2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe review

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2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe review

In love and cars, when you know you know.

I’ve got the Genesis GV80 Luxury Coupe here in matte Matterhorn White ($138,000 plus on-road costs) that’s a ****** horse in the prestige segment but offers a lot of value compared with the likes of Land Rover, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz which it’s set out to rival.

If you don’t know, Genesis is Hyundai’s fledgling prestige brand that has won a swag of awards around the world.

Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe. Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australia

Think of it as Lexus to Toyota, though Genesis hasn’t quite differentiated itself as much Down Under from its parent company — yet.

If you can get over brand snobbery — and no, it’s not just another Hyundai — come along with me for the ride.

You may never know what you’ve been missing, otherwise.

The 2025 GV80 range consists of an updated GV80 SUV and a sleek GV80 Coupe SUV sibling, both with a 3.5-litre V6 twin turbo-petrol all-wheel-drive powertrain.

Previous GV80 variants with 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine have been axed locally, as has the 3.0-litre inline-six turbo-diesel engine.

So, does the new GV80 have what it takes to succeed against, say, the BMW X5/X6, the Audi Q7/Q8 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class?

September VFACTS sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries has it on a teeny market share in the Large SUV segment over $80,000 to date in 2024, with 79 SUV coupes sold nationally (0.4 per cent) and 194 SUVs (1.0 per cent), compared with top performers the Land Rover Defender on 2427 sales (12.6 per cent) and the BMW X5 on 2334 sales (12.1 per cent).

GV80 pricing excluding on-road costs

GV80 (7 seat): $130,000

GV80 (6 seat): $133,000

GV80 Coupe: $136,000

Options

Rear-seat entertainment: $4500

Matte paint: $2000

Prices include Luxury Car Tax

The look

At first glance, it looks like a Bentley-cross-Aston Martin, but that’s where any similarity ends.

The coupe has a low, sloping roofline with flush roofrails, 22-inch dark grey matte alloy wheels, big air intakes at the front, a double-hump rear spoiler, dual muffler and smart hands-free tailgate that opens when you stand behind it with the key in your pocket or bag.

Magic.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australia

The cabin is sumptuous, with a 27-inch integrated instrument cluster and multi-media screen, a fragrance dispenser (more on this later), wireless charging with UV-C smartphone sterilisation, sparkling shift-by-wire drive selection controller on the centre console, heated and ventilated front seats, quilted Nappa leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, suede headlining, stainless steel door entry scuff plates and ambient lighting in a choice of 64 colours (I like a custom shade in between purple and blue).

Apple CarPlay is still wired and I like the option of having a digital rear-view mirror that can be flipped into optical mode — but, much as I love the GV80, I don’t like the choice of interior trim in this one. The colour combo (Slate Gray/Bordeux Brown) is broody and the carbon fibre “garnish”, garish.

It’s just too shiny for me.

But tastes differ, so the good news is there are plenty of options — I’m torn between Ultra Marine Blue with orange stitching and two-tone Smoky Green/Vanilla Beige with orange stitching, and either with Newspaper Real Wood garnish (of course), which looks more like a coarse linen weave, though if your stare closely, you can just make out the alphabet, maybe o c d.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconCabin trim includes Nappa leather seats. Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australia

There are many ways to bring up menus on the touchscreen, including a rotary controller and shortcut buttons, plus a separate climate-control touchscreen with icons and dials.

If you must work while you drive, the voice memo function has up to 70 minutes of recording time — I’ve never used it

The lowdown

The 2025 GV80 has a 3.5-litre petrol V6 twin-turbo engine with eight-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. Quoted outputs are 279kW of power at 5800rpm and 530Nm of torque at 4500rpm.

Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration is 5.6 seconds for the GV80 and 5.7 seconds for GV80 Coupe.

Fuel is 95 RON.

The AWD system is rear-wheel-drive biased and distributes torque based on a range of inputs.

Boot capacity is slightly reduced in the coupe compared with the SUV, so you’re looking at 735 litres versus 644L with the second row up and 1097/1033L with the second row down — and this can be electrically lowered and raised from the boot, which has a smart tailgate with hands-free opening.

Neither car has a spare tyre, only a tyre mobility kit, and both come fitted with low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport4 SUV treads.

Braked towing capacity is 2722kg.

Safety and driver assistance

The 2025 GV80 with 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine does not have an ANCAP safety rating.

Previous GV80 AWD variants with 2.5-litre petrol and 3.0-litre diesel engines tested in 2021 have a five-star safety rating which expires in December 2027, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a new round of testing before then. ANCAP notes 2WD variants also remain unrated.

There isn’t much the latest models don’t have when it comes to active safety and driver assistance which includes, among other things, 10 airbags, a head-up display, satellite navigation with live traffic updates, a surround-view monitor, remote-smart parking assist, driver-attention warning (more on this later) and an upgraded Highway Driving Assist 2 system that works with smart cruise control. When activated, it supports lane positioning, lane changes and automatically adjusts speed to posted limits.

Yes, the overspeed warning — which has been mandatory on new cars sold in Europe from July 1, 2024 — is annoying, flashing and beeping as you nudge over the limit (just testing) but you can turn it off in vehicle settings or via a shortcut on the steering wheel, though it defaults to on every time you start up.

Significantly, the smart cruise control uses machine learning, so the car adapts to your driving style. Take note, here, because the last time I had a car with this feature I was left frustrated. It had been “brainwashed” by the previous driver and I didn’t like it — but the GV80 does have built-in biometrics with a fingerprint authentication system, so hopefully it can compartmentalise its learning based on different driving styles.

The drive

Thirsty. Cushioned. Quiet.

I feel like I’m in a cocoon.

A lot of it has to do with the tech, which includes:

+ Active noise-cancelling that digitally neutralises unwanted sounds.

+ Crosswind stabilisation system for high-speed driving in rough weather.

+ Engine mounting control unit (second generation), which detects road surfaces to reduce driving vibrations.

+ Electronic-control suspension which recognises road conditions using the windscreen-mounted camera and navigation data.

So much about the GV80 is reassuring, starting with the seatbelt that automatically tensions once you turn on the engine. It feels like a hug from your crush and takes my Gen Z passenger by surprise each time.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconIt’s a reassuring ride. Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australia

Just between you and me, he reckons it’s a bit “non-consensual” — but it is part of the car’s passenger protection system to reduce risk of injury in a ******.

First thing I do is ***** into the touchscreen and go into “mood curator” and select seat massage.

I just want to be indulged — but, unfortunately, fragrances are not loaded in the test car.

Second thing I do, is choose my music, then put my phone on the wireless charger with UV-C sterilisation and close the lid.

The 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound is better than anything I have at home.

Traffic jam? No problem. I chill in the cabin and don’t care how long it takes.

Honestly, being pampered makes me a better driver because petty irritations melt away.

No secret, I’m smitten.

Rear passengers love it, too.

“It feels like a cross between a limousine and business class,” my millennial says, pulling down the sunshades.

There are AC controls back here, a centre armrest, cupholders if you don’t need the middle seat and two USB-C points.

The coupe has several drive modes — eco, comfort, sport, sport+ and custom — some automatically adjusting your seating position, plus three auto terrain settings (snow, mud and sand), which use AI to assess road conditions and make the appropriate selection.

I keep my drive in custom mode because I can set steering and braking to sport and keep the engine in normal — but when using Highway Driving Assist 2 (a sub-menu in smart cruise control), I need to modify my steering grip to the lightest touch because otherwise I’m struggling with the car.

Sure it can change lanes by itself when I indicate to overtake or merge, but this is a basic driving skill and I prefer to do it myself.

Note, Sport+ disengages the electronic stability control, but the car still feels totally sure-footed on the road.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconThere’s an in-cabin camera on the steering column. Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australia

It’s easy to get comfortable with electronic adjustments for everything, including steering wheel position.

But, I’m being watched. Constantly.

There’s an in-cabin camera on the steering column facing the driver that monitors your every move to make sure eyes stay focused on the road and it’s not happy when I obscure its view with my hands, unrelentingly letting me know it can’t see my face.

Stated fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 11.7 litres/100km; I average 13.4L/100km over a week of varied driving, but got it down to 10.6L/100km on regional roads in Victoria earlier this year.

Warranty, service and perks

2025 GV80 vehicles come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, over-the-air software updates, complimentary scheduled servicing every 12 months or 10,000km for the first five years or 50,000km, whichever occurs first, 24/7 roadside assistance for 10 years/unlimited kilometres if the vehicle is serviced by Genesis, plus various Genesis-To-You courtesy offers.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australiadata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australiadata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australiadata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australiadata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconGenesis GV80 Coupe Credit: Mark Bramley/Hyundai Australia

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