2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe Road Test and Review

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis

If you hadn’t noticed, Genesis is on a roll. This year, the Korean luxury brand introduced an all-new version of the GV80 mid-size luxury SUV, and now it has swiftly followed it up by introducing a GV80 Coupe. It purloins the GV80 SUV’s platform and most of its mechanicals, but packages it in a body that is unarguably the best-looking tall vehicle Genesis has ever produced. And, to its credit, it has produced several of them in its short lifespan.

It is appropriate that the GV80 Coupe is attractive, because its comely looks are its key raison d’etre. While the more stolid Genesis GV80 SUV presents itself as a classy, comfortable, and refined luxury vehicle that puts family first, the GV80 Coupe incorporates a lot more individuality into its persona. The GV80 was designed to have presence, to ignite excitement, and to exude sportiness. While the GV80 SUV has family written all over it, the GV80 Coupe is a driver-focused “Me vehicle.”

Looks Good From All Angles

Someone once said, “Looking good is the best revenge.” The GV80 takes that adage and runs with it. The Coupe’s swoopy roofline and kicked-up tail are tailor-made to get your juices flowing. From there, the GV80 Coupe’s thoughtful details carry the ball further down the “Me vehicle” gridiron.

One tipoff that the GV80 is a great-looking vehicle is the fact that it’s difficult to determine which is its best side. From every angle, the Coupe is ready for its close-up, Mr. De Mille.

This is a vehicle that appears to be more expensive than it actually is, channeling the likes of Bentley and Lamborghini with its expressive and jewel-bedecked exterior. Its bold face features ultra-sophisticated Micro Lens Array (MLA)-powered LED headlamps and a double-layered crest grille that builds on the GV80 SUV’s recent facial surgery.

Larger air intakes and a broad skid plate design on the front bumper endow the GV80 Coupe with a more muscular appearance than the family-oriented GV80 SUV. An engraved Guilloché-patterned Genesis brand emblem on the nose adds an elegant touch.

In profile, the design emphasizes the sleek “parabolic line” that is the vehicle’s central theme. The low, sloping roof gives the Coupe a striking yet harmonious presence. It culminates in a dramatic, kicked-up tail spoiler that, when examined, seems almost impossible to manufacture in mass-market quantities, yet there it is.

Rather than bright chrome, the GV80 Coupe sports dark chrome exterior garnish, and it employs flush roof rails to maintain its sleek look and arresting profile. The GV80 Coupe’s sporty character is further emphasized by its exclusive 20- and 22-inch wheels.

At the rear, the LED surface-emitting rear combination lamps and a wide integrated brake light on the tailgate give the comely Coupe its own distinctive look. The rear bumper design emphasizes the exhaust outlets — dual in the lower-line trim and quad in the top-level model. The centrally positioned rear spoiler adds a memorable finishing touch to the design.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis

High-Luxe Buyers Want High-Luxe Choices

The 2025 GV80 Coupe leverages the SUV’s heavily revised interior while giving it a few fresh fillips of its own. The giant 27-inch OLED screen that stretches across the dash is an immediate attention-getter, but the interior materials, colors, and trim deserve attention of their own. Genesis designers have given the GV80 Coupe three exclusive color-and-materials options — ultramarine blue with orange stitching, smoky green and vanilla beige, and obsidian black and Seville red. In addition, the GV Coupe shares the obsidian black with gray stitching interior theme with the GV80 SUV.

Nappa leather seating and genuine wood or carbon fiber interior trim are standard across the entire GV80 Coupe lineup. The upholstery and finishes feel luxurious and premium. To add sporty notes, the GV80 Coupe features a two-tone D-cut steering wheel and metal accents on the accelerator and brake pedals. In addition to their good looks, the accents offer surer grips on the pedals, something enthusiast drivers appreciate.

The GV80 Coupe offers seating for five, an advantage over competitors that limit seating to four. The driver’s seat is 16-way power-adjustable and offers massage, while the front passenger must make do with a 12-way power-adjustable seat. Not only are the front and rear seats heated and ventilated, but the front console armrest is also heated. The rear seats are split-folding in 40/20/40 fashion, and the controls for folding them down are conveniently located in the rear cargo area.

The GV80 Coupe’s cabin includes large front cupholders and a well-placed wireless device charging tray that offers convenient accessibility. The Coupe shares its rotary shift-by-wire knob and rotary infotainment controller with the GV80 SUV. While they’re easy to use, their similar size and close placement on the console can cause some initial confusion. There’s no confusion about the touch-control three-zone automatic climate control, whose buttons live in the center stack. Another standout feature is the standard “mood curator,” which releases scents designed to energize or calm passengers.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis

Massive Infotainment and Driver Info Display

The GV80 Coupe's 27-inch infotainment and driver information display is the window into the vehicle’s user-friendly interface. The easy-to-understand graphic layout includes a home page displaying large visual icons for key functions such as Map, Destination, and Phone Setup. When selected, either by touch or controller, the icons switch from black-and-white to color, providing instant feedback to the user.

The infotainment system’s standard features include navigation, AM/FM/HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, and wireless Android Auto, with SiriusXM Radio available through a 90-day trial. The system also offers cloud-connected services such as natural voice recognition, personalized driver profiles, connected navigation and routing, and over-the-air updates.

Genesis Connected Services are now standard for the first buyer’s complete ownership period, providing emergency assistance and stolen vehicle recovery, while a Wi-Fi hotspot is included with a three-month 3GB trial.

The instrument cluster offers three display themes: one for standard driver information, another focused on ADAS functions, and a third that highlights dynamic map and destination details. A 12-inch head-up display is also standard. The Coupe’s audio system is an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen setup, which has a 14-channel amplifier offering 1,400 watts of power. The Coupe also includes four modern USB-C ports, two up front and two serving the rear-seat passengers.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis

Two Trim Levels: Luxurious & Ultra-Luxurious

The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe offers shoppers the choice of a pair of highly equipped trim levels closely tied to their powertrains. The 3.5T AWD trim, base priced at $79,950, is equipped with a 375-horsepower twin-turbo V6 engine and all-wheel drive. It includes a 27-inch OLED integrated cluster and infotainment display, a head-up display, and a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system. A panoramic roof, 20-inch sport alloy wheels, and LED headlights and taillights are among the trim’s premium exterior features.

To ensure a comfortable cabin, the 3.5T AWD includes three-zone automatic climate control, Nappa leather seating, and heated and ventilated front and rear seats. Both front seats are power-adjustable and the second row seats power fold. The standard active noise control system further refines the driving experience. A full suite of Genesis Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) include blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, driver attention warning, and forward attention warning.

The GV80 Coupe’s top trim, priced at $85,750, is the descriptively named 3.5T AWD with 48V e-Supercharger (e-SC). As you might assume, it offers the twin-turbo V6 engine paired with a 48-volt electric “supercharger,” and it also features all-wheel drive. The sportier of the two Coupes, it includes 22-inch sport alloy wheels, black monobloc brake calipers, quad muffler tips, and dark chrome exterior trim. Inside, the cabin features premium carbon fiber elements and alloy pedal accents that emphasize its sporty character. The inclusion of a Sport+ drive mode with launch control further enhances the performance.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis

Potent Powertrains With and Without e-Assist

The GV80 Coupe’s powertrains start where the GV80 SUV’s leave off. The drivetrain in the 3.5T AWD is a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that delivers 375 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 391 pound-feet of torque at 1,300-4,500 rpm. It drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission equipped with paddle shifters. The driveline also features drive mode select that includes Comfort, Smart, Eco, Sport, and Custom driving modes.

The 3.5T AWD with 48V e-Supercharger (e-SC) uses the same twin-turbo engine and adds an electric motor (e-Supercharger) that brings total system horsepower up to 409 and maximum torque to 405 pound-feet. Genesis expects the base model engine to offer fuel economy of 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway/19 mpg combined, while the e-SC-equipped version will deliver 18 mpg city/22 mpg highway/20 mpg combined.

An electronically controlled adaptive suspension is standard on the GV80 Coupe. It uses front-mounted camera to read the road surface ahead and then manipulate the vehicle’s suspension to optimize ride comfort and handling. The Coupe also employs a standard rear electronic limited-slip differential, and it offers crosswind stability control.

In addition to the Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Custom modes, the top-level GV80 Coupe e-SC is equipped with a Sport+ mode that features a sportier shift pattern, gear hold to prevent automatic upshifts, and an increased idle speed. It also includes sportier tuning for the motor-driven power steering and electronically controlled suspension, as well as a high-performance gauge cluster that displays oil levels, torque, and turbo pressure. The Sport+ mode helps drivers achieve rapid acceleration from a standstill by reducing wheel spin and optimizing torque, throttle, and gear settings to ensure maximum performance. Pretty fun. You should try it.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis

Behind the GV80 Coupe’s D-Cut Wheel

Driving the 2025 Genesis GV80 on the winding rural roads and the bustling interstates around the Twin Cities proved an ideal opportunity to evaluate its capabilities. The Midwestern summer provided a smorgasbord of weather conditions to test its all-wheel-drive traction, adaptive suspension, and powerful drivetrain. In every scenario, the GV80 Coupe proved itself to be a confident and capable performer.

The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine delivers strong power output with minimal noise and just the tiniest lag when transitioning from a relaxed cruise to more spirited acceleration. The standard all-wheel-drive system ensures excellent traction, and the eight-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly and nearly imperceptibly.

Inside, the GV80 Coupe maintains its commitment to treating every passenger like "son-him," or "honored guest,” but the Coupe is definitely more “me-oriented” than the upwardly mobile family style of the GV80 SUV. While the center rear seat may lack some comfort, who really cares when you’re up front in your 16-way massaging driver’s seat?

After a thorough test drive, I found the 2025 GV80 Coupe a compelling entry in the relatively new category of highly styled luxury crossovers. It nails the good looks categories inside and out. It is filled with innovative features and safety tech, and it is fun to drive. No, it doesn’t have the brio of a high-performance two-door sedan — you know, the kind of vehicle we used to call a coupe. But as a luxury conveyance for today’s upscale singles and couples, the Genesis GV80 Coupe has all the right stuff.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe ・ Photo by Genesis