The 2021 Genesis GV80 provides a serene driving experience, which exactly what you expect of a premium SUV. Even in the softly tuned Korean market model we sampled, the GV80 glides over bumps without exhibiting unruly body motions.

Genesis is expanding its three sedan lineup to include a midsized SUV, significantly broadening the brand’s appeal in the process. Its new GV80 faces tough, established competition, including the Audi Q7, BMW X5, and Lexus RX.Genesis took its time developing the GV80, creating a refined, richly appointed vehicle that we think will attract attention from shoppers right at launch.

It is primarily a two-row SUV, though a tight third-row is an option. There are two turbocharged engines offered: a four-cylinder and a V6. The full features list is generous for its price. But beyond bells and whistles, the GV80 shines with its presentation—it looks and feels luxurious.

We rented two early examples from Genesis for an extended period, giving us a chance to experience the two powertrains and two seating configurations before the GV80 went on sale.

If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our initial expert assessment of the new GV80 is available to you here. We will buy a V6 model to put through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including those that evaluate acceleration, braking, fuel economy, handling, car-seat fit, and controls. CR members will get access to the full road-test results as soon as they’re available.

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What we rented: 2021 Genesis GV80 Prestige and GV80 V6 Advance+
Powertrains: 300 hp, 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
375 hp, 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with an 8-speed automatic transmission; rear- and all-wheel drive
MSRP: $63,400, $65,050
Destination fee: $1,025
Total cost: $64,425 and $66,075

CR’s Take

The GV80 looks sharp, with classy styling elements adorning its upscale exterior. Open the front door, and the sumptuous, finely detailed cabin makes a big impression. It has embellishments where the competition often doesn’t bother, with textures and rich trim. It isn’t perfect; there are a couple puzzling controls, which we will address later.

On the road, the GV80 is smooth, quiet, and refined—just what one wants in a luxury SUV. Clearly, Genesis went all-in on the GV80. It looks distinctive and feels more expensive than it is. As a result, Genesis puts its competition on notice that it's a brand to watch. And for consumers, this is definitely a model to test-drive.

Below we cover the standout features we experienced, like the sumptuous front seats and dazzly 3D display, but there are many more that go beyond the scope of a first drive. This is quite an innovative, feature-rich vehicle. We’ll go deeper, of course, in our true road test, once we buy one to evaluate.

What We Like

Engines: The base engine is quite satisfying. We think most drivers may not know it is a four cylinder based on performance and sound. It is among the better turbo fours we’ve experienced, with minimal hesitation when accelerating and with enough power to not feel strained. Plus it has a refined feel and sound once underway. The V6 is quite robust, delivering effortless acceleration that is particularly appreciated when merging into traffic. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly with both engines.

Dynamics: The ride, handling, and steering are impressive, making the GV80 very enjoyable to drive. It feels tied down and connected to the road, more like the European competitors than the floatier Acura MDX and Lexus RX. The ride is taut, although it has good compliance for absorbing road imperfections even with its massive 22-inch wheels. The body feels stout and substantial, contributing to a solid overall feel.

Well-dressed cabin: The interior wows at first glance, and the fine attention to detail continues to impress as the miles rack up. For example, there's a padded section on the center console to provide a soft place for the driver’s right knee to rub against. And it is quilted. Some rivals just have you rub against hard plastic. A luxury vehicle’s cabin should look and feel special, and the GV80 sets a high standard.

Instrument panel: The gauge cluster is a clear, pleasing display with vivid, high-resolution graphics. High-end versions show a video feed when a turn signal is activated, revealing a view down the side of the vehicle. We have experienced this on the Hyundai Palisade as well. This feed can be helpful when navigating in stressful situations. It shows the left side to the left of the cluster, and the right side to the right, making it easy to interpret.

3D display: Perhaps the neatest show-off feature is the three-dimensional rendering of the GV80 in center information screen, between the large gauges. This is a common design element to show the vehicle and its position in the lane. But the GV80 goes one better than the competitors by using driver monitoring cameras to help render the SUV, making it look so real that you’d think it was a Matchbox car that you could reach out and grab. (This feature is only available on the V6 Prestige, but our preproduction models had it.) The SUV and advanced safety and driver assist feature information can be shown in the head-up display, as well.

Front seats: The front seats are wide, with a thick torso bolster. They proved to be supremely comfortable and supportive, while still soft and welcoming. There are so many adjustments that people of all sizes should be able to find a suitable position.

Back seats: The second row is roomy and comfortable, with easy access through the wide doors. Once seated, feet tuck easily under the front seats and there is adequate headroom despite intrusion from the panoramic roof. Numerous features add to the comfort, such as the heated/cooled seats; climate controls for each side that allow passengers to choose where the air is directed; power buttons to slide and tilt the front passenger seat; two lighted fold-down mirrors; and two USB ports and a 110-volt outlet.

Fender lights: These are a distinguishing feature that tie in with the headlight design. The parallel fender lights are activated with the turn signals and the hazard lights, used during a roadside emergency. They are a nice spin on the trend to have a stylistic element on the front fenders.

What We Don’t Like

Controls: The Achilles’ heel for the GV80 may be the infotainment dial—a rotary bezel with a concave touchpad in the center. This jewel-like control is beautifully crafted and even its operation is pleasing when fiddling with it. (The bezel sounds like a bicycle with a baseball card in the spokes when rotated.) However, it is confusing and distracting to use for infotainment system adjustments and selections. Even using the large touch screen was frustrating. The hard-to-interpret labels add to the difficulty. We found it better to use the hard keys under the screen and steering wheel controls. Many of our testers gave up on interacting with the infotainment system and stuck with the default settings or even drove in silence. Compounding matters is the round gear selector—right next to that rotary controller.

Third row: The third-row seat is rather small, as is the norm for this class. Genesis expects very few GV80s to be sold with the seat, and we see why.

What We’ll Keep an Eye On

Engine performance: Most drivers consider the base engine to be adequate, but we did note occasional hesitation in response and some overt shifts. To be fair, the models we drove were built many months before the fall on-sale date, but we will be particularly attentive to the powertrain when we test a production model.

Controls: Perhaps living with the infotainment controls will change our perspective, or maybe the controls themselves will have evolved before the GV80 comes to market.

Access: Large doors and a convenient height make entering the GV80 easy for most drivers. However, many noted that they rubbed their leg on the sill when they exited. This stood out in our notes and bears further exploration, especially over the winter when the body will be coated with road salt that could be wiped onto our pant legs.

Safety and Driver Assistance

Genesis says the GV80 will come standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking that can detect pedestrians and vehicles approaching from the side, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning with emergency braking.

Driver assistance systems include an adaptive cruise control that Genesis says can “learn” and adopt the driving characteristics of the car’s human driver. There’s also an upgraded version of Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist feature, which will be able to follow lane markings; control steering, acceleration, and braking; assist the driver in changing lanes; and automatically adjust the distance between the car and the vehicle in front of it. It can also recognize speed limits on highways and adjust the vehicle’s speed accordingly. Driver monitoring and remote parking will also be available.