2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD

The large SUV offers plenty of customization, including an optional third row for seating for up to seven passengers. Additionally, the GV80 has many of the same features found on more expensive rivals, making it quite the opulent value.

A Spacious and Inviting Interior

Sit inside the Genesis GV80 with a blindfold on and you will be forgiven if you think it’s a Mercedes-Benz when feeling your way around the cabin. That’s because the GV80’s interior is adorned in Nappa leather that’s accentuated with matte-finish wood trim. All the main touch points, including the steering wheel, door panels, center console, dashboard are fitted with soft-touch surfaces for a premium look and feel. 

The seats have a quilted pattern, making them look more expensive than the car’s price tag implies and they’re very comfortable with heating and ventilation functions and powered adjustment. Even the headliner and door pillar are covered in a suede cloth, which puts the GV80 into BMW or Mercedes territory as far as looks go. 

However, one thing to note is the while the Genesis’ execution is excellent, the GV80’s overall interior feel does not feel as soft as its German rivals. The leather feels a little stiffer than what you would find in a Mercedes GLE and the trim, while nice, doesn’t feel as expensive when looking at it up close. Of course, I’m just nitpicking, but the brand gets an “A” for effort for sure.

Additionally, the head and legroom in both rows are fantastic and tall passengers should have no issues sitting in the backseat or with ingress/egress. As for cargo space, since my tester didn’t come with a third row, it had 36.5 cubic feet of space with the second up and 71.7 cubes with it folded down, so it’s massive. Folding down the rear seat back is a snap, thanks to the power switches in the cargo area. 

Technology 

The Genesis GV80 comes equipped with every tech feature most drivers could want, including a large 27-inch wide OLED screen that takes care of instrumentation and infotainment. The digital display is crisp and clear and the infotainment system is easy to navigate without much of a learning curve. There are a number of menus to get through, but it’s easy with the swipe of a finger. My favorite features were the cabin talk feature that allows the driver to talk to everyone in the cabin through the speakers and the “mood curator,” which adjusts the interior ambiance to create a certain mood.

Each mood setting has a different combination of music, lighting, and fragrance scent to personalize the cabin space. Other tech features include a premium Bang and Olufsen sound system, which sounds amazing, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a wireless charging dock. 

There’s also a large panoramic moonroof and Ergo motion driver’s seat, which massages the driver to encourage circulation. My only gripe is that the GV80 doesn’t offer a massage function for the passenger seat as well. Also, the infotainment system takes close to a minute to start up when you start the vehicle, which is annoying, considering it’s a luxury car.

Additionally, the GV80 comes with remote start and parking assist, which allows you to move the car back and forth remotely when standing outside of it. It’s supposed to assist you in getting the car out of tight spaces when needed, but it’s mostly useless in daily driving situations, unless you live in a downtown urban area that requires you to get out of your car when parking it. 

A Smooth and Powerful Engine

The 2025 Genesis GV80 comes standard with all-wheel-drive and a couple of different engine choices. The standard engine is a 300-horsepower, turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder and the upgraded one is a 375-horsepower twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6. My tester came with the latter and needless to say, it had plenty of power. It’s also very smooth as it works its way through all eight gears. However, the engine sounds a little coarse and ticks at idle, which takes a little bit away from the cushy luxury experience, unless you turn the radio up. 

As for the GV80’s ride quality, it’s superb and smooth, for a Genesis. What that means is that while it does give you a luxury SUV experience, it’s still not as refined as you will get from a BMW or Mercedes. For example, the steering effort is nicely weighted and the suspension dampening is soft, but they lack the softness and tuning that German rivals have seemingly perfected over the years. Then again, I’ll give it pass considering Hyundai has come a long way in the past decade and continues to improve its products with every generation.

The GV80’s fuel efficiency is decent. I averaged 18.2 mpg during the week I had the car, which is about on par with EPA’s estimate of 19 mpg combined.

An Interestingly Classy Exterior

One the largest highlights of the Genesis GV80’s exterior is its large front grille and bisected headlights. It has bold look from the side view with its wide fenders and character lines and it looks sleek from the rear, with its boxy tailgate and bisected taillights. For the 2025 model year, the GV80 has a few new wheels choices, but my tester came with five-spoke fan-blade style 22-inch wheels, which add an aggressive, but high-tech touch to the SUV’s overall look.

Safety and Convenience

The Genesis GV80 has all the safety features and driver-assist aids any driver would need. Some of the most notable features include a forward collision-avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, lane-following assist, and a blind-spot view monitor. There’s also a safe-exit assist that alerts you of any approaching cyclists or pedestrians when you’re exiting the car as well as an advanced rear occupant alert to make sure you don’t leave and kiddos or pets back there.

While driving, I noticed that the driver-safety aids aren’t obtrusive and the adaptive cruise control works well in keeping the GV80 at a safe distance from the car in front and in between the lines. It even comes to a complete stop, which is a life-saver in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

Summary 

The 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige is an excellent alternative for anyone looking to get into a luxury SUV, but don’t want to shell out extra for a German competitor. The GV80’s feature set, safety, and tech features don’t make it a front runner in the category, but its overall value gives it a slight leg up over its competitors in the segment. 

The GV80 starts at $58,200, which is far lower than rivals from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. My tester came out to 81,300 with the destination charge, which sounds steep in comparison, but it’s on par with the rest of the up-level trims in the category. That said, considering everything the Genesis GV80 has to offer at its low price point, it’s worth a look for those seeking something upscale but at much lower price point.