2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe Review: Pick a Lane

The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe is a little bit more of some things, and a little bit less of others.

Yes, the Korean luxury brand is very serious about fighting the Germans, as shown by joining the coupe-over fray. And yes, this is the sportiest the GV80, the brand’s original SUV, has ever been before.

However, after spending a week with the truncated trucklet, I can’t help but think the GV80 Coupe hasn’t gone quite far enough.

The GV80 Coupe debuts for this year as the less-useful sibling to the regular GV80, which itself saw a facelift for ’25. With a chopped tail, the Coupe is now a strict two-row. For the first time in any GV80—and exclusive to the Coupe, at least for now—is Genesis’ electrically supercharged 3.5-liter V6, which offers up a bit more shove than the regular turbo-six. Now we’re talking 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. The regular V6 is available in America; Canada only offers this more powerful iteration.

As coupe-overs go, the GV80 is a good-looking one. The brand’s twin-line motif works well on this curvier shape, with a good contrast between straight-line taillights and the curved duckbill spoiler out back. From up front you’d be hard-pressed to know the difference, too. Spindly 22-inch alloy wheels fill the wells nicely. A strong shoulder line keeps the rear arch bulk down, which is a weak point for other coupe SUVs. Genesis’ warm-tinted metallic trim works as a good contrast to this tester’s blue paint, though it is tough to keep clean.

The e-supercharged V6 is the best iteration of this powerplant. Surprise surprise, I know; it’s more powerful and more responsive, after all. While the on-paper bumps are minor, the figures don’t fully convey the near-complete lack of turbo lag in the low end, so this GV80 is much quicker in all scenarios. There’s even a pleasant (piped-in) growl.

But I also don’t see the point in there being two very similar powertrains. Even with the added whiz-bangery of the e-supercharger, Genesis’ corporate V6 lacks the free-revving spirit and creamy smoothness of inline-sixes from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The home-grown eight-speed automatic is generally good-natured, finding the right rhythm in the standard drive mode. Sport (and especially Sport Plus) ratchets up the drama from the soundtrack, throttle response, and suspension, but I found it held gears for too long, the GV80 Coupe uncouthly buzzing around at 4,000 rpm even when I’ve clearly backed off.

It's also thirsty as hell. The GV80 Coupe is officially slightly better than the normie GV80, but we’re still talking a combined rating of just 20 mpg (12.0 L/100 km). I did just manage that, but only because of a highway trip to Montreal and back.

Genesis’ verbiage on the Coupe isn’t just window dressing: it does indeed have a sharper edge to it than the regular, comfort-oriented GV80. It’s apparent in every drive mode, and not in a bad way. The Coupe isn’t overly stiff for the sake of it, it simply has a more purposeful, tauter default demeanor. Turn in is pleasantly sharp even riding on the winter rubber here, and while there isn’t a lot of weight or feedback to the steering, what is there is consistent.

Just don’t expect an M or AMG alternative, as that’s not the Coupe’s modus operandi. Body control is good, but there’s only so much a stiff suspension and fractionally better center of gravity can do. When the GV80 Coupe does start leaning, it’s sending a clear message to the driver: back off a bit for both our sakes. Thankfully the big brakes—14.9 inches up front, 14.2 inches out back—are more than up to the task of slowing down this 5,100-pound (2,313-kilogram) SUV.

Even as the sportier choice in the family, the GV80 Coupe is at its best as a laidback cruiser. The big 22s don’t transmit much road noise into the cabin, and wind noise is also minimal. There’s a bit of prolonged jiggle on speed bumps yet once the Coupe is up to jogging pace it handles potholes and uneven surfaces with aplomb, soaking up the initial impact and quickly returning to equilibrium.

Front-seat comfort is excellent, the well-contoured driver’s chair keeping me feeling fresh and ready to go even at the end of the long slog to Montreal. Genesis was one of the first to provide in-cluster visuals to go along with the physical seat adjustments, making it clearer and thus easier to find the right setup. Both heat and ventilation work well (in both rows, natch), though I will say Genesis’ take on massage seats is still pretty weak.

The back seat isn’t as cramped as that sloping roofline may suggest either. I fit comfortably back there, as did multiple passengers throughout the week. Those much over six-foot may find their noggins getting intimate with that suede headliner, mind you.

Cabin design is an aspect Genesis takes seriously and the GV80 Coupe is no exception. Fit and finish are impeccable, and unlike the often dour cabins of zee Germans, there’s plenty of color in here. Blue and orange works far better than you’d think, and it does give a sense of occasion to the Coupe. High-gloss carbon fiber doesn’t sound that unusual for a purportedly sporty coupe-over, but Genesis puts its own spin on the stuff with a complex diamond pattern that looks great.

It’s the detail stuff that matters, too: the knurled metal on the mirror adjustment button and the stalks are important touch points to convey that this is a premium vehicle. Same goes with the quilted leather matching the pattern found on the grille.

Like its three-row sibling, the GV80 Coupe features a new 27.0-inch screen spanning most of its dashboard, running the brand’s latest infotainment setup. It’s suitably slick and generally easy to use, though there are some menus that require a lot of digging. In addition, some settings may not be where you’d initially expect, such as adjusting the head-up display.

There’s plenty of gizmos here to keep techy types satisfied, including the aforementioned HUD and the adaptive suspension, which uses the front cameras to scan the road ahead and prepare for bumps and irregularities. A digital rearview mirror is standard, which can prove helpful when full-up on either folks or stuff. The 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is also fantastic.

This all contrasts with the very outdated need to still use a wire for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, especially jarring in a luxury model.

Genesis does buck the other luxury trend by fitting almost every one of its safety assists as standard. Driver attention warning, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree camera; you name it, the GV80 has it. Highway Driving Assist 2 is well-mannered in its element, though it is very lax when it comes to hands-on-the-wheel warnings.

By dint of skipping the regular GV80’s four-cylinder engine option—or even the regular V6 in Canada—the GV80 Coupe isn’t the value play its more upright sibling is. We’re talking $81,400 including destination in America for the 3.5L V6, or $87,200 ($104,000 CAD) for the e-supercharged model. That’s within spitting distance of the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe or BMW X6 M60i, both of which have more power (a little or a lot, respectively).  The gap is bigger in Canada, where the GV80 Coupe also has the benefit of included winter wheels and tires with storage.

The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe no doubt expands the brand’s coverage in the premium market. Whether coupe-overs sell in significant numbers or not is almost secondary; this is an image play.

I only wish it went further. The GV80 Coupe’s performance isn’t dramatically different from the SUV, and the upgrade cost for the E-SC engine is very pricey for little payoff in America. Until we see a hotter version, I’d recommend all but the most fashion-focused to stick to the regular SUV.

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