2022 Genesis GV80

The 2022 Genesis GV80 is a three-row luxury crossover SUV that pairs dashing, avant garde styling with a luxurious cabin and a choice of hearty turbocharged engines.

After debuting for 2021, the GV80 adds for 2022 a new Prestige Signature trim level with power-adjustable second-row bucket seats. Additionally, Genesis expanded the GV80’s paint palette.

The GV80 comes with a 300-hp turbo-4 as standard fare. A 375-hp twin-turbo V-6 is optional. Both rear-and all-wheel-drive versions are available with the base engine, and all use an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Without a hybrid version, the GV80 doesn’t exactly qualify as a fuel sipper. It’s rated at 21 mpg city, 25 highway, 23 combined in base form. With all-wheel drive, it slides to 22 mpg combined. The AWD-only 6-cylinder rates 18/23/20 mpg.

The NHTSA bestowed a five-star rating on the GV80 in its barrage of crash tests, which the IIHS echoed with a Top Safety Pick+ award. Standard equipment includes automatic emergency braking, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and parking sensors. A blind-spot camera that displays in the digital gauge cluster, a surround-view camera system, and automatic park assist are optional on most versions.

Model Lineup

Starting at a hair over $51,000, the base GV80 includes rear-wheel drive, 12-way heated power front seats wrapped in synthetic leather upholstery, three-row seating, 19-inch wheels, and a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as well as navigation.

All-wheel drive costs a hefty $5,900, though it does bring with it a few extra bits including a heated steering wheel and cooled front seats.

For $4,500 more, the V-6 looms with its power boost plus matte wood interior trim and upsized 20-inch wheels.

A power sunroof, Lexicon audio, rear-seat sun shades, and a few other features make up the Advanced trim level that starts at about $55,300. The Prestige costs about $61,000 and adds real leather, 20-inch wheels, and a few other niceties.

Topping the lineup is the $78,300 Prestige Signature with its nappa leather, digital instrument cluster, heated and cooled second-row bucket seats with power adjustment, and 22-inch alloy wheels.

Exterior

Unabashedly drawing cues from other high-end luxury models – some with a century of chrome-studded legacy – the GV80 manages to be both brash and refined at the same time.

Its massive crest-shaped grille up front gives it an imposing initial impression, which is backed up by huge 20- and 22-inch wheel options.

From the side, the roofline tapers slightly toward the rear, culminating in a huge swath of sheet metal that makes up the rearmost roof pillar and muscular rear haunches.

Consistency in detailing is the GV80’s forte, such as strips of LED headlights up front that sneak across the side and wind up making another appearance in the taillights.

Interior

Just as elegant inside, the GV80 bristles with fun touches and luxurious materials. Its dash wears a wide 14.5-inch touchscreen, with redundant controls and knobs organized neatly below and on the center console. Forget plain finishes; the GV80’s cabin comes dressed up with pleated stitching, LED lighting, and a combination of wood and metal-like materials that easily justify its price tag.

The front buckets come standard with seat heaters and offer at least 12 ways of power adjustment – and up to 16 ways in higher-end trims. Second-row occupants will find a choice between a bench with good leg and head room or individual buckets that can even be heated, cooled, and power-adjusted on the range-topping version.

The available third-row seat comes only with the Advanced+ trim. It’s spacious enough for small passengers.

Driving Impressions

Both turbocharged engines furnish plenty of power to easily motivate this big SUV onto busy highways or through twisting mountain roads, though acceleration off the line could be better. The V-6 is slightly quieter, owing perhaps more to its active noise cancellation system than any real changes underhood.

The GV80 is rated to tow as much as 6,000 pounds with the optional trailer hitch.

All that heft makes the GV80 a comfortable-riding vehicle, even if its suspension lacks some of the sophistication of some rivals. Adaptive dampers linked to a forward-facing camera system predict and automatically adjust to bumps on higher-end versions to help settle the ride and cancel out the skinny sidewalls fitted to the biggest wheel options.

Final Word

Gorgeous lines inside and out plus a hefty amount of luxury features for the money make the GV80 a must-shop among high-end SUVs.

—by Andrew Ganz, with driving impressions from The Car Connection