Yahoo Autos Tested: 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe Offers Supercharged Luxury
10/10/24 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results for a 3.5T E-Supercharged model.
Even parked in front of the ritzy Four Seasons Hotel in Minneapolis, the row of 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupes drew attention. Passersby and wealthy patrons alike turned their heads to admire the sporty and elegant fastback design. For a luxury brand with only about a decade under its belt that's looking to take customers from the likes of BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, building cachet is a need, not a want. That's not to say that looks alone are enough—they may bring people to the showroom, but they're unlikely to create a customer on their own.
The GV80 Coupe is a sportier take on the standard GV80 SUV—a strong starting point given that the latter is our top pick in the class. The Coupe's roofline has a more aggressive slope ending in a large duckbill spoiler. The crest-shaped grille makes its way to the new model, as do the twin-line headlights that have become part of the brand's signature look. One peek inside confirms that Genesis doesn't take quality lightly, with special care clearly paid to fitment and to the materials chosen. And as we've come to expect from Genesis, the new Coupe is stuffed to the gills with premium materials and amenities.
The GV80 Coupe shares many of its dimensions with the regular SUV. The wheelbases match at 116.3 inches. Overall width doesn't change, but the overall length increases by an inch, now measuring 195.5 inches, while the overall height drops 0.2 inch to 67.3. Despite the sloping roofline, back-seat headroom will be fine for anyone who doesn't have an NBA contract, as the fastback design sacrifices less than an inch of room. The more aggressive shape did, however, cause Genesis to ditch the optional third row, but the cramped space was never really suitable for adults anyway.
Genesis positions the GV80 Coupe as the sporty option, and so it foregoes the regular SUV's four-cylinder base engine. Instead, the 375-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 that's optional on the GV80 SUV comes standard on the Coupe. The Coupe's exclusive step-up powertrain option features the same twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 but with an electrically driven supercharger to help spool up the snails. That's the version we drove, and it churns out 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. On top of the additional power, the E-Supercharged model returns marginally better fuel economy, earning 18 mpg city and 22 mpg highway estimates from the EPA compared to 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway for the base V-6 (the 17-mpg average our test car returned was the result of more-aggressive-than-usual driving on our part). The extra oomph costs an additional $5800, as the E-Supercharged model starts at $87,100 versus $81,300 for the standard mill.
Even with its stout optional engine, the GV80 Coupe is a better luxury utility vehicle than it is a sport utility vehicle. Acceleration from a stop is smooth and effortless, and gearchanges from the eight-speed automatic transmission are nearly imperceptible unless you're looking for them. All-wheel drive comes standard, and with the artificial engine noises switched off, the V-6 hums along without ever raising its voice.
For a luxury vehicle, the powertrain is a success. But motivating a high-performance SUV that wants to contend with the likes of the BMW X5 M60i or the Porsche Cayenne S is a different matter. Our track testing proved as much, with the GV80 Coupe getting to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds—considerably slower than the 2024 Porsche Cayenne S Coupe we piloted from zero to 60 in just 3.9 seconds.
Hustling our GV80 Coupe through the farmland surrounding Minnesota's Twin Cities, we were a bit disappointed by this Genesis's lack of athleticism, part of which can be attributed to its somewhat portly 5132-pound curb weight. The E-Supercharged model has an exclusive Sport+ mode that holds gears for longer, makes the stability control more forgiving, and adds weight to the steering. But even in Sport+, the car's chassis dynamics can't match the enthusiasm of the robust engine. Body roll was instantly noticeable on turn-in, and steering feedback was more muted than we'd hoped for. On the skidpad and rolling on 22-inch Michelin Primacy Tour A/S all-season tires, the GV80 Coupe's 0.81 g of lateral grip is well in arrears of the 1.03 g's put down by the aforementioned Cayenne. It's a similar story under braking, the GV80 Coupe requiring 175 feet to stop from 70 mph versus the Cayenne S's 152 feet. Importantly, that Porsche wore wider summer tires—that's not even an option on the Genesis.
No matter the drive mode, the ride is hushed, with noise from the wind, tires, and outside traffic muted by additional soundproofing materials and a standard active noise-cancelling system. At idle, we measured the ambient noise inside at a 38-decibel whisper. At 70 mph that figure rose to a still-quiet 66 decibels. And despite rolling on those 22-inch wheels (the base car comes with 20s), the electronically controlled dampers effectively swallowed up all but the very worst potholes.
Comfortable cruising is where the GV80 Coupe really shines. Its interior surfaces are covered with an elegant mixture of leather, wood, metal, carbon fiber, and microsuede. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, with the integrated massage function gently kicking on mid-drive to fix our posture. The high point of the interior is the seamless 27.0-inch OLED touchscreen spanning about two-thirds of the dash. The system responds instantly to touch inputs, but there's also a rotary dial conveniently located on the center console as an alternative. While it hadn't been activated in our sample model, the new system supports wireless versions of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which will be included in a free over-the-air-update.
As a rolling sculpture that turns heads and invites potential customers to the brand, the GV80 Coupe hits the mark. The exterior looks premium without coming off as gauche. Invite a Cayenne or X5 driver to sit inside, and they're likely to be impressed. As a high-performance luxury SUV, though, the GV80 Coupe is less compelling. While it maintains the impressive quality and luxury of the standard SUV, the Coupe struggles to elevate itself to the level of truly sporty.
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