Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept is coming to reality
Tue, Apr 4 2023
New York Auto Show week is kicking off with a concept from Genesis that is going to find its way onto showroom floors in the near future, Genesis President and CEO Jose Munoz confirmed in New York. It's the Genesis GV80 Coupe, and it's the classic coupe-ification of an SUV we've seen time and time again from BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and more. And we have to say, it's quite handsome, particularly in its vivid orange paint.
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Most of the attention is on the chopped-down rear, but Genesis didn't leave the nose of the GV80 alone. For the Coupe Concept, the fascia was redesigned with new, dark grille inserts, bigger intakes, and a quartet of extra slots under the main grille. The headlights appear to have been slightly slimmed down, too.
In profile, the lowered, fastback roofline is quite obvious. It still has a similar window outline to the full SUV, making it look a little like someone grabbed the top of the hatch and just pushed everything down and in slightly. But it still looks quite well-proportioned and sleek.
The rear actually features more changes than just the roofline. Additional spoilers at the top and trailing edges of the hatch have been added for a little sporty flare. It also adopts the full-width double-bar taillights from the Genesis X concept cars.
Inside, the interior is pretty familiar, except for some overtly sporty changes. Four racing seats with a sort of orange plaid stitching pattern replace the conventional pieces. The backs of the seats are painted in the same orange as the exterior. It gets a three-spoke steering wheel, and behind the rear seats is a serious-looking chassis brace.
Genesis didn't give any specifications or estimates of when we might see a production version of the GV80 Coupe. But it's coming, and coming soon. Seemingly every other luxury brand has at least one SUV coupe in the line, if not more, and have for years. They clearly sell. Genesis was hinting that this design is centered more on performance, and that shows in the styling. That also means that it may get a different powertrain lineup than the regular GV80. We wouldn't be surprised if the 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder was dropped, making the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 standard equipment. There might even be a hotter engine on offer. Whatever it launches with, it should be some serious competition to the luxury establishment.
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By Joel Stocksdale
See also: Genesis' decision to build the Electrified GV70 in America is a sign of things to come, 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 First Drive Review: Put this EV on your short list, Editors’ Picks February 2023 | Audi RS 3, electric G80 and a longtime favorite.