Brace of Turbo Powerplants Bound for First Genesis Crossover

Our speculation was at least half correct. The upcoming Genesis GV80 crossover will indeed boast an uplevel four-cylinder base engine, the premium marque revealed Tuesday night, but the most potent of the anticipated powerplants will see a boost in displacement.

Genesis filled in the blanks at an event in Miami, saying its first crossover model will make use of an engine bound for the Hyundai Sonata N-Line and an upgrade mill with more horsepower than before.

That base engine is the automaker’s new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, good for 290 horsepower and 310 lb-ft in Sonata N-Line spec. Genesis didn’t reveal power figures for the GV80, Car and Driver reports.

Buyers seeking more oomph under the hood of their midsize CUV can opt for a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 that tops the brand’s familiar 3.3L mill by 10 hp (375 versus 365). A torque figure wasn’t forthcoming, though one can expect a modest bump from the 3.3L’s 376 lb-ft. Both engines send power to either the rear or all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic.

As the GV80 borrows the upgraded platform of the next-generation G80 sedan, you’ll likely see these mills appear in that model, too.

Genesis aims to find buyers in the hot premium CUV market by undercutting German competitors on price, offering niceties like active noise cancellation, a 14.5-inch split-screen infotainment system, and swaths of quilted leather. An upscale design that signals the model’s lofty status should help attract visitors to the dealer.

As for cost, that’s still a mystery, though Car and Driver claims a base GV80 should retail for about $50,000, rising to $65k for an all-wheel drive V6 model. Detailed pricing will land closer to the model’s summer on-sale date.

[Images: Genesis Motors]