Genesis GV80 2024 review: 3.5T Luxury long-term | Part 2

The leather seats are actually green not grey; the hand brake doesn’t automatically come on when you put it in Park and the cabin stays surprisingly cool even when parked outside all day in 40 Degrees.

These are just a few of the many discoveries uncovered in our second month living with the Genesis GV80 3.5T Luxury.

Read More About Genesis GV80

• Genesis GV80 2024 review: 3.5T Luxury long-term | Part 1
• Genesis GV60 2023 review: Performance Luxury EV test
• Genesis Electrified GV70 2023 review: family test

My little family of four has been living with the GV80 as you would - it’s been an important tool in getting the kids to school, and for shopping expeditions, and holiday road trips.

It’s been a month of bigger miles for our family in the GV80, too. We covered 1075km - double last month's distance. 

Thanks to all those open roads and motorways away from city traffic the average fuel economy over the past month improved as well. 

The total number of litres of premium unleaded used was 179.1L, which comes to an average of 16.7L/100km. The previous month’s average fuel consumption was a very high 21.4L/100km because our driving was confined to short suburban dashes close to home.

To put that in perspective the Toyota Kluger Hybrid I’ve also been testing this past month used an average of 6.6L/100km doing all the same small trips on the same roads as the GV80.

The Kluger Hybrid has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and an electric motor making 184kW and doesn’t have anywhere near the 279kW of grunt made by the GV80’s 3.5-litre V6. But you have to ask yourself if the V6 is necessary in these high-cost-of-living times?

Okay, let’s talk discoveries. Things we’ve learnt this month about the GV80. 

First, the not-so good things. 

Those seat-back screens in the second row which come with the 'Luxury six-seat' package are impressive at first glance, but redundant in reality.

The kids have their own tablets with movies and games. And some of the screen functions aren’t necessary. There’s a parking camera view and sat nav, for example. 

That said, I can see how the climate control and media functions are good for adults being chauffeured, but not for kids who can’t stop messing with them. 

My 18-month old could also reach the screen with her feet and that meant my wife had to move her seat so far forward her knees were touching the dashboard.

Along with the seat-back screens, the Luxury six-seat package, removes the second row bench seat and adds two captain's chairs. Again, great for a chauffeur-driven car, but not for a family.

The large rear centre console makes sliding across to the opposite side hard for the kids and there were times when we could have done with the extra seat such as when ferrying the grandparents around.

Nanna had to sit on the centre console for one trip to the zoo - just kidding, she took her own car, but you see what I mean.

Then there’s the park brake which needs to be activated manually rather than coming on automatically when the driver shifts into Park, even after switching the vehicle’s ignition off.

If you don’t manually put the park brake on, the GV80 will then roll backwards or forwards slightly and often as kids are leaping out of the car.

Last on the ‘naughty list’ is the paint colour - it’s a beautiful and striking 'Brunswick Green' with a matte finish. The problem is how quickly it begins to look dirty after a bath due to the dark colour and satin-like finish. 

But the good outweighs the not-so good. We found the car kept cool on recent blistering hot days, even when parked out in the sun for hours. The super dark tinting and solar glass, plus the sun blinds have protected us.

The climate control is superb, too - cooling or heating the cabin fast with easy-to-access dials for the temperature. Add to this the comfortable heated, ventilated and massaging front seats and, as many parents will agree, even driving becomes a nice break from holding infants and running after bigger kids. 

We’ve also loved the enormous boot which has never struggled to help us with the cavalcade of gear which accompanies a family everywhere.

Even the smaller boot space behind the third row saved us on a family trip where we needed all seats six seats but also needed to take the pram.

Despite the GV80s mammoth size it’s one of the easiest SUVs I’ve ever driven with light steering, great throttle response and good visibility.

And the seat colour. I’ve spent a month thinking it was grey but my son pointed out it’s green.

I even checked with Hyundai to prove I was right. But I as wrong. Hyundai confirmed the colour is 'Smokey Green Olive Ash'. There you go. Off to get my eyes checked.

These long-term tests are great for bonding with a vehicle like an owner. And I had an ‘owner’ experience just yesterday.

I saw a GV80 in the same 3.5T grade with the same matte Brunswick Green paint. Of course like any owner I doubled back, parked behind them and got the photo for proof.

Acquired: [August, 2023]

Distance travelled this month: 1075.3km

Odometer: 15,679km

Average energy consumption this month: 16.7L/100km