When it comes to luxury car brands, not that many people have heard of Genesis. That’s to be expected, since Genesis is actually a fairly new brand, but it’s already making some great luxury cars. Here’s a look at why the 2021 Genesis GV80 is setting an example for other luxury SUVs to follow.

The 2021 Genesis GV80’s impressive luxury

Like CNET said, the GV80 has more than enough luxury features for its price tag, which starts at just under $49,000. The GV80’s interior is well-designed, and there’s plenty of leather and other high-quality materials in there.

It’s why CNET said that the GV80’s interior “feels ultra-premium.” It also helps that Genesis didn’t skimp out on much since CNET wrote that, “Even the temperature dials look and feel expensive.”

That’s another great thing about the GV80’s interior, as it’s decked out with loads of features. Genesis gave the 2021 GV80 a new infotainment system, and the star of the show is a 14.5-inch display. While this massive screen isn’t a touch screen, CNET noted that there’s actually a small touch screen that acts as the GV80’s climate control system. 

Not only did CNET compliment the GV80’s infotainment system for its beauty, but they also mentioned that its infotainment system was “intuitive” and easy-to-use. And of course, the GV80 also had plenty of standard smart safety features that include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist among many other things. 

The 2021 Genesis GV80 is a good car, too

Furthermore, while the GV80 has an impressively luxurious interior, it’s not a weak car by any means. The standard GV80 is equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that gets about 300-hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. The other engine option is the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, and this engine gets about 375-hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. 

No matter the engine choice however, like CNET wrote, largely due to the GV80’s active noise-cancellation system, the cabin is very quiet on the road. On top of that, while CNET said that the GV80’s ride quality could be softer, overall, the GV80 provides a comfortable and luxurious driving experience for its owner.

When equipped with the V6, it can also tow about 5,000-pounds of stuff and it’s a tad sportier than the basic GV80, but in exchange, it’s less fuel-efficient than the four-cylinder.

The V6 gets an estimated 18 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on highways, while the four-cylinder gets an estimated 21 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on highways. 

A great value for the luxury

But the best thing about the GV80 might be its price tag. Since it starts at just under $49,000 MSRP, the GV80 is significantly more affordable than its competitors.

Obviously, the price difference will vary depending on which car it’s being compared to, but it’s a significant difference regardless. For example, CNET said that the BMW X5 starts at about $62,000, while the Audi Q8 starts at almost $70,000. 

This means that, compared to its more popular European rivals, the GV80 is, at minimum, about $10,000 cheaper. That big of a price difference usually means that the cheaper car is worse, but that’s not the case with the GV80. As CNET wrote, the GV80 has comparable features with its rivals, while being much cheaper. 

As CNET summed it up, the 2021 GV80 has “serious value” and it’s also “an example-setter.” Overall, CNET was surprised at how great of a luxury SUV the GV80 is, since it’s actually Genesis’ first SUV ever. With the GV80 rolling out, its competitors may need to improve their cars a lot in order to compete.