It’s not every day that you get an opportunity to drive a true first from an automaker. Back in June 2021, I was lucky enough to spend seven days driving the GV80, the first SUV from Genesis, on a road trip from Peoria, Arizona to San Diego, California and back. I remember that time with my family and that test vehicle fondly. The GV80 3.5T Advanced+ AWD was an impressive blend of low-key yet distinctive styling, generous interior dimensions and amenities, and reassuring safety and driver assistance features. But now the GV80 is at the halfway point of its product lifespan, which means the 2025 model is a mid-cycle refresh. Is the updated model just as lovable as the original?
THE LINEUP
I drove my way to the answer behind the wheel of a 2025 GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD, the flagship model with the most powerful engine and the most luxurious trim. Its as-tested price reflected that all-out configuration. While the entry-level 2.5T Standard AWD is powered by a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 and carries a starting price of $58,200, my press car had the 375-horsepower, 391-lb-ft 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 and the optional $650 Uyuni White paint, which bumped its as-tested price up to $81,300. Two common characteristics span that enormous chasm: an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
WHAT’S NEW?
Genesis used a light touch when it redesigned the GV80 for 2025. It applied the basic two-line design signature that made the original version so tasteful and attractive to other areas, such as the crest grille’s new mesh and my test vehicle’s 22-inch wheels. If you look closely at the LED headlights, you’ll see the internals are much different than they were last year. Genesis updated them with MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology, which is a compact unit capable of projecting a tightly focused beam of light. At the rear, the visual changes are more noticeable. The 2024 GV80’s dual crest-shaped exhaust finishers have been replaced with concealed outlets covered by the lower rear fascia, which has brightwork reminiscent of the old outlets.
It’s impossible to miss what Genesis changed about the interior. A more conventional steering wheel takes the place of the outgoing two-spoke unit. The gauge cluster and infotainment display are now housed within the same massive 27-inch OLED screen that ends right above the restyled center stack’s convenient volume and tuning knobs and frustrating touch-sensitive HVAC controls, which are impossible to adjust by feel alone on the fly. Yes, that new combination display is modern and visually impressive, but it’s also functionally compromised. The infotainment system can be controlled by either using the puck/dial on the center console or its designated side of the OLED display, but that’s placed so far back that tapping it to input commands requires leaning and reaching forward, making the user experience awkward and unnatural. I never thought I’d prefer a controller on the center console over a touchscreen, but the new GV80 changed that.
IT PUTS THE “LUXURY”…
There wasn’t a bad seat inside the GV80. In addition to multiple massage zones for the driver’s seat and a heated power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, the front row offered dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated buckets, and a heated front console armrest, which my wife and I appreciated. My mother-in-law and her cousin enjoyed their own climate zone and the heated and ventilated seats in the power-adjustable second row. They were also pleasantly surprised by the vanity mirrors in the suede-like microfiber-lined ceiling and the power side sunshades. All of us benefited from the soft Nappa leather upholstery, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and the Electronically Controlled Suspension’s pleasant ride quality.
I can’t say the same for the onboard fragrance system, though. I had it on full-blast, but nobody noticed its scent and no matter how hard I sniffed, I couldn’t smell it.
…AND THE “UTILITY” IN “LUXURY SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE”
My time with the GV80 coincided with my family’s move into our first house. We needed every bit of space we could get to transport our smaller belongings, so it was the perfect opportunity to use the GV80 as a utility vehicle.
Some of its more luxury-oriented features ended up making it a convenient means of getting work done. The hands-free power liftgate literally saved me some heavy lifting and allowed me to power-lower the rear seats and free up the GV80’s 71.7 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. The second row was helpful in its own ways, but required a little strategy to load effectively. If I had something in one arm and needed to unlock one of the rear doors, I didn’t have to walk forward to touch one of the front door handles and unlock the vehicle because the rear doors had the same sensors. Moving mountains of clothing and a seemingly endless amount of boxes was already frustrating enough; that small convenience kept it from becoming even more unpleasant. If the rear seats happened to be up after a night out on the town, all I had to do to lower them was press a button on either side of the second row. However, doing that exposed a minor drawback: The seats didn’t fold completely flat and the resulting slight incline required me to think carefully about what I put on the back of them. A cardboard box with a smooth bottom would slide down, but a plastic bin with a rougher texture would stay put. No matter how high I stacked things in the back of the GV80, I didn’t worry about my rearward visibility (although I was always mindful of the liftgate’s glass) because the digital rearview mirror gave me an unobstructed view of what was behind me.
SO…IS IT?
Genesis’s SUV lineup got off to a great start with the GV80. Since its release, others have joined it: the all-electric GV60, ICE and EV versions of the GV70, and the new-for-2025 GV80 Coupe. Although one of the updates Genesis made to the 2025 GV80 in the name of newness and tech left me longing for the old model, the company kept its first SUV what it’s always been. But my feelings for it changed – for the better. I already liked the GV80 for its styling and interior. My time using it as a utility vehicle made me respect it.
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