SUV is like business class on wheels

Here are five things you need to know about the Genesis GV80 luxury SUV.

Prepare to be centre of attention

Our roads are clogged with palatial large SUVs, making it hard to avoid being a prestige sheep. The Genesis GV80’s your pick to stand out in a suburban sea of BMW X5s, Mercedes GLEs and Lexus RXs. For the unenlightened, Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury arm – as Lexus is to Toyota – and launched here in 2019.

It sells two flashy sedans – the G70 and G80 – but its SUVs are the volume sellers: the coming-soon small GV60; the mid-sized GV70 and this, its flagship GV80. The 3.0-litre diesel version we tested costs $105,000 before on-roads but isn’t short on theatre.

Heads turn as you roll past on intricately styled 22-inch alloys below a sleek body featuring a giant shield grille, slim quad lights front and rear and oodles of chrome.

It looks and drives like a boulevard cruiser

While the rival BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne boast car-like handling, the Genesis prioritises comfort over cornering ability.

The GV80 is at its business-class best on smooth, straight roads.

Its cabin is sublimely cosseted from road noise, while the suspension gracefully damps down any pesky undulations. But soft springs mean it tends to float a little over bigger bumps, while things can get bouncy for those in the back seats. It feels its five-metre length and 2.2-tonne weight in corners, leaning and pitching more than its German rivals, but it’s horses for courses. The Genesis shines if you prefer wafting over whizzing.

The diesel engine makes most sense

Just because you own a $100k car doesn’t mean you want fuel bills sending you to the poor house.

Our previous tests showed the GV80’s 224kW four-cylinder turbo petrol averaged close to 15L/100km in city driving, while the 279kW turbo V6 fared even worse.

The 204kW turbo diesel is the most frugal and our near-1000km test, mainly on highways, registered an impressive 7.6L/100km average. In town it was closer to 10L/100km – still palatable.

The engine pumps out 588Nm of torque, giving it serious shove from low revs. It hits 100km/h in a respectable 6.8 seconds and its pleasing exhaust note is more muscle car than old diesel van.

Paying for services? That’s so last decade

These GV80s start from $90,600 for a rear-drive five-seat 2.5T petrol, so they’re hardly cheap cars, especially compared to the rival Lexus RX. But the ownership experience promises to be top-notch, with at least five years of free servicing and roadside assistance.

If you live within 70 kilometres of a Genesis Studio (not showroom, please note) in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane’s central business district, a concierge will pick up and drop off your car for servicing, leaving you with a loan car while you wait. Service centre waiting room? Not for you, Sir.

The cabin’s a bit special

No matter which GV80 you choose, the interior’s luscious. The leather and open pore wood are the real deal, there’s deep carpet, 64-colour ambient lighting, a head-up display, panoramic sunroof and power tailgate.

It’s soft-touch everywhere, power seats are heated and cooled, your infotainment includes a mighty 14.5-inch screen and safety and driver assist kit is cutting edge.

If you were raised in a palace with servants and the above doesn’t cut it, an additional $10,500 adds the Luxury Package. Think quilted Nappa leather, massage seats, self-parking function, soft-close doors and heated power rear seats.

Need more? A $13,500 six-seat Luxury Package brings two individual power sliding second-row seats with 9.2-inch HD headrest screens, just to remind the kids how incredibly privileged they are.

Originally published as Genesis GV80 review: Luxury living at a relatively affordable price