2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD

this is not every day You have the opportunity to drive the car manufacturer’s true first. Back in June 2021, I had the pleasure of seven Take a road trip from Peoria, Arizona to San Diego, California and back in Genesis’ first SUV, the GV80. I fondly remember the time spent with my family and that test car. The GV80 3.5T Advanced+ AWD impresses with its blend of understated and distinctive styling, generous interior dimensions and amenities, and reassuring safety and driver-assist features. But now the GV80 is halfway through its product life cycle, which means the 2025 model is a mid-cycle refresh. Is the updated model as cute as the original?

line-up

I drove the 2025 GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD to find out, the flagship model with the most powerful engine and most luxurious interior. Its as-tested price reflects the full range of configurations. The entry-level 2.5T with standard AWD starts at $58,200 with a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged I4, while my press car had the 375-hp, 391 lb-ft 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with optional Add Uyuni White paint, which costs $650, and its as-tested price rises to $81,300. Two common features span the vast divide: an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

what’s new?

Genesis adopted a soft style when redesigning the 2025 GV80. It applies the basic two-line design features that made the original so tasteful and is attractive in other areas, such as the crest grille’s new mesh and the 22-inch wheels on my test vehicle. If you look closely at the LED headlights, you’ll notice that their internals are quite different from last year. Genesis updates it with MLA (Microlens Array) technology, a compact device capable of projecting a tightly focused beam of light. At the back, the visual changes are more obvious. The 2024 GV80’s twin-crown exhaust trim has been replaced by hidden exhaust tips covered in the lower rear fascia, with a bright appearance reminiscent of the old exhaust tips.

It’s impossible to miss the changes Genesis has made to the interior. A more traditional steering wheel replaces the outgoing twin-spoke unit. The instrument cluster and infotainment display are now housed in the same massive 27-inch OLED screen that sits atop a redesigned center console, along with convenient volume and adjustment knobs and frustratingly touch-sensitive HVAC controls. The device cannot be dynamically adjusted by sense alone. Yes, this new combo display is modern and visually impressive, but it also suffers functionally. The infotainment system can be controlled via a dial/dial on the center console or a designated side of the OLED display, but it’s too far back and tapping it to enter commands requires leaning forward and reaching, making for an awkward user experience Unnatural. I never thought I’d prefer a controller on the center console to a touchscreen, but the new GV80 changes that.

It combines “luxury”…

The seats inside the GV80 are decent. In addition to multiple massage zones for the driver’s seat and a heated power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, the front row also gets dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated buckets, and heated front console armrests, which my wife and I appreciate. My mother-in-law and her cousin enjoyed their own climate zones and the adjustable second-row heated and ventilated seats. They were also pleasantly surprised by the suede-like microfiber-lined ceiling vanity mirror and electric side sunshades. We all benefited from the pleasant ride quality of the soft Nappa leather interior, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and electronically controlled suspension.

I can’t say the same about the onboard fragrance system, though. I turned it up to full blast but no one noticed the smell and no matter how hard I sniffed I couldn’t smell it.

…and “practicality” in “luxury sport utility vehicle”

My time with the GV80 coincided with my family moving into our first house. We need as much space as possible to transport our small items, so this is the perfect opportunity to use the GV80 as a utility vehicle.

Some of its more luxurious features ultimately make it a convenient way to get work done. The hands-free power tailgate really saved me some heavy lifting and allowed me to power-lower the rear seats, freeing up the GV80’s 71.7 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. The second line is helpful in its own way, but requires some strategy to load effectively. If I have something on one arm and need to unlock one of the back doors, I don’t have to walk forward and touch one of the front door handles and unlock the vehicle because the back doors have the same sensor. Carrying mountains of clothes and seemingly endless boxes is frustrating enough; this little convenience keeps things from becoming even more unpleasant. If the rear seats happen to be raised after a night on the town, I can lower them simply by pressing buttons on either side of the second row. However, doing so revealed a small drawback: the seat didn’t fold completely flat, and the resulting slight tilt required me to think carefully about what I was putting on the back of the seat. Cardboard boxes with smooth bottoms will slide off, but plastic boxes with a rougher texture will stay in place. No matter how high I stack my stuff in the back of the GV80, I don’t have to worry about rear visibility (although I always keep an eye on the liftgate glass) because the digital rearview mirror gives me an unobstructed view of what’s behind me.

So…is that right?

Genesis’ SUV lineup begins with the GV80. Since its launch, it has been joined by other models: the all-electric GV60, ICE and EV versions of the GV70, and the new-for-2025 GV80 Coupe. While one of the updates Genesis made to the 2025 GV80 in the name of novelty and technology made me long for the old model, the company retained the consistent styling of its first SUV. But my feelings about it changed—for the better. I already like the styling and interior of the GV80. The time I used it as a utility vehicle made me respect it.