Automotive Engineering - January/February 2021 - 14

ROAD READY

Inside time

Depending on trim level, the GV80's
cabin ranges from obviously premium
to visibly opulent. At the upper range,
the technology display continues with
items such as a 12-in (305-mm) color
A twin-turbocharged 3.5L V6
develops 375 hp and is the
GV80's upgrade engine.

A new and
accomplished reardrive architecture
dubbed M3 is the
centerpiece for the
2021 Genesis GV80's
nimble dynamics.

head-up display and a vivid 3D digital
gauge cluster that uses eye-tracking
technology to maintain the 3D effect
despite the driver's orientation. A nearfield communication (NFC) setup combines with Bluetooth low energy (BLE)
to allow Android smartphones to serve
as the vehicle key and execute functions
such as smart parking.
The GV80's interior is executed with
micrometer precision and all manner of
trim and material details are equally
impressive. The bill of materials seems
to visibly exceed the SUV's price points
and although some of the truly impressive materials - not to mention the
slickest electronic features - require

buyers to ante for the higher trim packages, even the base GV80 trims are impressively luxurious.
But not everything's a win. The Star
Trek-y ring-shaped multimedia controller on the center console is a haphazard
conflagration of clicks, motions and
character-recognition inputs. One might
become proficient with it, but it comes
across as another user-interface idea
trying too hard to be clever rather than
genuinely functional. Compounding the
confusion, the controller is positioned
just forward of the similarly-shaped
gearshift selector. The flashy 3D gauge
cluster, available at the top (more than
$71,000) of the GV80 trim walk, can be
frustrating to comprehend.
And even at a more fundamental level, the two-spoke steering wheel with
its plump center hub, though admirably
risky and with undeniable retro overtones, might not be everyone's taste for
a luxury-vehicle cabin.
The GV80's most glaring shortcoming
might be its comparative conventionality
when it comes to propulsion. After a
painfully long wait just to play in the
U.S.'s boisterous SUV market, Genesis
may yet again find itself trailing the
competition if it doesn't have electrified
variants of the GV80 (and smaller GV70)
in the near-term pipeline. But for now,
the GV80's blend of dynamic excellence,
well-executed luxury and outright value
makes it a formidable display of the
brand's engineering ability.
Bill Visnic

14 January/February 2021

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

BOTH IMAGES: GENESIS

set the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Lexus RX and
Acura MDX, according to the company.
Like most of those models, the 2021
GV80 is available with a third row of
seats, although the third row can be
specified only on the 3.5T model with
the Advanced+ package. As one might
expect, the third row is cramped and
mostly suitable for small kids or pets.
The 2021 GV80 has unique technologies that include an active road-noise
cancellation system that uses suspension
accelerometers and multiple interior microphones to gather data to generate a
cancelling signal specific for each seating position. There's adaptive cruise control that claims to use machine learning
- even when the system isn't activated
- to analyze the driver's behavior to help
upgrade most ACC systems' frustratingly
conservative calibrations for approaching slower traffic and/or changing lanes
in that context. And the vehicle is
equipped with the second generation of
Hyundai's Highway Driving Assistant
(also using machine learning) and
Remote Smart Parking Assist.

Automotive Engineering - January/February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - January/February 2021