Genesis wants to make sportier cars now. No, really – that’s pretty what it said in the press release. So to that end, they’ve unveiled the GV80 Coupe Concept ahead of the upcoming New York Auto Show 2023, and… it’s very orange.
Aside from the fact that fastback SUVs are now called ‘Coupes’, and they are apparently the definition of “more emotional, performance-oriented” cars, we do have to admit that the GV80 Coupe Concept does look very nice, and realistic enough that we can see it rolling off the production floor today, even though it’s officially a “concept” – well, maybe aside from the interior. We’ll get to that.
Genesis says that the GV80 Coupe Concept’s looks are inspired by the X Speedium Coupe Concept, though in practice, it’s essentially a GV80 with a swoopy rear end (that somewhat looks like a Kia EV6?), alongside a new grille, reworked exterior lighting, a sporty body kit, flared wheel arches, and massive five-spoke alloy wheels.
Genesis says the wheels are made out of forged aluminium, working together with the carbon fibre roof to lower the GV80 Coupe Concept’s weight and centre of gravity, thus aiding in its “dynamic driving qualities”. The twin spoilers at the back – consisting of a roof spoiler and the elliptical ducktail upkick on the bodywork – are functional too, giving the SUV extra downforce at speed.
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While the exterior does look fairly production-ready, the interior of the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept does give you a hint that it’s perhaps really just a concept vehicle. That mostly comes down to the four individual bucket seats (though with pretty plaid-style Alcantara fabric), as well as an exposed strut brace near the rear cargo area – both of which we probably won’t see in the final production version of the car.
No technical specifications are available just yet, but we can probably expect it to be powered something probably much more powerful than the 375 hp 3.5-litre V6 it currently offers on the standard GV80, if it wants to compete with the likes of the BMW X6 M and Cayenne Coupe.
“At its inception, the Genesis brand began creating luxury sedans, which evolved into the G70, G80, and G90 models,” said Hyundai Motor Group Chief Creative Officer, Luc Donckerwolke. Over the past seven years, we have added more lifestyle-oriented models to the portfolio, such as our GV80 and GV70 SUVs. Now we are pushing the envelope with more emotional cars that elevate Genesis’ performance and dynamic attributes.”
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