Genesis lifted the veil on its first crossover, showing a production version of the GV80 with many of the premium brand’s new design features, including high-tech quad lamps and an imposing Creste grille.
The long-awaited crossover also features the brand’s so-called Parabolic character line accentuating the sides and wheel arch treatment for “athletic elegance.”
The images of the production version GV80, expected to go on sale in 2020, show a vehicle that builds on the GV80 Concept introduced at the 2017 New York Auto Show. It resulted from a collaboration of Genesis design studios in South Korea, the United States and Germany.
Genesis said the vehicle is also based on a new rear-wheel drive platform.
“With the launch of GV80, Genesis will elevate expectations for excellence within the luxury SUV market,” William Lee, executive vice president and global brand head, said in a statement.
The GV80 gives Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand a four-nameplate lineup and a foothold in the popular crossover market. It is expected to be followed by another smaller crossover dubbed the GV70. Genesis’ other entries are all sedans: The G70, G80 and G90.
The GV80 goes on sale in South Korea in January and could reach the U.S. by midyear.
Genesis says the GV80 interior focuses on the “beauty of open space” with minimalist details imbued with “elegant South Korean architectural aesthetic.”
Features include slimmed-down air vents that stretch across the front to highlight the cabin’s width and stripped out physical buttons.