run $56,625 thanks to standard all-wheel drive this year. They’re reasonably well-outfitted, with 19-inch wheels, synthetic leather seats that are heated and power-adjustable up front, a 14.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and active safety tech. All that is backed up by a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with 3 years/36,000 miles of free maintenance. We’re less enthralled with the infotainment system, which uses either touchscreen or center console rotary knob inputs. The software itself is fairly easy to navigate, but the screen is a big reach for the driver and the knob is too easily confused with the transmission. Which Genesis GV80 should I buy? Another $7,000 or so presents two choices. You can add to the base 4-cylinder version the Advanced trim level with leather upholstery, a sunroof, a surround-view camera system, Lexicon-branded audio, cooled front seats, and a few other niceties. Alternatively, you can step up to the V-6, which also adds 20-inch wheels, a sunroof, and cooled front seats. How much is a fully loaded Genesis GV80? The all-in GV80 Advanced+ comes with the V-6, nappa leather, occasional-use third-row seats, heated second-row seats, and a digital gauge cluster with a somewhat convincing 3D-style screen. Review continues below The 2023 Genesis GV80 is a big SUV with big fuel consumption.Is the Genesis GV80 good on gas? A hybrid would be a nice touch here. As it stands, the GV80 rates a lousy 2 out of 10. Models with the 4-cylinder are estimated at 20 mpg city, 24 highway, 22 combined, and Genesis asks for premium fuel. The V-6 slides to just 18/23/20 mpg. Most competitors now offer plug-in hybrid models that allow for emissions-free commuting. But not the GV80. Review continues below Continue Reading The Car Connection Consumer ReviewDoes the Genesis GV80 come in a hybrid?Genesis has electric vehicles coming in 2023—the GV80 doesn't even come as a hybrid, so its best EPA ratings earn it a 4 here. That model is the rear-drive SUV with the 2.5-liter turbo-4. The EPA pegs it at 21 mpg city, 25 highway, 23 combined. With all-wheel drive, it's lowered to 22 mpg combined.
Does Genesis have a hybrid SUV?You'll be happy to hear that Genesis does make hybrid cars. Its first hybrid, the GV60, was released in 2022. Let's discuss the Electrified GV60 in a bit more detail: The GV60 is a compact-crossover SUV.
Will the Genesis GV80 be electric?Electric GV80: An electric version of the GV80 is expected when the midsize crossover is redesigned for its second generation in 2026 or 2027. It would be the second existing Genesis nameplate to transition to the E-GMP platform, and one of the four crossovers Genesis has said it will launch by 2027.
Is the Genesis GV80 gas or electric?Fueled by the sustainability of the Genesis identity, the Electrified G80 will usher you into the new generation of electric vehicles.
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