Yahoo Autos 2025 Genesis GV80 Review: Beautiful looks backed up by true luxury
Pros: Stunning design; tech-forward and elegant interior; smooth ride; silky V6 engine; excellent driver assistance tech and safety ratings
Cons: Confusing trim structure; four-cylinder is a little raspy; third row is cramped and available in only one version
The 2025 Genesis GV80 enjoys its first substantial update for 2025, and this luxury SUV is all the better for it. Just like before, the GV80 doesn’t portend to be a luxury “performance” SUV; instead, it puts all its energy into being the most luxurious and relaxing option out there. In many ways, Genesis succeeds triumphantly. Its street presence alone is majestic with the large and classy grille matched with the double-line lights you’ll see both front and back. You’ll stand out in a sea of BMW and Mercedes-Benz SUVs, and it arguably looks better than said German rivals.
There isn’t much of a step down when you climb inside and take in the beautiful color options, surprising material choices and its new, pretty OLED infotainment screen. There’s obviously a lot of tech to get acquainted with, but it’s easy to learn, and the sheer scale of the screens doesn't suffocate or overpower the rest of the interior. Now, the GV80's price isn’t as much of a bargain as it was when it launched, but there’s still great value to be had, and there’s very little compromise to be made. Sheer driving dynamics and handling is where Genesis’ competitors still have a leg up, but if you just want an outstanding A-to-B luxury vehicle with space for a small family and all the belongings that come with it, the GV80 has to be on your shortlist.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it's like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What's new for 2025?
The GV80 goes through a mid-cycle refresh for 2025, bringing small design tweaks outside and big tech updates inside. You can read more about those updates and how they improve the SUV in our first drive review here. A new GV80 Coupe model joins for 2025, as well, but we review that model separately right here.
What are the GV80’s interior and in-car technology like?
The GV80 cabin is just as impressive in person as it is in pictures. It's tastefully unique and genuinely luxurious. Plus, the update for 2025 makes it an even grander sight at first glance.
The dash is significantly revamped this year with a new 27-inch OLED screen encompassing both the instruments and infotainment. It's silky-smooth and crisp, offering wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. We appreciate that Genesis has kept the redundant infotainment control setup featuring both touchscreen and rotary controller on the center console. We also like that Genesis maintains physical controls for volume, tuning and various menu shortcuts, and that the touch-based panel for climate controls looks great and is easy to use. The first owner of every GV80 gets Connected Services complimentary for as long as they own the car, which includes a WiFi hot spot, remote access, post-crash assistance and image capture from surround-view cameras. There’s a fingerprint reader on the console, too, for those who use the available Digital Key to further authenticate their identity.
Genesis went above and beyond with interior color and materials selections. Brown or crème-colored leather seats pair with a distinctive pale forest green on the dash, doors and steering wheel. There’s also a blue option with white seats. If you're not so adventurous, there's a simple all-black and a dark gray with a dark, reddish brown, too.
How big is the GV80?
The GV80 is just a hair longer than the BMW X5, Mercedes GLE and Volvo XC90, while falling 4 inches short of a Lincoln Aviator. It's shorter in height than all of them, however, which combines with some clever design elements to make the GV80 look especially long and sleek.
Despite the lower roof, the cabin doesn't suffer for headroom. There's plenty of it in rows one and two. Second-row legroom isn't as great as you might expect in a three-row crossover, but that's typical of RWD-based models, including the X5 and GLE. The seats are quite cushy and deeply contoured, and recline to a luxurious degree. They can be heated and ventilated.
The third-row seats (above, top right) are exclusively paired with the Advance trim, limiting selection for those in need of extra seating. This certainly curbs its appeal, but it's also not the most usable third-row. Legroom is actually perfectly usable (you don't even have to slide the second-row forward for an adult to fit), but headroom is tight, and it's difficult to reach. The third rows of the XC90 and Aviator are much better – they're also standard.
As for cargo capacity, it can hold the same number of suitcases as the Cadillac XT6, so it’s on the smaller side of three-row luxury SUVs. The five-passenger, two-row GV80s have a rated capacity of 36.5 cubic-feet, while third-row GV80s have just 11.6 cubes when the third row is in place.
What are the GV80’s fuel economy and performance specs?
There are two engines offered, indicated by the names 2.5T and 3.5T.
