MIAMI — After rolling out three sedans and struggling to establish a U.S. dealer network, Genesis finally debuted its first crossover in the U.S., with high hopes for the midsize GV80 to conquest traditional luxury brands.
For the U.S. market, the GV80 has a choice of two engines, Genesis said Tuesday at its North American debut here. A 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is the more economical option, while the 3.5-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine will offer better performance. In the future, Genesis is expected to offer a hybrid powertrain in the crossover.
Prices were not announced.
Genesis offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine in the compact G70 sedan and a turbocharged 3.3-liter six- cylinder engine in the G70, the midsize G80 and the flagship G90. Parent company Hyundai Motor Co. recently gave an early look at a 2.5-liter turbo motor that it’s putting in a performance N-Line version of the Sonata sedan later this year.
Otherwise, the details of the GV80 for the U.S. market are similar to the Korean-spec versions in terms of features. The crossover is built on a rear-drive platform with all-wheel-drive optional. A smallish third row is also optional.
Other features include an electronically controlled suspension with road preview from a front-mounted camera, active road-noise cancellation, available 22-inch wheels, a 14.5-inch infotainment screen, handwriting recognition on the infotainment controller and a driver’s seat with seven air cells to reduce fatigue.
Among the safety equipment is a second-generation highway driving-assist system that includes lane change via the turn signal and a driver-attention alert that detects unusual driving characteristics and provides warning messages, Genesis said.
The GV80 goes on sale in Korea this month and in the United States by summer.
