The G80 put Genesis on the map. The G70 won a bunch of awards. But what people want from a luxury automaker these days is an SUV, a big one with all the toys. Enter the GV80.
It was previewed back in April 2017 by a concept of the same name, which got a not-so-warm reception at the New York Auto Show. Their hearts were in the right place, and with time on their hands, the Koreans were able to turn the GV80 project around, at least from a design perspective.
How do we know? The recent spyshots, which were taken while prototypes were "enjoying" the Scandinavian weather, still obscured the car. But over in Korea, the GV80 was seen with very little on it as early as last year, so people who specialize in renderings got a good look.
So far KKS Studios has been spot-on with its work, even when it was as weird as the angular Hyundai Elantra facelift. So if they say that this is what the SUV will look like... it will. The main difference between the concept and this is that the shoulders have grown, making it look imposing and robust. On top of that, some extra creases have popped up, which remind you of the Bentayga and maybe the Aviator.
Of course, the GV80 is still going to be controversial, since few manufacturers would dare to turn their headlights into a couple of slits. But Genesis, and Korean brands in general, have been doing quite well in owner satisfaction surveys, so they know what they're doing. Our gripe is that a performance version won't be offered, leaving this big boy with only about 300 horsepower max. There might even be a 2.2-liter diesel with as little as 200 HP in Europe and Asia. But if Volvo can get away with it, so should Genesis.
How do we know? The recent spyshots, which were taken while prototypes were "enjoying" the Scandinavian weather, still obscured the car. But over in Korea, the GV80 was seen with very little on it as early as last year, so people who specialize in renderings got a good look.
So far KKS Studios has been spot-on with its work, even when it was as weird as the angular Hyundai Elantra facelift. So if they say that this is what the SUV will look like... it will. The main difference between the concept and this is that the shoulders have grown, making it look imposing and robust. On top of that, some extra creases have popped up, which remind you of the Bentayga and maybe the Aviator.
Of course, the GV80 is still going to be controversial, since few manufacturers would dare to turn their headlights into a couple of slits. But Genesis, and Korean brands in general, have been doing quite well in owner satisfaction surveys, so they know what they're doing. Our gripe is that a performance version won't be offered, leaving this big boy with only about 300 horsepower max. There might even be a 2.2-liter diesel with as little as 200 HP in Europe and Asia. But if Volvo can get away with it, so should Genesis.