For some, a car is an appliance and an expense. It’s a thing that can get you where you need to go, and it’s best to get one that does so without much risk of interruption or expensive repair.
For others, a car is all of that, plus a thing of beauty and a tool for self-expression.
Automakers tend to find it easier to focus on the beauty and expression as the price tag rises. Luxury cars, at their best, are indulgent and artisanal things.
I thought about that aspect of car ownership a lot in a week spent in the 2026 Genesis GV80. It’s a midsize luxury SUV suitable for family life, yes. It’s also, however, a series of aesthetic choices.
We currently rank the GV80 as the number one luxury midsize SUV on the market, and after a week driving it around the Washington, D.C., suburbs, I find that position very easy to defend. But the GV80 isn’t for everyone.
It does most things well and a few things very well. Those things are mostly aesthetic. This is one for the sensualists.
Which Trim Level
Genesis will build you a GV80 in any of eight trim levels. Five of them have a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4-cylinder engine, and have names beginning with 2.5T to illustrate that. Three use a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, and have names that begin with 3.5T. The company loaned me the 3.5T Prestige AWD model, which is nearly the top of the lineup, with only a special 3.5T Prestige Black AWD model above it.
New 2026 Genesis GV80 Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (92620)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$59,195 |
$56,300 |
|||
$65,245 |
$62,100 |
|||
$70,095 |
$66,400 |
|||
$74,995 |
$71,800 |
|||
$77,445 |
$73,500 |
|||
$83,825 |
$80,000 |
|||
$84,745 |
$81,800 |
Favorite Feature
Genesis, in recent years, has become truly adventurous with color in a way few automakers can approach. Inside and out, a Genesis product today reflects artistic choices in a way most of its rivals forgo.
A few have hyper-expensive customization programs. The Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur program will mix nearly any paint color you can dream up, for instance. But it works only with the brand’s most expensive cars, and prices for the paint alone can approach five figures.
But my GV80 test model came in a stunning dark matte green that was nearly black, which Genesis calls Storr Green Matte. It had depth and sophistication rare in automotive paint, and felt like the kind of thing that would add $10,000 to the price. It actually added only $1,500.
Inside, it came upholstered in a mixture of Vanilla Beige and Smoky Green Nappa leather and microfiber suede. The combination felt truly special, and made more than one friend ooh and ahh.
What It’s Like to Drive
The turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 found in this model has 375 horsepower, which should make it competitive with performance-oriented models like the BMW X5.
Strangely, it feels more sedate than that figure implies. Genesis says it gets from zero to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds, but it does it so buttery smooth that it doesn’t feel like a performance SUV. It’s officially quick, but it makes quick feel undramatic.
Steering effort is remarkably light for a midsize SUV, and braking is firm and confident.
Automotive journalists used to say that BMW was the luxury brand for performance drivers, and Lexus served those who wanted a relaxed experience. The GV80 somehow meshes the two, making performance feel relaxed.
It makes me wonder if the premium for the V6 is worthwhile. The 300-horsepower 2.5T models are a little slower on paper, but probably more than enough to meet anyone’s needs. You might want to choose one of those, rather than spring for the V6 that makes acceleration feel like no big deal.
Interior Comfort and Technology
The GV80’s cabin feels impeccably well-constructed, but without the heavy emphasis on screen technology of some rivals. Twenty-seven inches of screen surface meet the driver, separated into a driver’s instrument screen area and a central touchscreen area. But the GV80 lacks the passenger screen or huge, dashboard-spanning screens of some competitors.
I like that. It lets you see the cabin’s artistic stitching and quiltwork.
Both front and outboard second-row passengers get quilted, heated, and ventilated seats.
A third row is found only on certain trim levels. Third-row passengers get tight accommodations. Just 30.3 inches of third-row legroom means those seats are best suited to small children. An intercom system works only one way, sending front-seat voices to the rear but not the opposite.
Automakers spare no features at this price point. Your GV80 will come with three programmable scents and a set of relaxation programs that combine them with color-changing mood lighting and music composed just for the car.
Such luxuries are mostly frivolous, but one deeply impressed me. Switch on the heated steering wheel, and the center armrest heats up along with it.
Limitations
The third row, available only on models with Advanced or Prestige in the name, leaves you with very little cargo space. Behind the third row, you’ll find just 11.6 cubic feet for luggage – well under what you’d get in an Acura MDX or even the BMW X7, not known for a generous cargo area.
With the tight third row and small area behind it, this might be best suited to those who plan to use the third row only occasionally.
Key Considerations
We rank this as the best of its class, so most shoppers would likely be quite happy with it. But if you want your luxury SUV to be quick and feel it, test-drive a BMW X5 or X7 before you decide.
