2020 Genesis GV80 is, at last, here

MANILA: The GV80 Concept first made an appearance at the 2017 New York auto show. Since then, the SUV has been a hot topic in and around the automobile space. Besides, recent times have also had several leaks, rumours, and speculations come out concerning the luxury SUV. Now, two years since we saw the concept, the real-life Genesis GV80 has finally made its way out of the automaker's production facilities.

Based on a new rear-wheel-drive platform exclusive to Genesis, the GV80 is one king-size proper luxury SUV. The production model of the GV80 SUV is said to have been designed in South Korea and Germany by the team that is lead by former Bentley, Lamborghini, and Audi designer Luc Donckerwolke. While the basic structure of the GV80 is made up of hot-stamped high-strength steel, the doors, hood, and the tailgate feature lightweight aluminium. The front fascia of the Genesis GV80 comprises of a bulky grille flanked by a quad headlamp setup that incorporates sleek horizontal LED lights. Moreover, the orchid-inspired G-Matrix pattern in the lights further furnishes a unique impression. The side profile is then bolstered by a set of chunky 22-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, we see black underbody cladding, wraparound two-tier LED taillamps similar to the headlamps, and Genesis badging at the centre.

Moving inside the Genesis GV80, we are greeted by luxury, sophistication, extravagance, and all other synonyms of luxury that you can think of. An array of premium soft-touch materials, leather upholstery, and numerous wood and metallic accents form the interior of the GV80. Equipment on the inside includes a large 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, digital instrument cluster, two-spoke multifunction steering wheel, capacitive touchscreen controls in the centre console for the climate control, rotary gear-selector knob, active noise cancelling in the form of Road-Noise Active Noise Control (RANC), air purification system, driver monitoring system, and much more.

The Genesis GV80 specs sheet lists a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine generating 275 hp of maximum power and a peak torque of 588 Nm. Genesis will also offer the luxury SUV with other engine options like a 2.5-litre six-cylinder petrol-fed mill making 304 hp and 3.5-litre V6 petrol-fed motor churning out 380 hp.

Safety equipment on the Genesis GV80 includes regular features such as multiple SRS airbags and ABS with EBD & BA alongside much-advanced safety features like smart cruise control with machine learning, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, driver attention alert warning, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, highway driving assist II, forward collision-avoidance assist. Similar to its rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLE and the BMW X5 the Genesis GV80 will also be offered with an optional third-row.

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