The SUV trend sees no sign of slowing down into 2020 as Genesis has unveiled their first SUV, the GV80. The Genesis GV80 is a mid-size luxury SUV that is set to go on sale in South Korea later in January with its North American debut later in the year.
The GV80 is based on a rear-wheel-drive platform with all-wheel-drive optional (or perhaps standard for the Canadian market). It will most likely be equipped with the twin-turbocharged 3.3L V6 engine found in the Genesis G70 along with the 8-speed automatic transmission. The 5.0L V8 from the Genesis G90 would be a nice optionional engine but no powertrain configurations have been announced at this time.
From the highly stylized images that Genesis has shown, the GV80 carries the Genesis shield grille with the “G-Matrix” pattern that is found on the G90 sedan. “GV80 allows us to expand our definition of Athletic Elegance design language to a new typology, while retaining sublime proportionality and sophistication of form,” said Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President, Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group.
The design of the interior is minimalistic and “focuses on the beauty of open space” as Genesis put it. A widescreen touchscreen is the primary focus of the dashboard with minimal physical buttons along the center console. The Genesis GV80 appears to have a Range Rover Evoque-like touchscreen for climate controls and physical rotary knobs for temperature control.
The Genesis GV80 is poised to take on the likes of the BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS, and Acura MDX when it goes on sale later this year.
