As a relatively new automotive spinoff brand , Genesis continues to focus on moving onward and upward. Sales figures keep growing, helping public recognition swell, and in my experience, quality continues to improve, as well. I've even heard car people mistake a Genesis for a Bentley or an Aston Martin, perhaps the highest compliment possible.
Last year, I recommended that my uncle, a semi-retired radiologist, buy a GV70 Electrified . As his first EV and first Genesis, after an Equus beforehand, the GV70 required a bit of an adjustment period but so far, he seems absolutely sold on the brand. Now, the new GV80 Coupe arrives with hopes to take aim at exactly the same market segment, as a sportier and sleeker version of the GV80 SUV .
But going from business in the front to party in the back required more than simply a ducktail haircut to the GV80's rear end. Instead, Genesis reworked almost the entire exterior and added upgrades to the interior and tech, while dropping a new powertrain option into a mildly retuned chassis, as well. The new GV80 Coupe looked perfectly posed when I pulled up to the modern facade of the Four Season Minneapolis.
The sleeker roofline, the defined head and taillights, and the stance fit into the stark environment well. Overall, the Coupe measures only two tenths of an inch shorter than the SUV, and just eight tenths of an inch longer. Yet the new rear fin and longer rear spoiler provide much more presence, even if deleting the SUV's larger rear quar.