The Genesis GV80, which is to be the first SUV from the Korean luxury automaker, has been spotted testing ahead of its arrival in 2019.
The GV80 was previewed by the GV80 Concept first shown at last year’s New York auto show. It’s so far not clear how much inspiration the concept car will have on the production vehicle, and these spy shots don’t give us more info in that regard. The test mule is based on a Hyundai Santa Fe, but is riding much higher than the production car and is sporting some different wheels. There’s also some wizardry going on just behind the front wheel, where it looks as though Hyundai has extended the wheelbase – evidence that there’s a different platform hiding underneath that Santa Fe skin.
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One of the photos shows a document taped to the test mule’s rear window, indicating it has a 3.5-liter V6 engine, along with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. We could see the 3.5-liter engine could serving as the entry-level powertrain option in the GV80, with the automaker’s 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine appearing in higher-end trims, but it’s too early to say. Genesis also has a larger GV90 in the works, so perhaps it’s saving its more powerful engines, such as the 3.3-liter and its 5.0-liter V8, for that range-topping product. A GV70 will also eventually arrive.
On its website, Genesis says GV80 is coming in 2019, so it should debut soon. We wouldn’t be shocked to see it show up at the 2018 New York auto show in late March, so stay tuned for more information.
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