Back in 2017, Genesis showed off the concept version of its first crossover, the GV80. With its thin headlights and taillights, the GV80 concept certainly stood out. But even after we were told the production version would look extremely similar, we still weren’t sure how much would change by the time it went on sale. Thanks to these spy shots, we now at least have a hint.
Our spy photographer caught this prototype undergoing winter tests, and sadly, it’s still heavily camouflaged. It also appears the car was pretty far away when these pictures were taken, so they’re not as sharp as they could be. But if you look at the front, the mesh of the grille looks almost unchanged from the concept. The strip of camouflage over the headlights seems to imply that the production GV80 will retain the concept’s design, and from what we’ve heard, it will.
From the side, it looks like there isn’t as much of a slope to the prototype’s roofline as we saw on the concept. The shape of the windows and the angle of the B- and C-pillars appear to have mostly been maintained, but something tells us the need for headroom and cargo volume won out over the design team’s desire for a sleek profile. As for the rear end, the camouflage is too heavy to have any clue about what’s underneath. But multiple conversations with Genesis designers and executives again reiterate that it will look like the concept from all angles, with some of those people telling us that it will look even better overall.
When it goes on sale, the production GV80 will ride on a new rear-drive platform shared with the next G80 sedan. We expect it to use the corporate 3.8-liter V-6 as its base engine, with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 a likely option. There’s even a chance Genesis will offer its BMW X5 competitor with a 5.0-liter V-8 like the current G80 and G90.
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