Looks good. Drives well. And is full of high-quality materials and top-notch tech

By Gary S. Vasilash

All of that alphanumeric nomenclature isn’t particularly telling unless you happen to be a cipher expert and have the key necessary to decode it.

And one of the points that isn’t made in all of that but should probably be made clear is that, yes, the roofline, which swoops down toward the rear and resolves into a kick-up spoiler, is coupe-like.

But (1) coupes typically have two doors and this has two. And (2) coupes are generally cars and this is an SUV.

And what an SUV it is.

Of the many vehicles I have driven of late, none has garnered the positive attention that this one has, from both strangers (I encountered a couple in a parking lot admiring the GV80) and relatives (a brother-in-law who has seen the panoply of vehicles I’ve driven and for the first time asked me to give him a ride).

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that, comparatively speaking, and especially in southeastern Michigan, Genesis vehicles overall are rare.

But likely it has more to do with the execution of exterior and interior design that is exceptional.

Outside

In the front of the vehicle there is the familiar crest-shaped grille, which is bold but not in-your-face. The headlamps are two lines (the two lines are a design theme of Genesis models) that seem to be much narrower than might be expected for the lights.

And it isn’t’ simply an issue of seeming: they’re using “Micro Lens Array” tech that allows the light to do their work yet in a form factor that is smaller than is ordinarily the case.

There is also restraint in the use of chrome trim on the body side, mainly used in the door undercut above and in the area below the rocker panels.

Inside

Nappa leather seating surfaces. Actual carbon fiber trim (and plenty of it). Microfiber suede headliner (no, not actual suede leather, but not only does it look like it, it also looks a heck of a lot better than tricot or other fabrics typically used).

There are power front seats. And power second row seats. The driver gets a power cushion extension, bolster, and massage function.

Sometimes when there is a coupe design the second row suffers in terms of headroom. In the GV80 Coupe the front headroom is 40.2 inches and the rear is 37.6 inches. Two points about that: (1) I had a six-footer in the second row who was perfectly comfortable; (2) that second row measure is merely 0.8 inches less than the headroom in the non-Coupe GV80, so it is not like a lot is being given up.

Power

Here we get to the rest of the nomenclature in the name of the GV80 Coupe.

The powertrain is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with a 48-Volt e-Supercharger. (What’s that? An electric motor that compresses air and forces it into the engine intake, which improves combustion. This means it improves performance. It is more efficient than traditional mechanical superchargers or turbochargers. But, of course, it is more sophisticated.) It is mated to an eight-speed automatic. There are, not surprisingly, paddles on the steering wheel should you want to shift it yourself.

Tech

On the inside there is a 27-inch-wide OLED screen. What’s notable about this is that it is comparatively restrained compared to other vehicles in its class that have screens so big that they pretty much silently scream “Look at me! I am a giant screen!” The screen in the Genesis does everything necessary without digital ostentation.

The vehicle is “Cloud Connected,” which means everything from over-the-air (OTA) updates to dynamic routing in the navigation.

There is an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Then there is the sensor-based functions ranging from cruise control with stop and go capability to parking avoidance assist (front/side/rear).

Price

One could say that this is a “total package,” and it is: the vehicle Driven, chock full of things that would otherwise be options on competitive vehicles, had a base MSRP of $85,750. It had two options: $650 for the paint and $30 for an NFC keycard (the size of a credit card, this card used Near Field Communication technology and provides a backup for the key fob or smartphone; it allows unlocking and starting the vehicle). The point is that while that may seem to be a steep(ish) price, again, there is so much in terms of high-quality materials and tech that were much of these things to be itemized, I’m sure the vehicle would be much more costly.