Genesis’ first SUV is set to go on sale in its home country later this month, followed by a global launch
Hyundai’s luxury division ‘Genesis Motor’ is known for its high-end luxury sedans, but the manufacturer is all set to unveil its first SUV, called the GV80 to the world later this month, and launch it globally this year itself. Before that, the carmaker has officially revealed a few teasers of the car, and they certainly tell us a lot about the upcoming SUV.
The GV80 SUV was first showcased as a concept at the 2017 New York International Auto Show, and was also leaked inside-out last month. The official teasers of the car give us an overview of what the production-ready car would end up looking like. Overall, the car looks similar to the original concept showcased 3 years ago. The humongous pentagonal-shaped front grille is shaped like a crest, and dominates the front fascia. The massive grille is flanked by a split headlamp with two horizontal LED strips.
On the sides, the car gets a prominent shoulder line along with massive alloy wheels. The most interesting aspect however, is the vents on the front fenders, that carry forward the split design from the headlamps. A similar styling can also be seen on the tail lamps of the car.
The interior shots reveal a plush and neat cabin, with the large horizontal floating infotainment system on the dashboard taking the centre stage. There is also a secondary display for the HVAC controls, with two conventional dials for temperature settings. The car will also come with a digital instrument cluster, along with a two-spoke steering wheel.
“GV80 allows us to expand our definition of Athletic Elegance design language to a new typology, while retaining sublime proportionality and sophistication of form,” said Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President, Chief Design Officer of Hyundai Motor Group.
Contrary to what was reported earlier, the GV80 SUV will not be sharing its platform with the Kia Telluride or the Hyundai Palisade SUVs. Instead, the car will be based on an all-new rear-wheel drive platform which will be Genesis exclusive. The carmaker is yet to confirm the powertrains of the SUV, but what we do know is that an AWD configuration will be optional.
The GV80 is expected to go on sale in South Korea this month itself, followed by other countries. Genesis is yet to reveal the price of the SUV, but we certainly expect it to be more affordable than its German competitors, including Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, Audi Q7 and BMW X5.
