First Genesis Crossover Lands in One Week

The dawn of a new decade brings a new chapter for the fledgling Genesis brand.

After four years spent slowly growing its lineup to three sedans and crafting a standalone dealer network aimed at instilling some prestige to the brand, Hyundai’s premium division will greet its long-awaited GV80 crossover on January 16th. About time.

The model’s Korean debut date comes by way of the The Korean Car Blog, which posted a pic from what seems to be the launch venue.

While the GV80 Concept unveiled at the 2017 New York International Auto Show gave us a pretty good idea of what to expect from this midsize, three-row vehicle, photos of the production model arrived on the first day of the new year. The model doesn’t stay from the concept in terms of proportions and profile; only cosmetic details change.

Carrying a corporate grille and smartly creased styling seen on the brand’s sedans, the GV80 rides atop a new platform shared with the next-generation G80 sedan. The interior, from what we can see, goes for time-honored tastefulness over outlandish futurism. Expect to find power provided by the marque’s twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6, routed to either the rear wheels or all four.

“Over the last four years, Genesis has established itself as a respected luxury brand with superior vehicle quality and a lineup of class-leading sedans with charismatic and discriminating style,” said global brand head William Lee in a statement. “With the launch of GV80, Genesis will elevate expectations for excellence within the luxury SUV market.”

It seems a long time coming, but development cycles are not overnight affairs. Last decade saw the demise of the sedan as the vehicle of choice for Americans, regardless of whether their tastes lie in the mainstream or premium markets. Not having a crossover kept Genesis’ volume low, and the dealer disorder didn’t help, either.

Expected to go on sale in the U.S. this summer, the GV80 will gain a smaller stablemate in a year’s time in the form of the GV70 — a compact CUV based on the well-received G70 sedan.

After staging a sell-down in the latter half of 2018, Genesis sales rebounded to new heights in 2019. Total volume amounted to 21,233 vehicles, led by the G70. Still small, but destined to grow.

[Images: Genesis Motors]