2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe is a Personal Performance SUV with 409 HP

New 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe

Genesis Motors introduced a new SUV for the 2025 model year lineup, the GV80 Coupe. This slicked back variant of the GV80 SUV harmonizes supercharged performance with head turning elegance. The new 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe is currently being delivered to dealerships across the country. Moreover, the odds of finding a Genesis dealer near you are better than ever, with over 50 facilities across 26 states.

I recently had the opportunity to try out the GV80 Coupe in the evergreen setting of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to find out if it had the moxie to stand on in the cutthroat world of sports luxury SUV market.

First Impressions Matter

I test drove the refreshed 2025 GV80 earlier in the summer, so I had a vivid idea of what to expect from the GV80 Coupe. Both models share a great deal of DNA but differ aesthetically. The most significant change in styling is the swooping fastback roofline that travels all the way to the SUV’s liftgate ending in a ducktail lip spoiler like Elvis Presley’s pompadour. Slick with a fresh set of 22-inch Diamond cut finish wheels.

Admiring the exterior styling with a keen eye will unveil subtle but important design cues, such as the more aggressive-styled front bumper, with 3D effects on the air intakes to help pronounce its performance in bold. The front crest grille, wearing its signature G-Matrix pattern, is also modified with a dual-layered design. Photos don’t do the grille justice. You have to walk up and observe the contrast of laying a black mesh behind the dark chrome pattern.

The rear of the SUV sees slightly reworked taillights, dual or quad exhaust ports integrated into the rear bumper, and an integrated auxiliary brake light decorated with a chrome garnish.

My favorite detail on the GV80 Coupe’s exterior styling is the parabolic gesture, a deep-cut body line running across the vehicle’s profile. Among the nine available exterior colors are the exclusive Bering Blue, said to be inspired by the Ice Bering Sea, and the passionate Mauna Red.

2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe Interior Features

This sports luxury SUV makes a grand effort to provide the driver and occupants with a feeling of arrival upon opening the door. Genesis’ design team achieved this using a great deal of color. Obsidian Black Nappa leather with Gray stitching is the standard upholstery. However, the GV80 Coupe offers exclusive interior color options like Ultramarine Blue with Orange stitching, Smokey Green with Vanilla Beige, and Sevilla Red with Obsidian Black. Each interior color option comes with a carbon fiber or newspaper wood trim.

The steering wheel also features a D-cut, or flat bottom, with perforated molding at the ten-and-two-hand positions to promote its performance-focused nature. If that doesn’t tip you off, your shoes clicking on the SUV’s metal pedals may give you a clue. Furthermore, the Genesis G-Matrix pattern can be spotted throughout the interior, but the 27-inch OLED screen displaying crisp, vibrant graphics captures the eye more than anything. Physical controls for the most used features like audio volume, tuning, radio, media, track selection, and GPS navigation are available for those who prefer analog controls to touchscreens.

Interior space for second row passengers is comfortable for people under six feet tall. Additionally, the swooping roof design does not sacrifice cargo space for the sake of vanity. There is plenty of room to stack luggage or other life objects like baby strollers, backpacks, and boutique shopping bags.

My favorite interior design feature is the active noise cancellation system, which keeps the outside world down to a whisper so I can better enjoy the GV80 Coupe’s standard Bang & Olufsen 18-speaker sound system with a 14-channel amplifier cranking out 1,400 Watts.

GV80 Coupe e-Supercharged Performance with 409 HP

The Genesis GV80 Coupe is available in two powertrains with a strongly recommended preference for premium fuel. The standard 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 produces 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque, and the top-tier 3.5T e-Supercharger adds an electronically powered supercharger to support the twin-turbo 3.5L V6, boosting its performance to 409 hp and 405 lb.-ft.

Both variants use an eight-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel-drive as standard. Moreover, it features a Sport+ drive mode, which adds tension to the driving feel, like a cat with its hair standing up before a rumble.

Genesis also allows the driver to adjust the brake feel between comfort and sport mode. I noticed the brakes in general are a little sensitive and required a bit of practice before I could pull up to a stop light smoothly without feeling the sudden head jerk associated with good brakes.

Touring the Twin Cities in the Genesis GV80 Coupe

The driving route took us on a hop-scotch path along the state line between Minnesota and Wisconsin through 50 shades of green scenery. A body of water never far from sight navigating rural two-lane roads with the appropriate number of bends to test out the SUV’s Sport+ drive setting.

The left-hand side, of the screen displays a digital speedometer ignited with a red flame to symbolize that the GV80 Coupe has rolled up its shelves and turned its hat backward. The red flaming graphic burns around the speedometer the faster you go. Visually exciting, but I was surprised this graphic was not used as a tachometer.

Because you already have a digital speedometer telling you the speed and the head-up display on the windshield. Plus, my brain struggles to register the engine’s revolutions by looking at a two-digit number system reading “1.3 RPM” instead of seeing a gauge with a needle, analog or digital, charging across the dial towards the taboo redline.

Genesis stated that the GV80 Coupe enhances the driving experience by channeling the engine’s exhaust note through the interior speakers so you can hear its V6 raise its voice. Other manufactures pipe in a fake audio track, but Genesis told me the Coupe’s sound is authentic and not an audio file. It’s a workaround to let the driver and passengers hear the engine’s vocal performance without invading the cabin with a droning road noise. I like that.

The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe is not the type of vehicle to tempt you into blending the rules of state-enforced speed limits, but if that kind of behavior is already in your blood, it has the muscle to be an enabler while averaging 18-22 mpg.

The GV80 Coupe is a “Me” SUV

This first drive event was done with a co-driver, Adam Ruggiero, editor-in-chief of GearJunkie, whom I hadn’t met before but quickly bonded over being niche-minded automotive writers. During the long drive, Ruggiero and I agreed with Genesis when they described the GV80 Coupe as a more personal SUV than a traditional family vehicle.

I can’t imagine someone loading up the lush red leather interior with a cumbersome car seat, cup holders filled with season-old gunk, and food crumbs on the plush carpeting. You get the sense that this is an SUV for empty nesters. A sleek, silver-tongued styled luxury vehicle for career-oriented sharks looking to splurge or couples with no kids and plenty of time to try out new restaurants in a gentrified business district.

In many ways, the 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe channels the same vibe and lifestyle of a personal luxury coupe from the 1970s. It’s plush with plenty of power and enough room to carry a family, but not specifically designed for the carpool lane. It’s a stealthy performance vehicle with standout looks and a starting price of $79,950 for the 3.5T AWD and $85,750 for the 3.5T e-Supercharged AWD.