Perhaps a luxury vehicle is always a fundamentally irrational purchase. To buy one means spending close to twice what the average car shopper spends in order to get the same places they can go.
But the 2026 Genesis GV80 Coupe feels extraordinarily indulgent.
A large SUV Coupe is a contradiction. Buying one means buying the most spacious model an automaker builds, but specifying a less spacious version. It means choosing a car with room for three rows of seats but selecting only two. And it means specifying an SUV’s greater ride height and all-wheel-drive (AWD) grip but forgoing some practicality in favor of aesthetics.
The 2026 GV80, in its normal SUV form, has three rows of seats and all the cargo space Genesis can build (at least until the opulent GV90 gets here). I loved the GV80 in that form.
Will I love it as much in coupe form?
In case the term is new to you, an SUV coupe shares an SUV’s architecture but trades away some cargo space for a more coupe-like roofline. They look, and sometimes drive, sportier than pure SUVs. But, despite the name, they retain four doors.
I spent a week testing the coupe version of the GV80 — the Genesis flagship for another year — around Washington, D.C. and its suburbs. I found it every bit as luxurious as you’d expect the statement product of a luxury automaker to be. In some ways, perhaps, it’s more indulgent than a 3-row GV80 would be.
It reminded me of the immense “personal luxury coupes” of the 1970s and ’80s, in a way — this is a big, lavishly equipped vehicle that takes up as much space as a 3-row SUV but doesn’t offer as much space to the buyer. That’s a lifestyle choice only a very particular set of buyers will make, but Genesis doesn’t expect to sell many of these. But it plans to sell them to a discerning few.
Which Trim Level
Genesis builds the GV80 Coupe in just three trim levels. My tester was the peak model — the E-SC Prestige Black AWD edition in white with an all-black cabin. Darkened trim and headlight bezels set it apart from the outside. In the cabin, dark accents and open-pore ash wood trim lent it a tuxedoed look.
New 2026 Genesis GV80 Coupe Prices
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Retail Price
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Fair Purchase Price (92620)
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|---|---|---|---|---|
$83,345 |
$76,800 |
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$89,145 |
$83,500 |
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$90,895 |
$85,000 |
Favorite Feature
The difference between the entry-level trim and the two upper trims (E-SC AWD and this, E-SC AWD Prestige Black) is the engine. The base trim uses a 375-horsepower twin-turbo V6. I’ve driven it, and with that engine, performance is up to the challenge of holding down the top spot in a luxury lineup. But this one uses a belt-and-suspenders V6 with both a supercharger and two turbochargers. It makes 409 hp and, using both methods of adding power to an engine through air pressure, makes it feel a bit like a muscle car.
You don’t need that added power. But if you want it, it changes the car’s character.
What It’s Like to Drive
Muscle car might seem like an odd comparison for a huge SUV. It’s not a perfect comparison for this one. But, in spirit, it explains the GV80 Coupe reasonably well.
This isn’t going to win any slalom races. Its handling is fine for its size, but the most agile SUVs at this size are Porsches, BMWs, and other haulers made by performance-oriented automakers.
But in Sport or Sport+ mode, that powerful engine snarls to life, and your right foot commands a straight-line monster.
In Eco and Comfort, it’s a relaxing ride. The electronically controlled suspension uses a camera to track road conditions and adjust damping to road conditions. It makes for a cream-smooth ride.
Brakes are genuinely powerful to rein in all that oomph. They’re not grabby, but you learn to treat the pedal lightly, and it’s comforting to know that, if you stepped on it, the big car would stop in a hurry.
Interior Comfort and Technology
Genesis does interiors well, and this is the most well-equipped Genesis vehicle (until the GV90 with its heated wood floors gets here).
Quilted Nappa leather? Check.
Open poor black ash trim? Check.
An 18-speaker, 14-channel Bang & Olufsen sound system? Check.
Three different scents to diffuse? Check.
Fingerprint scan to start (if you want to engage it)? Check.
The E-SC Prestige Black AWD comes upholstered only in black. Other trim levels give you the option of brighter interiors, including a radiant red. But some find black a sign of luxury.
Genesis lets you control HVAC and entertainment functions via either a touchscreen or a set of knobs and buttons beneath it. That screen comes paired with a driver’s instrument screen, housed together like a 27-inch curved display, which gives the cabin a high-tech sheen but is increasingly common — most of this car’s competitors use the same setup.
One strange quirk of the SUV Coupe style is that second-row legroom is just average for a midsize SUV, despite the fairly long wheelbase. Cargo space is a little constrained, too, thanks to the sleek fastback roof.
As the top of the Genesis line, the GV80 has a few high-luxury touches you’ll probably rarely use, but they’re nice to have. My favorite, and probably the most frivolous, is a “mood curator” that sets the scene with specific music, scents, and lighting under names like Delight and Vitality. The novelty probably wears off quickly, but they’re fun.
Limitations
If the look of the SUV Coupe appeals to you, this one makes sense. If you’re on the fence about it, the standard-roof GV80 has an optional third row (or more legroom in the second row if you decline it), more cargo space, and a lower starting price on the same platform with the same mechanical parts.
Key Considerations
The GV80 and its Coupe sibling top our list of the Best Luxury Midsize SUVs, but there are no bad choices in that segment. If you want one with a bit more agility, consider the BMW X6, a close runner-up with tighter handling but a bit less built-in relaxation.
