MINNEAPOLIS — The Genesis GV80 is a decidedly solid vehicle that we’ve called out for its compelling design, richly satisfying interior, decent power and useful tech. It’s a luxury SUV that offers an interesting option to its more expensive German rivals. So what’s next? Well, following in the footsteps of the Germans, it’s time for Genesis to give its flagship SUV a coupe-like appearance. BMW X5 has his X6 brother or sister; Audi has its Sportbacks; Porsche And Mercedes have coupe versions of their mid-size SUVs…now Genesis offers the GV80 CoupéThis one too has a tighter roofline that reduces usability, but it ramps up the excitement with an optional supercharged engine.
First, there are the obvious changes, and they start with the roofline from the B-pillar rearward. The steeper slope flows into an aggressive and dynamically sculpted roof spoiler. Unlike the SUV’s more horizontal spoiler, the Coupe dives in the middle to create a sporty double-spoiler look. Below that is the aggressively raked tailgate, split horizontally in two by a large lower lip spoiler. The two-line taillights wrap around the corners to the sculpted curvature of the lower tailgate. The Coupe gets even more athletic touches below that, including a sleek lower fascia with prominent quad exhaust pipes.
Otherwise, less obvious design choices continue to distinguish the Coupe as the sportier sibling to the more practical SUV. At the front, it gets its own version of the Genesis grille, with two layers of mesh providing both a three-dimensional effect and further protection for the internal components behind it. The front bumper gets a larger air curtain, flanked by larger air intakes at the lower corners of the fascia. From the side, the Coupe’s flat roof rails provide a smoother silhouette (helping to dramatise the new roofline), while exclusive wheels provide a further sense of stance that the SUV doesn’t get. We particularly liked the look of the 22-inch matt dark grey wheels fitted to our test car, whose unique design suggests an almost crystalline grille to complement each of the five spokes.
Moving inside, the GV80 Coupe’s cabin is rich and detail-oriented. Our tester’s Nappa leather interior had an exclusive red and black Coupe look colour scheme, which we found to be second only to the available Ultramarine Blue with orange stitching. Behind the sporty, flat-bottomed steering wheel, the intricate carbon fiber trim stands out with its unique diamond-shaped weave that gives it an interesting, almost holographic sense of depth. The stitching, quilting, and textures of the switches beckon you to touch them and pull in for a closer look. Go ahead, lean in closer — you won’t be disappointed after a closer inspection.
And such a lavish interior surprisingly obscures what would otherwise be the centerpiece of the entire cockpit, meaning an overhaul for the entire 2025 GV80 line. A wide, 27-inch OLED digital display now stretches across the dash, serving as both infotainment and instrument cluster. It’s bright and colorful, placing information where you need it while offering a seamless look. Infotainment is controlled via touchscreen or a rotary gearshift knob on the center console (which still looks a bit too much like the gearshift knob in size and general location). Climate controls get their own, separate touchscreen, located further down the center stack, below a row of menu buttons and actual knobs for audio volume and tuning. This Genesis interior does a good job of leveraging digital where it makes sense, and without having to dig through menus to find the items you use most.
Looking at the GV80 Coupé, it seems safe to assume that the sloping roofline must have a significant impact on rear-seat comfort. On paper, though, the Coupe offers 37.6 inches of headroom, a sacrifice of just 0.8 inches compared to the SUV. Open the rear door, glance toward the ceiling, and you’ll notice that Genesis has gone to great lengths to create as much headroom as possible above the seatback, while the headliner rises into a hollow behind the sunroof. Sit in the backseat, and you’ll likely find it quite comfortable. This 6-foot-tall author would have no complaints riding as a rear-seat passenger on long trips. Even better, heated and ventilated second-row seats are standard in the GV80 Coupe, as are rear-seat climate controls on the back of the center console.
The SUV’s third-row option is, as expected, not available in the Coupe, but that’s no great loss. It’s a squeeze for everyone and only available on one trim level in the regular version.
The GV80 Coupe offers 30.3 cubic feet of volume with the rear seats up, which is significantly less than the 36.5 cubic feet available behind the SUV’s second row, placing it between the BMW X6 (27.4) and Mercedes GLE Coupe (31.6). Looking at the actual space, there’s a fairly large footprint, but the angle of the glass does obstruct the rear portion of the boot. It looks great for filling with items like grocery bags, and we suspect luggage would stack nicely against the rear seats, but we suspect larger bags or boxes would struggle to fit further back. Cayenne Coupé is similar in this respect.
The GV80 Coupe comes with two powertrains. The base engine is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 making 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque — the same as the top-of-the-line GV80 SUV line. The other version, not available in the SUV but borrowed from the G90 sedan, the same twin-turbo V6 is equipped with the Genesis “e-Supercharger.” Powered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, it fills the performance gap caused by turbochargers that rely on exhaust gases to create boost. The result is instant response, the elimination of turbo “lag,” and even more power — a total of 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. Interestingly, it also gives the GV80 Coupe a slight boost in fuel economygood for 18 miles per gallon in the city, 22 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg combined, compared to 16/22/19 mpg from the base engine.
We only got to try the e-Supercharger powertrain, and boy, is it a treat. The right pedal introduces power smoothly and instantly thanks to the e-Supercharger. It pulls hard in a linear manner, with a seamless transition from supercharged to turbocharged assistance, keeping acceleration predictable all the way to the next slick shift of the eight-speed automatic. It’s a nice mix of quickness and comfort; you could drive pretty fast without a nervous passenger keeping an eye on the speedometer.
Genesis channels engine noise through the audio system, which is controversial but commonplace these days. Here’s the thing: It sounds surprisingly good, and we repeatedly praised the solid soundtrack throughout the drive, forgetting that it wasn’t entirely natural. It certainly sounds natural — it’s actual powertrain noise, with no extra notes concocted by a sound engineer or musician. You can turn it off for a quieter cabin experience, but this was one of the rare instances where the feedback provided by the extra volume was actually appreciated. It feels weird to say that.
Twist the drive mode selector and you can add even more to the driving experience. Sport mode unleashes a little more power, but it’s Sport+ mode that’s the secret sauce, exclusive to the E-Supercharger variant. The idle rises from 750 to 1,000rpm, the steering weight increases and the suspension firms up. The Sport+ transmission logic is particularly impressive, with a nice, firm blip on downshifts and a high rev count throughout the rev range. It even holds gears rather than automatically shifting if you hit the rev limiter in manual mode. It makes winding downhill roads an addictive endeavor, complete with a generous dose of controlled wheelspin as you push the GV80 Coupe out of a corner.
That sense of control it provides during a spirited drive also applies to less-than-ideal road conditions. We encountered some heavy rain during our drive in particular and the car never felt out of balance. The all-wheel-drive system can send 50-100% of power to the rear (and therefore 0-50% to the front), but maximizes torque at the front in slippery conditions. It makes for a pleasantly customizable experience based on conditions and mood.
The ride is focused on comfort, without sacrificing too much agility or creating a numb or floaty feeling. As standard on the Coupe, the GV80 SUV’s electronically controlled suspension uses a front-facing camera to proactively adjust the damping to suit the road ahead. It provides a smooth experience for occupants, complementing the luxury of the interior.
The GV80 Coupe’s pricing reflects its position next to the top of the GV80 SUV lineup, as does its extensive list of standard features. It starts at $81,300 (including $1,350 destination) for the base 3.5T AWD. It’s equipped similarly to the SUV’s top-line GV80 3.5T AWD with the Prestige package, but $650 more. There are no options or packages. The same goes for the 3.5T e-Supercharger AWD, which starts at $87,100 with destination. All of the features we’ve talked about come standard, along with further flourishes like an excellent driver assist suite, head-up display, Bang & Olufsen sound system, digital key, wireless phone Chargerwireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and reversing camera.
While we tend to shy away from intersection Coupes that prefer their more practical, full-size counterparts, Genesis has an appealing formula with its GV80 Coupe. It’s a rare instance where the coupe bodywork actually looks better than the SUV it’s based on (though that’s obviously not to everyone’s taste). The availability and exclusivity of the even hotter E-Supercharger powertrain only makes it more appealing. So if you’re looking for a sportier-looking version of the already attractive GV80, complete with a hotter powertrain, and don’t mind sacrificing a little bit of practicality (but not much, really), you now have the GV80 Coupe to suit your tastes. And don’t forget to put it in Sport+ mode. It’s pretty sweet.