Genesis GV80 makes a debut in South Korea

Genesis's first-ever luxury crossover SUV finally makes a debut at a private media event in Seoul, South Korea. The GV80 was originally unveiled as a concept at the New York Auto Show in 2017. Later, the automaker released official photographs ahead of its full reveal, earlier this month.

Outside, the GV80 SUV draws its styling cues from its sibling 2020 G90 sedan. The large mesh-like grille represents the company's signature Genesis grille, similar to redesigned G90 along with the winged Genesis logo. The production GV80 sports double-strip horizontal lights on each side of the grille along with squared-off LED projectors.

The light strips of the car can be seen to have repeated on the front fenders and in the taillight design. The GV80 rolls on wheels that range from 19 to 22 inches. The automaker has put a total of 12 exterior colour options on offer, with three of them having a matte finish. While describing its styling cues, Genesis design chief Luc Donckerwolke said, "GV80 serves as a benchmark in becoming the most recognizable, unique signature of Genesis design."

Under the hood is a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine that generates a maximum of 278 hp along with a peak torque of 588 Nm. However, this engine configuration might be limited to the South Korean market only. The base models of the GV80 is said to carry a rear-wheel-drive layout. However, the higher trims will have AWD with an electronic limited-slip differential as standard drive options. 

Additionally, the automaker confirms the arrival of a 2.5-litre turbo-4 and a new 3.5-litre turbo V-6. An 8-speed automatic transmission will handle the transmission of both the engine options. The suspension will make use of adaptive dampers, but will not offer air springs. 

Inside, the car features a 14.5-inch central screen with augmented reality support for the navigation system. The GV80 will be introduced with five and seven-seat arrangements, with the former featuring two rows of electric seats. Other aspects of the interior include a head-up display and a digital instrument cluster. Moreover, Genesis will offer several customization options for the cabin.

The safety features of the car can be assumed to be Automatic Lane Changer, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Adaptive Cruise Control, which come as standard in the present generation SUVs.

Lastly, sales for the GV80 is set to begin later this month in the Korean market with only a diesel engine on offer. Other markets will see the GV80 arrive later in the year.

Also read: Genesis appointed David Lederer as the new boss for Australia