Genesis just started mass production of their updated SUV GV80 as well as the All-New GV80 coupe a on September 19th. The initial volume is produced which means that a full-fledged launch is imminent. Genesis, which recently surpassed 1 million cumulative global sales, plans to continue its growth through the launch of the new GV80 and the first-ever GV80 Coupe.
According to the automobile industry on the 19th, Hyundai Motor started production of the 2024 GV80 partial change model and GV80 coupe at the Ulsan plant from this day. Until the 26th, before the Chuseok holiday, a total of 26 units will be produced, including 16 GV80 facelift models and 10 GV80 coupes.
The initial production volume appears to be for major exhibition halls across the country, etc. A Hyundai Motor official explained that it was “quantity by pre-order.” Hyundai plans to launch the GV80 partial change model, GV80 coupe, etc. in October. The annual mass production target is 70,000 units.
The GV80 is the first SUV model of the Genesis. Launched in January 2020, it is on sale with a 3-liter (L) in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine model, a 2.5L gasoline turbo, a 3.5L gasoline turbo, and more. It is currently being produced at Ulsan Plant 2, a production plant specializing in SUVs. After two model year changes in August 2021 and November 2022, the first mid-cycle facelift model will be introduced in less than a month.
The GV80 played a major role in Genesis’ global sales of 1 million units. Since the launch of the brand in November 2015, Genesis has sold 108,804 units in the global market until last August, surpassing 1 million units in 7 years and 10 months. It took about 67 months to reach the first 500,000 units, but only two years and three months from 500,000 to 1 million units.
Regular GV80 facelift Spied
The recent rapid sales have played a big role in the GV80. The best-selling model among the Genesis models is the G80 (launched in 2016), but SUVs such as the GV80 are said to have contributed significantly to their market. At the time of its first launch, there were more pre-contracts in North America than in Korea. The cumulative global sales of GV80 are 174,882 units as of August this year.
The new GV80 will be discontinued with existing diesel models and will have a total of three lineups: two current gasoline engines and a gasoline-based mild hybrid (MHEV) engine. The MHEV engine features a 3.5L gasoline-turbo-based 48V Electric Supercharger (e-S/C) first introduced in the Genesis flagship sedan G90.
What is attracting attention is the GV80 Coupe, which is being introduced for the first time. The brand’s first coupe-type model drew public attention by unveiling a concept car in the U.S. in April. The GV80 Coupe is evenly equipped with practicality and sportiness based on the Genesis design philosophy of ‘dynamic elegance’. The powertrain configuration is said to be the same as the regular GV80.
The new GV80 features an organic light eluminescent (OLED) main display that combines an instrument panel and a central display into one. It applies a 27-inch panoramic car OLED display produced by LG Display. This is the first time Hyundai has applied OLED to its main display.
