Genesis has just launched its first-ever hybrid. After hitting the market with multiple electric vehicles, it is taking a step back with the GV80 hybrid. It adds a new rear-drive-biased system with 16% more power and 29% better fuel economy. And that’s just the start.
Genesis has gone all-out to make it quiet and smooth, not just efficient. If ever there was a clear shot across the Lexus RX hybrid’s bow from Korea, this is it.
More Power, More Refinement, Fewer Fillups
Genesis GV80 HybridGenesis
It’s the same GV80 SUV we already know, but with a 2.5-liter turbo-four-based hybrid system instead of the 2.5T or 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 we’re used to. The new system makes 347 horsepower, a big increase over the 300-hp base engine, and not far off the 375-hp V6.
With the hybrid system, 79 of those horses come from the electric motor. In rear-drive form, the SUV can do zero to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds, and it can achieve approximately 565 miles on its 20-gallon fuel tank. Passing acceleration should be about 18% faster than the gas 2.5T as well.
Genesis claims a combined fuel economy of 28 miles per gallon. It’s important to note that figure comes from Korean market and isn’t an EPA rating. But looking at the 20 mpg combined mileage of the gas model and how it compares to America, we expect the hybrid to be in that 28-mpg ballpark.
The new hybrid system has a new transmission. It’s a seven-speed gearbox instead of the eight-speed in the gas-only GV80 models, which makes it shorter. It also uses the electric motor to spin first gear in the opposite direction for reverse, which again helps with regard to weight and efficiency.
How Far Can GV80 Go On Electric Power?
Genesis GV80 HybridGenesis
The GV80 isn’t a PHEV with a specific electric-only range, but Genesis still wants this hybrid to go as far as possible on just electricity. Under normal acceleration, the engine will stay off until around 20 mph, reducing noise and vibration when you pull away from a start, or in low-speed city driving. It has a liquid-cooled battery, which lets Genesis extract higher and more sustained outputs for more electric-only driving.
A new final drive ratio further helps performance, but also makes the GV80 quieter. Genesis says the new gear lowers RPM on the highway to reduce vibration, but it doesn’t stop there. There are new Centrifugal Pendulum Absorber dampers in the transmission, as well as an extra layer of insulation in the firewall and new engine support dampers, and tweaks to the active sound cancellation system.
Because silence just makes a bad ride more obvious, Genesis has tweaked the hybrid’s suspension, too. It has electronically controlled dual-valve shocks as well as stiffer springs at both ends and a stiffer rear sway bar. The Korean automaker says it should deliver “a luxurious driving sensibility of smooth and restrained movement.”
Genesis GV80 HybridGenesis
Genesis has equipped the GV80 hybrid with its vehicle-to-load power plug. It can output up to 3.6 kW and can either run continuously with the engine on or draw the battery down to as low as 30% in Stay mode. Stay mode, like in the Telluride, lets drivers walk away from the vehicle with the AC or heat running for passenger comfort.
Then there are the changes that aren’t related to the hybrid system at all. New wiper nozzles, for example, and improved Smart Park function when you’re in the vehicle. Plus, Genesis has cleverly adapted the surround view system to show the proper view around the SUV even with the mirrors folded.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2027 Genesis GV80 Hybrid (2)Genesis
A near-30-mpg luxury cruiser with room for five? That sounds like a win, especially with rising gas prices and a near-complete lack of competition. Genesis’ electric models have been excellent, but a hybrid should be more amenable to buyers once the model arrives in the US.
Speaking of the US, the Genesis GV80 hybrid isn’t here yet. There’s no word on when it will arrive, though with it on sale in Korea from today, it will likely be here early next year.
Pricing hasn’t been announced for the US, but the hybrid starts from 76.8 million won. That’s about 7 million won more than the gas model, and if we do some math, it hints at around $64,000. $5,000 more than a 2.5T.
