The Genesis GV80 is here, and things have started off pretty badly in all honesty. Golf legend Tiger Woods was recently involved in a serious crash whilst driving a GV80. We hope he gets well pretty quickly, as his vehicle did topple over. This has essentially got Genesis all over the news and given them heaps of publicity. Not the most positive publicity, but far more people know about Hyundai’s luxury brand than before.
Tiger Woods is a representative for Genesis, having driven their cars previously for adverts and personal use. This GV80 was given to him personally as part of their partnership scheme. The GV80 is a mid-size luxury SUV that is here to rival the likes of the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE. It is a nice car with 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engine options.
It has been said though that the safety features inside the GV80 saved Tiger’s life. That is pretty impressive and shows you that these systems aren’t just gimmicks. It shows that safety matters and that it doesn’t matter about top speed, handling, etc in the real world. When it comes to things like this, the only thing you want is a big solid safe car. The GV80 has a five-star safety rating too. It even has a “black-box” accident recorder on board to assist in resolving crashes.
However, is the GV80 any good? Should you buy one or look at something else? Well, let’s find out.
The GV80 Is a Key Model For Genesis
The GV80 is arguably the most important model for Genesis so far. It’s their first SUV ever and it will lead on to many other SUV models including the bigger GV90 and smaller GV70. The SUV market is where the money is at nowadays and is where most manufacturers are investing their money into. The GV80 will rival the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE, two cars that sell very well in the USA.
The GV80 is a handsome car and it looks quite prestigious, especially with the huge mesh grille up front. Inside too it’s extremely luxurious. It seems Genesis has taken a completely different approach when it comes to a luxury SUV. It’s not really sporty at all. It’s just too posh for that yet it feels contemporary.
The engine choices are a 300hp 2.0 inline-4, a 375hp 3.5 V6, and a diesel 274hp 3.0 inline-6. All engines are turbocharged and all do a sub-7-second 0-60. In fact, the 3.5 model does a 5.5 0-60 time which is insanely quick.
It definitely has Hyundai lines in some areas. If this car had no badge, people would either not know what it is or think it’s a Hyundai. That’s not a bad thing because Hyundai is a great brand, and they are the ones who designed the GV80. However, you’re paying a premium for a Genesis over a Hyundai. Surely it should look a little more different? It also looks a bit too fat, especially with the smaller alloys.
I also believe the 4-cylinder will be just too underpowered for this car. The best engine to get is probably the diesel but even that is pretty slow. The 3.5 is just way too thirsty and with increasing gas prices, it’s just not worth it. A hybrid or fully electric model will probably be released sometime in the future.
The GV80 Is a Great Family Car
The GV80 is a great family SUV with prices starting at just under $50,000. A top-spec car starts at just over $70,000. That’s pretty decent considering a GLE Mercedes starts at over $53,000 and an X5 starts at almost $60,000. The GV80 looks a whole lot better than the two, and inside it’s nicer too. The ride is smoother and it’s far more understated. The safety is pretty good too and that is evident from Tiger’s crash.
The GV80 is perfect for the upper-class family man who wants something safe and comfortable as well as having a car that boasts the tech and the toys as well as a prestige build-quality and design. The GV80 certainly looks unique and the big grille on the front will intimidate other drivers. It is a prestigious car, just with an unknown badge.
It is spacious and in diesel form, economical. It can even seat seven people in luxury leather seats. How cool is that? The front five seats are quilted too just as you would find on the likes of a Bentley Bentayga. The rear trunk is spacious too, even with the seats up.
There is a lot of detail inside the car too in terms of knurling and the usage of high-quality materials. The dash is really minimalist too and boasts all the technology you will ever need. The touchscreen is a bit far away though, and the air vents are a tad too thin. Other than that, the climate control is easily accessible and easy to use and the steering wheel is beautiful.
It’s a very organized car. It is essentially an even more luxurious Hyundai Palisade if you like, though the GV80 is a bit smaller and looks a lot better.
Conclusion
The GV80 has hit a rocky start. People will see that image of the crashed GV80 and it is pretty embarrassing. What caused it to crash? Is this car safe? Was it a malfunction at all? Tiger doesn’t remember what happened in the crash, but if it’s due to a technical fault of the GV80, then a similar crash is bound to happen again soon. After all, it is a new car. All will be told when the black-box in the car is opened.
The GV80 is extremely safe though and may have saved Tiger’s life. If it’s safe enough for him, then it’s safe enough for you and your kids. It is reasonably priced and it provides great value since the build quality is amazing and it looks very prestigious outside. It seats seven and it has all the tech you want.
The engines are disappointing. There should be a hybrid option or a more powerful diesel engine. The 3.5 is far too large, and instead should be replaced by a 3.0. The 2.0 should have an electric motor on board to assist it. If we had to choose, then it would be the 3.0 diesel.
We would buy one. It’s handsome and extremely safe. Don’t let Tiger’s crash put you off because let’s face it, the GV80 faired up pretty well in that crash. If it was a lower-rated safety car, say a Wrangler, then Tiger could have been dead or injured even more. This may not be the fastest SUV or the sportiest SUV but it sure is one of the safest and one of the best value cars on sale today.
Featured image credits via: forbes.com