Genesis GV80 Coupe spied testing in the Arctic Circle

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The fledgling luxury brand Genesis has been causing heartburn in offices at the HQs of traditional automakers, with sumptuous interiors and smooth drivetrains taking a bite from both sales charts and balance sheets. Now, the upstart may be readying yet another swing at the establishment — this time in the form of a ‘coupe’ SUV.

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Caught by our spies on a frozen lake near the Arctic Circle, this camouflaged test mule bears the hallmarks of a new body style for Genesis. While the rear may look blocky, it is highly likely there is just empty composite material or Styrofoam under that black camo, suggesting Genesis is readying a so-called ‘coupe’ variant of its GV80 crossover. For those not in the know, this type of crossover generally has a fastback-style rear hatch, sacrificing cargo area and rear headroom in the name of looks. Think BMW X6 or Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and you’re on the right track.

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Peeping through the front end camo are what appear to be the brand’s signature two-line lighting, manifested here with split headlights that bookend a huge grille. And while Genesis has a couple of EV crossovers in its portfolio — GV60 and Electrified GV70 — we’ll go out on a limb and say this model is definitely a gasser.

Why? Its diamond-thatched grille is open for airflow, unlike other all-electric Genesis vehicles which have either a solid grille or none at all, to say nothing of those honking exhaust finishers sticking out of this mule’s rear fascia. Those pipes, by the way, are roughly the same total size as ones found on existing GV80 models but are split on this car to form something of a quad-outlet setup.

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In Canada, the GV80 is currently offered with the choice of a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder making 300 horsepower or a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 good for 375 ponies. It is logical to think these options will be carried over to a GV80 Coupe, though we will note this test mule has space in its camo for a fuel filler flap which is on the opposite side as today’s GV80. This could simply be a case of reused camouflage, or it could signify some sort of forthcoming plug-in hybrid powertrain such as the one rumoured for its G90 flagship sedan.

It is also worth noting the G80 itself has been on sale since 2020 and, in a segment where the napping get caught and passed pretty quickly, there may be bigger changes under this camo than meets the eye. The parent company of Genesis likes to make significant styling changes to its vehicles every four or five model years, so it is not out of the question for similar decrees to be part of the Genesis plan as well.

Check out the latest Genesis GV80 model.