The 2024 Genesis GV80 Review: Affordable-Luxury

Recently, I got an invitation from the Genesis media team to review their 2024 Genesis GV80 SUV, and I immediately accepted the opportunity. For the whole last week, I got to keep a 2024 Genesis GV80 in it's Prestige Signature trim with the mighty 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine. And I can't wait to tell you how the week went with the new GV80.

So without any further delay, let's dive straight into the review

Interior: The Elephant In The Room

Let's begin with the interior, and the GV80 Prestige Signature that we had a chance to spend time with, is the fanciest possible trim of the 2024 Genesis GV80. This trim gets Napa leather seating and suede headliner, and from top to bottom it looks and feels lux. I love the look at this open-pore wood and the metallic accents in the center console trim, and also the GV80 has this tan shade interior with a kind of dark blue thing going on. I wouldn't choose it for myself but I like that it's a little bit different than the usual. Everything feels soft even parts you wouldn't expect like down in the bottle-holding area of the door!

One challenge is that the USB ports are inset a bit so a little awkward to access if you're big-handed. Then it has a center console with a reasonable amount of space for storing stuff. As for door storage, there's a nice spot to put your phone up there but the lower storage is small.

The seats are not as soft as I would expect but supportive. I'm not noticing any pressure points but when you put it into sport mode the seats do give you a little hug so they are more supportive when you're driving sportily. But it's a kind of a mid-torso hug, I would mind a little bit more hug in the shoulder region.

The second-row seating is generous, with plenty of room for my average frame 5' 10" with a long torso. One weird bit about the prestige signature trim is that it's got second-row captain's chairs so we've only got a max capacity of four people in this particular GV80. I like those second-row seats as they come with power recline and slide and all that kind of stuff. Plus, you have vanity mirrors at the back as well!

There is a third-row option but only in the 3.5 Advanced trim. In the cargo area, we've got 34.9 cubic feet of space, and that's quite competitive for the category. Although, technically you can get more cargo space in a new Honda CR-V but still a lot of space to work with back there for a family of four. For your convenience, the 2024 GV80 has power-folding second-row seats and a generous underfloor area that also has a space to store. I noticed there is a tire repair kit but I would prefer a spare any day. For easier cargo access they've got the smart liftgate, if you have the key in your pocket just go stand back there for 3 seconds and the liftgate will automatically open.

The Exterior Is Fine

In terms of the exterior looks, I love that long hood with the big grille and the way there's that flat part above the headlights. It just looks super posh! I also think that the twin light bar design that Genesis has throughout their entire lineup works really well. The 2024 Genesis GV80 also has the optional soft-close door feature.

One critique about the Genesis GV80 is that it offers very few paint colors that are not extra cost.

Drive Impression Of The 2024 Genesis GV80

In-motion ride quality in the Genesis GV80 is plush and serene. This Prestige trim gives you the adaptive dampers so if I'm in Comfort mode, it's going to be a little bit softer, and a little more cush; you can tighten that up by going over to Sport mode. I am impressed that we have a comfortable ride given the fact that we're riding on 22-inch wheels!

The overall steering ratio is 14.14 to1 which is reasonably swift but as I turn here I'm not filled with a lot of body role. Genesis mentions that it has a variable gear ratio for the steering and what I'm interpreting that is that it's a little slower on center and then as you get farther off center, the ratio speeds up a little bit, so you have both stability at speed and then agility when you're going through corners.

So in Comfort mode, you really don't notice the gear change, they're just very like sleek, silky, and seductive; put it over into sport mode and they become more eventful. This 2024 GV80 has the optional 3.5 L turbocharged V6 and if I floor it there that feels pretty swift.

I don't expect many GV80 buyers to ever take their vehicles offroad, but for those that do, you have 8.1 inches of ground clearance to work with. More realistically, that ground clearance will come in handy let's say it's snowy and you don't want to go dragging the front end across unplowed roads.

The Infotainment

The 2024 Genesis GV80 comes with a standard 14.5-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's high-mounted and wide, very close to the driver's gaze. It's easy to access through either a knob or the touchscreen. There are you have the physical tune and volume rollers which is a safer infotainment option over a fully-touch-based system. The overall texture in the infotainment setup matches the texture on the pedals as well as the stocks.

The good thing about having multiple entry points is that you can use whichever one you prefer. The gauge cluster zone gets a standard 8-inch screen but then higher-up trims gets an optional 12.3 in screen with a 3D function.

Why & How Does It Make Sense To Buy The 2024 Genesis GV80?

Okay let's talk engine choices, the base engine is a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4 and then there's the turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that we've got in our tester. With either engine max power comes with premium fuel, and both engines come standard with all-wheel drive and that 8-speed automatic transmission. Both engines also max out at 6,000 lbs for tow capacity.

At the lowest possible price, the base 2024 Genesis GV80 trim is great, it's got wood trim on the inside, leatherette seating, heated and powered front seats, a wireless phone charger, and smart key access. Though I really wish smart key access on the GV80 included a sensor for the rear doors, the bass trim gives you everything you need, plus a 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

If you're ready to buy a GV80 of your very own, keep in mind, for competitors, the GV80 is cheaper than the Audi Q7 or BMW X5 but a cheaper alternative than the GV80 would be the Lexus RX.