Genesis Sprouts An SUV

At an event is Seoul, South Korea yesterday, Genesis finally unveiled their new GV80 luxury SUV.  The overall look of the GV80 has been leaking out on the internet for months, but we finally get the full official release now.

The interior and exterior of the GV80 is designed with a common thread to give a familial look with the G70, G80, and G90.  The GV80 introduces a new quad headlamp design that will eventually filter out to the other vehicles in the Genesis lineup. The crest grille first seen on the G90 is here too. The interior of the GV80 focuses on the "beauty of white space". The designed accentuated the width and space of the of the interior with wide horizontal lines and thin air vents.  In the center is a 14.5-inch split screen infotainment display. Genesis intentionally limited the number of hard buttons and switches for aesthetic reasons. The GV80 comes in either 5-seat or 7-seat models. On up-level models, soft materials cover every surface from the inside of door handles to quilted knee pads that line the lower sides of the console.  The transmission selector is a dial in the center console. The integrated controller can be operated by an onscreen keyboard or by handwritten letters. 

Trips in the GV80 are designed to be stress-free. It gets equipped with a Road Active Noise Cancellation technology to reduce road noise. The system is one of the advanced and fast responding systems in the world. The electronically controlled suspension with road preview helps maintain a smooth ride by recognizing road imperfections ahead via a front camera.

The GV80 is based on a unique new rear-wheel drive platform, while all-wheel drive is available.  In South Korea is till be equipped with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel engine while the U.S. will get a choice between two unspecified turbocharged engines. All-wheel drive models in the U.S. will be equipped with an electronic rear limited slip differential.

There is a host of safety and driving assistance technologies in the GV80 including Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning, Highway Driving Assist II, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot collision Avoidance Assist, Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and driver attention alert warning. In the event of a collision, there are 10 airbags, including a center mounted airbag between the front occupants. 

The 2021 Genesis GV80 will go on sale in North America later this year.