Yahoo Autos 2021 Genesis GV80 First Drive | In the (second) beginning ...
If Genesis had it to do over again, it’s safe to say that its first three models would not have been a trio of sedans. The Genesis G80, G90, and G70 certainly have their merits, but when so many luxury-car intenders are shopping SUVs exclusively, the complete absence of such a vehicle in the lineup has prevented the brand from even getting consideration from a huge swath of the marketplace. Now, at last, comes salvation in the form of the GV80, the brand’s first SUV.
The arrival of the 2021 Genesis GV80 is such a momentous event that everything leading up to it feels like a preamble. This is the vehicle that will redefine Genesis, and that starts with its look. One upside of the GV80’s late arrival is that it skipped the milquetoast styling phase that the other models went through. The massive shield grille with the chain-link texture; the twin-slit motif seen in the headlights, the side repeaters, and the taillights; and the gently arching shoulder line all will be seen in other models — and are already in the newly redesigned G80 and the upcoming second-generation G70.
The GV80’s design makes it appear much lower and longer than the competing BMW X5 though the Bavarian is just an inch taller. The Genesis also will face off against the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, the Lincoln Aviator, and the Acura MDX, among many others. Like the BMW, Benz, and Lincoln, the Genesis features a north-south engine orientation and uses an RWD-based layout, a fact telegraphed by the long hood and the cab-rearward design.
Two engines are on offer: a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four and a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. The four-cylinder turbo boasts output more often seen with V6 engines: 310 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque (both figures shade the GLE 350’s 2.0-liter turbo-four). The boosted V6 is good for 375 hp and 391 lb-ft, beating the six-cylinder X5 (335 hp, 330 lb-ft) but not the Aviator (400 hp, 415 lb-ft). Both engines work with an eight-speed automatic. Missing from the lineup are the sort of high-performance or hybrid powertrain choices offered by most of the aforementioned competitors.
Genesis serves up the GV80 a total of 10 different ways, and there are no factory options. The 2.5T can be had in Standard, Advanced, and Prestige trims, each with RWD or AWD. The AWD-only 3.5T offers the same three trims — each with a bit more content than their 2.5T equivalents — as well as a fourth 3.5T variant, the Advanced+, which is the only GV80 with a third-row seat.
The limited availability of the third-row seat could be a hindrance in the marketplace, but when you attempt to climb into the third row, it’s clear that three-row packaging was not a priority. Push a button, and the second-row seat scoots forward, but the gap between seats and the wheel arch is tiny, making it difficult to squeeze through. The third-row cushion is also low to the floor and yet headroom is at a premium. And as we discovered in our first, non-driving review of the GV80, luggage space behind the third seat is extremely limited. The best that can be said is that power folding is included.
The accommodations in the second row are a much different story. There, a 6-footer can easily sit behind a similar-sized driver, with plenty of head- and legroom. And check the amenities: side window shades (on all but 2.5T RWD Standard), seat heating (2.5T Prestige, 3.5T Advanced and Prestige), and in the 3.5T Prestige, seat cooling, power side window shades, power folding, and eight-way power seat adjustment.
Up front, the driver looks out over a long hood, and that combined with a relatively low overall vehicle height makes for a pleasant, almost passenger-car feel. A power steering column is standard, though a greater range of fore-aft adjustment would be welcome. All Prestige models and the 3.5T Advanced come with adjustable side bolsters and seat cushion extenders as well as a massaging Active Bolster Seat.
The top-spec 3.5T Prestige model has a digital instrument cluster with a 3D effect, but its appearance is less dramatic than it sounds. With the digital cluster, the Blind Spot View Monitor, which shows a camera feed looking rearward down the side of the car when the turn signal is activated, briefly replaces the digital speedometer (left side) or tachometer (right side). This is one of the GV80's few elements obviously shared with a Hyundai, but it's an awesomely helpful one, and in fact an enhancement of the system we named our 2019 Autoblog Technology of the Year. Lesser models with the Blind Spot View Monitor show the feed (either left or right) in the tachometer, which like the information center between the gauges is digitally rendered.
The GV80’s showpiece interior tech feature, though, is the 14.5-inch touchscreen that’s standard on all models. The screen has an unusual long, shallow shape, and can show a single element or two elements with the second to the extreme right. Graphics are up-to-the-minute modern, and the sharpness of the feeds from the available multi-view camera is excellent. Naturally, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported, though not in their wireless forms.
The shape and location of the screen put it close to the line of sight, but the far end is a reach for the driver. That issue is remedied by the presence of a console-mounted click-wheel although its design is less user-friendly than BMW’s iDrive controller. The wheel is flush mounted and has a concave shape, not unlike an old-school iPod. It provides some separation of feel from the dial shifter just aft of it and the smaller drive-mode dial just to the right, but turning the inset click-wheel is awkward. Similarly, jogging the click-wheel up, down, forward, or back is harder to do than with a surface-mounted version. It also has a touch-sensitive center section that responds to swipe or pinch motions.
