This week I was in the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige, a chunkier ride when compared to the G70 I had the week before. The size would be a reoccurring trend that would pop up throughout the week.
This started with how small I felt in the spacious cabin. The seats were especially wide with the ability to adjust the curvature of the back. This helped to conform to your shape and squeeze in more like a bucket seat. However, looking back when storing items in the back seats, I could immediately see that there was barely any legroom for either of the last two rows, when only considering the comfort of the first two.
I did appreciate the ability to move and adjust the front passenger seat from the driver’s, and how each additional one in the back had electric seat adjustment, and included its own climate control panel and charging port, plus cup holder within the pull down arm rest.
At one point I struggled to figure out how I deployed the backseat passenger’s windows screens. A semi-permeable black mesh over the windows, meant to block out the sun. You could not detach or pull up either manually, and I wasn’t sure of which button I pushed to have them come up in the first place. However, wanted them removed, as I found shoulder checking through them challenging. Not to mention, the GV80 was already large and cumbersome to navigate as is, without the distraction. It turns out this was automatic, as a part of the window button. Rolling them up or down would eventually lead to this, on top of physically opening and closing the actual windows.
Puzzling, and never seen else where on any other infotainment system or centre console is the lotion button. Located within the same cluster as the climate control, and just to the left of the heated steering wheel button is an icon that looks like a bottle of lotion. Like the temperature and seats heating controls, it has dashes at the top of it, indicating strength of use. However, despite multiple taps, nothing happened. I would like to think this was a room perfume atomizer function, but maybe the fragrance dispenser was empty, and therefore not available for use, when I tried.
Just as well, the vehicle always smelled fresh when you entered, thanks to the automatic air conditioning – auto dryer. It starts and runs itself after you turn off the vehicle, so it is never damp and smells don’t get trapped. I thought this a thoughtful feature that only adds to the vehicle’s longevity.
All the guests I let play passenger were especially enthralled by the wrap around touch screen infotainment system. I liked its easy navigation, but noted that you could only sync your phone with plug-in cable.
The vinyl wrap job on the central console and dash are an interesting choice. If you look at it from a distance, it resembles wood grain in a very white bleach. However, if you focus on closer, the individual lines appear to be coloured. It reminded me of news print, and gave off a recycled look with letters and print in between. Honestly, I found it a bit of an eyesore in comparison to the rest of the burnt cocoa brown and black motif of the interior. Even more so within luxury relation to the crystal dial of the navigation button and matching gear shift.
After the self air conditioning refresher, my second favourite feature of the 2025 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige is the ambient lighting. A common occurrence in other, similar, luxury brands in this segment, but I believe newer to the GV80. And therefore Genesis put more gusto into this, with more than the basic colour options. There are two variations of each hue: white, blue, pink, yellow, purple, green, orange/brown. And they go so far as to have names like peridot, green emerald, sea green, and topaz brown. I was impressed and it added umph to my night drives.
As for the way it handled, when compared to the GV70, I could definitely feel the extra weight that the GV80 was hauling. It was heavier on the turns, it needed a second more to rev up to go, and there was a delay in acceleration, which made the suspended speed up feel abrupt. However, all this is to be expected in a vehicle that was described to me as “boat-ish”.
There were your standard drive and terrain modes. I kept it in eco, but still saw the toll on gas. After two days of regular driving I was down a quarter of the tank, and by the week’s end I was empty. Whereas with a similar schedule and the GV70, the week before, I had plenty of fuel left by the end of the week to get me into the next just fine. Although, it figures that prestige at this girth comes at a price.
I figured that such a large SUV would have a large horn to match. When it came time to actually deploy it, a hard hand slap on the centre of the wheel, only yielded a faint honk. I instinctively push down firm when a car cut me off, yet only a whisper of alert came out. I was left not being able to express the danger he put us both in with the proper level of intended response.
Overall, a lovely ride from Genesis, and a vehicle that I was proud to be seen in.
