Hyundai’s luxury division promised to have at least five new models until 2020, so they started with some concept models that preview the real deal. More precisely, the South Korea car manufacturer brought the amazing Genesis GV80 concept at this year’s New York Auto Show. This is basically the SUV that’s going to compete in the mid-size luxury segment, which means it will be the biggest rival of the BMW X5.
According to the information we have, the Genesis GV80 will hit the production lines after the G70 sedan, so it should become available in the second half of 2018. This gives plenty of time for changes, which means that the production model might not look like this at all. Still, if you ask us, we would be delighted to see most of the styling cues from the Genesis GV80 concept, because it simply shines like a star. It sports very athletic lines with plenty of dynamic and some really handsome cues, especially in the front end. There are super-cool LED split headlights and Genesis’ signature crest grille make the nose really gorgeous, while the rear end sports taillights that mirror the headlights. SUV’s rooflines are a bit sloped, which additionally boosts aerodynamic of the vehicle, while the stylish five-spoke 23-inch wheels appear that stole material from the B- and C-pillars.
The Genesis GV80 concept showed that they are capable of creating something highly luxurious and yet, totally new. The leather dashboard, aluminum, and wood details are always “nice to see” details, but the impressive 22-inch display at the top of the dash is something that separates the SUV from everything we saw until today. The cabin can accommodate up to four passengers, yet this will change when the carmaker introduce the production model. Who knows, perhaps they decide to add the third row of seating here.
The car manufacturer introduced this concept as the SUV that uses an advanced plug-in hydrogen fuel cell system, but this is everything we know. Perhaps it’s the same powertrain that was introduced with the Intrado concept. As you may remember the compact SUV was bragging with a 36-kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack which was capable of crossing up to 375 miles on the single charge. In any case, we believe that the 2019 Genesis GV80 won’t come with anything alike. No, the manufacturer will probably introduce the SUV with a powerful 5.0-liter V8 gasoline engine.
As we said already, the Genesis GV80 concept is just the start. After the mid-size SUV, the carmaker will start working on a smaller crossover, which will mirror the BMW X3.
