2026 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige AWD vs. 2026 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid AWD Reserve III: Battle of the big screens.
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This week: Genesis GV80
Price: $84,475 as tested. Just an added $650 charge for green paint.
What others are saying: “Highs: Sumptuous interior, loaded with luxury features and amenities, pricing undercuts the high-image brands. Lows: Handling not as agile as sportiest rivals, cramped third row,” says Car and Driver.
What Genesis is saying: “Refinement you can feel.”
Reality: So refined there’s a Mood Curator.
What’s new: The GV80 came just in time to ferry us on a trip across Pennsylvania. So, over 500-plus miles, Mr. Driver’s Seat got a fairly strong impression of the three-row luxury SUV. It carries over from its 2025 redesign, with a few features added or rearranged.
Competition: In addition to the Nautilus, there are the BMW X5, Land Rover Defender, Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Toyota Land Cruiser.
Up to speed: The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine powering the GV80 as tested had plenty of pickup, especially for a large SUV. It gets to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, thanks to its 375 horses, according to Car and Driver, not the fastest in the class but still swift.
A 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder that makes 300 horses comes standard, while the smaller, sportier-looking, two-row GV80 Coupe gets a supercharged twin turbo.
Shifty: The 8-speed automatic’s gear selector is a twist dial, though it matched the infotainment dial for size. Slightly confusing but I seem to be adjusting with more Genesis tests under my belt. Still, Reverse and Drive are opposite directions, for easier dialing.
On the road: The all-wheel-drive GV80 was right at home on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, taking some of the 60-mph curves at full speed without much tilt.
Country-road handling was easy, and I could arrange the vehicle in a tight lane without having to steady myself too much.
In either case, Sport mode is really the only choice. Normal seemed to have some wander, and hesitation as well.
A new terrain mode is available for 2026, guiding one through snow, mud, and sand.
The basest of base GV80 trims comes in rear-wheel drive, if that appeals to you.
Driver’s Seat: Something called a Mood Curator — handling ambient lighting, massage, music, and fragrance — has moved from all trims for 2026 to just the Prestige trims in 2027. I overlooked this nonsense — er, feature — but enjoyed playing with it in the G90.
Still, the interior is a plush experience, providing drivers with generous accommodations. Even massage seats were on offer, although the 20-minute cutoff time seems stingy. What if I hurt my back switching it back on? Won’t you feel bad, Genesis?
The Prestige trim levels get Nappa leather, while others get just leather, and cheapos get leatherette. In addition to olive ash trim, most GV80s also get something called Newspaper Wood trim, and Mr. Driver’s Seat approves.
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The 27-inch screen covering the gauges and infotainment certainly is attention-getting. Set the screen to map and you can see half the state, as it bleeds across to the gauge area as well. Ooo ahh. It’s clearer than clear, but the steering wheel blocked some important bits of info.
Friends and stuff: It was just the Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat and myself for the trip, so I tested out the other rows but not as extensively as others might have.
The middle row is comfortable and matches the luxury of the front. Legs, feet, and heads get plenty of space to enjoy, plus the ability to slide forward and back and recline pretty deeply as well.
The rear row is for kids. The first clue is that the middle-row seat doesn’t really get out of the way. You better have good balance to make the trip, because it’s a scramble over the seat with little stepping area offered.
And also, once there, be flexible. Like, literally, not in the sense that your boss or your spouse or mom says. Headroom is limited, as Mr. Driver’s Seat’s head needed to be canted to one side. Legroom is tight and foot room fairly nonexistent, at least under the middle-row seat. And your knees will become your new closest friends. Adults back there will not feel the mood curation.
The GV80 features fold-down seats similar to those that were part of a stop-sale in a Hyundai Palisade — no holding of the button is required to keep them moving. While these reversed when I put my backpack in the way, the backpack got pancaked pretty good. After some consideration, I did not offer up my own leg for testing.
Cargo space is 11.6, 36.5, or 71.7 cubic feet, depending. Towing is 6,000 pounds for any GV80.
Play some tunes: Buttons underneath the unit meant many of the adjustments could be made without a touchscreen. Here’s the bright spot of keeping things like they were in 2021.
Sound from the Bang & Olufsen Premium Audio was about an A-. Everything was clear but no new ground was broken.
Keeping warm and cool: The ebony touch pad that controlled the HVAC seemed to have a great feel; these can sometimes require too much push or be far too touchy.
Still, controls required my full attention, except for the dials that adjusted the temperature.
Fuel economy: The GV80 averaged 19.5 mpg in a lot of highway driving, which might sour your mood.
Where it’s built: Ulsan, South Korea
How it’s built: Consumer Reports gives the GV80 a predicted reliability at 2 out of 5, also not offering the mood curation you were hoping for.
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Next week: How does the Lincoln Nautilus compare?