After a string of fanciful concept cars—the X, X Speedium Coupe, and X Convertible concepts—the GV80 Coupe concept Genesis unveiled tonight at its Genesis House in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district ahead of the New York auto show looks largely ready for production. The faster-roofline, four-seat version of the company’s GV80 mid-size SUV is a sporty take on the SUV-coupe fad, with a carbon-fiber roof and aggressive ducktail rear spoiler. Inside, is a plethora of Alcantara surrounding four carbon-fiber-shelled bucket seats, each with a hand pump to inflate their bolsters. Behind the passenger cabin is a beefy cross brace.
The GV80 concept is wearing giant, 23-inch wheels, but could-be-sportier Pirelli P Zero Scorpion All Season tires, behind which are cross-drilled and slotted rotors clamped by large, fixed-piston calipers. Its searing orange Magma exterior color is inspired by the volcanos surrounding the Korean peninsula where the brand calls home.
Although the company is on a path to an electric-only lineup, the GV80 concept gets an internal combustion powertrain, one with the hum of a V-6 when it was being repositioned at the reveal event. Perhaps this sportier coupe variant might inherit the 409-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 with electric supercharger from the G90 sedan rather than the 375-hp twin-turbo V-6 in the current GV80 lineup.
Design boss Luc Donckerwolke said at the reveal that “design is brand, and brand is design.” We agree, and it’s easy to see why Genesis has been on the rise of late. Although this concept moves the GV80 in a decidedly sportier direction, Donckerwolke said the company doesn’t intend to create a sporty sub brand for such a vehicle. We expect to see a production version soon.
Director, Vehicle Testing
Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver‘s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.