Model tested 2.5T Luxury AWD seven-seater Price £66,625 Kerbweight 2145kg
What’s new?
Think ‘Genesis’, and you’re more likely to picture the prog rock band than a luxury car. The motoring Genesis is an upmarket Hyundai spin-off, intended to take on the likes of Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. The GV80 is the company’s large SUV.
What are we looking for?
Does the Genesis have what it takes to compete with other luxury SUVs? How well does this petrol-powered car tow?
Towing ability
Peruse the GV80’s spec sheet and you’ll see it has most things you might look for in a tow car. The kerbweight is well over two tonnes, the maximum towing figure is very high, and four-wheel drive promises surefooted towing in all weathers.
This is a powerful car, with 304hp and 311lb ft of torque. But all that power comes from a turbocharged petrol engine with no hybrid assistance, so it’s rather thirsty.
We matched the Genesis to a 2024 Swift Challenger Grande 650L Exclusive, with a MiRO of 1652kg. The GV80 had no trouble pulling the big Swift up to speed, although the 2.5-litre turbo engine doesn’t have the surplus of performance of some rivals.
Hill starts are no trouble at all. The electronic parking brake holds car and caravan reliably and we could pull away smoothly on a 1-in-10 slope. The road was dry when we carried out our test, but the GV80 is four-wheel drive, so damp roads should not pose a challenge.
Head out onto the motorway and the car feels at home. Its high kerbweight and long wheelbase make for great stability. Even in disturbed air around HGVs and coaches, there was hardly a twitch from the Swift.
You can cover long distances stress-free with the Genesis, thanks to its strong performance and stability at speed. Yes, some other big 4x4s are quicker still, but we’re happy with the GV80’s acceleration.
Fuel economy? Now that’s a different matter, and one we’ll return to later.
Solo driving
As a luxury SUV, you’d expect the GV80 to ride comfortably. You’d be disappointed, certainly around town. The suspension thumps into potholes, especially at the rear, not helped by the 22-inch alloys.
Head out of town and the ride improves, although it does feel a tad floaty over dips and crests. Throw in some twists and turns and the Genesis handles neatly for such a large and heavy car.
The eight-speed gearbox is very smooth, although it hesitates before changing down in ‘comfort’ mode. Switch to ‘sport’ and it is qui
