What's the difference?
The Genesis GV80 SUV has cultivated a quiet but firm following since its debut but there's a new variant on offer - the coupe.
Offered in one highly-specified grade level for our market, the GV80 3.5T Luxury AWD Coupe proves to be a fierce competitor with luxury and handling for it's European rivals - the BMW X6, Range Rover Velar and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.
However, the price point is starting to creep a little closer to its rivals, which might not be to everyone's fancy.
I've been family testing the GV80 for a week to see if it gets the seal of approval from my little family of three, read on to find out how it went.
An American all-electric car brand with a unique take on the automotive industry, an up and down share price and a cheaper model in its future plans. You could be mistaken for thinking I’m talking about Tesla, but I’m not.
Recently CarsGuide got the opportunity to experience an alternative electric car brand, and one that, despite having many similarities to Tesla, is also in many respects its polar opposite.
I’m talking about Rivian, which is very much behind Tesla in terms of sales, market cap and just about every other measure. But what it does have is a compelling line-up of electric vehicles, with plans for expansion, including an eventual entry into Australia.
Back in 2023 we drove the brand’s ute, the R1T, but on a recent trip to Los Angeles we sampled the brand’s other model, the R1S SUV. It was an eye-opener to see how far the brand has come in two years and showcased just how different Rivian is from Tesla.
The Genesis GV80 Coupe is a rare breed – it comes packed to the gills with features, has great ownership benefits and can easily accommodate a large family in comfort.
The fuel economy isn’t great but it looks and acts the part of a true luxury SUV. My husband and son were impressed and enjoyed all of the features it has.
While there are some obvious signs that the R1S is Rivian’s first mass-market vehicle, the good news for the company is that its problems are not impossible to overcome. The suspension needs retuning to improve the ride quality and the multimedia system’s software needs upgrading. But even with those issues the R1S left a positive impression.
This is a very stylish SUV with great space and excellent performance, that also happens to be electric, rather than relying on being electric as its primary selling point.
Rivian has put more effort into the design and finishes than many of its EV rivals and the result is a vehicle that can genuinely compete with the established premium players with more credibility.
The only catch is there’s no clear timeframe for when, or even if, this generation of R1S will make it to Australia. The brand has repeatedly spoken of its hopes of entering the market here without locking anything in, but given the current state of the EV sales it may pay off to wait until the conditions are right for a new, premium player to try its luck here.