BMW X Models vs Genesis GV80

What's the difference?

There is little doubt the new X2 represents a vast improvement over the original model. The design alone gives it a lot more presence. 

More interior and boot space also helps widen the SUV’s appeal and the significant tech updates are welcome.

It is on the pricey side and there are a few too many options that should be standard. 

However, the M35i is hard to ignore as a sporty premium crossover, and the iX2 xDrive30 is the sort of electric SUV that should worry Volvo.

They both have their own distinct flavours, so there’s no dud in this line-up. Of course, we will hold final thoughts for the local launch when we can drive all four grades. But until then, it’s a welcome return to form for the X2.

If you're deciding between the SUV and the Coupe, just note that even though Genesis says it wasn't a deliberate tuning decision, the Coupe's suspension has come out a little stiffer.

If supreme comfort and a silky ride quality is what you're after, the SUV is your pick.

And if you're a bit of an enthusiast trying to choose a fun-driving SUV? It doesn’t seem the Euro brands have to panic just yet, because even though the GV80 is very good in its niche - being a big, comfy SUV - it doesn’t encourage you to drive it much like a sports car.

But Genesis’ performance-focused Magma sub-brand will likely land in Australia soon enough, and that’s when keen drivers will start paying more attention to the GV80.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The second-gen X2 looks very different to the original from 2018. That first X2 had a squat stance, looked more like a hatchback than an SUV, and the glasshouse appeared as though it had been squished into the body of the car.

The 2024 X2 adopts a similar design philosophy to the X4 and X6 - swoopy, coupe-like roofline and liftback, and bold styling elements at the front and rear.

It has a much more upright, flush front end, freshly designed large kidney grille and an edgy headlight design. There’s flared wheel arches and broad shoulders at the rear, as well as a cool new horizontal tail-light signature.

The X2 has grown in size in a big way. It’s 194mm longer, 21mm wider, and 64mm taller than the outgoing model. That naturally means more space inside, too.

Inside there are big changes. The X2 adopts elements introduced by the excellent iX SUV a couple of years ago. They include the curved display, and a floating arm rest with a control panel. Some of this is also familiar from the X1.

The materials mostly look and feel like they are high quality, and there is an appealing minimalism to the overall design and layout. The chunky sports steering wheel is visually appealing, but it’s a bit too thick in my hand.

The GV80 looks mostly the same as it did back when it launched, save for a few small tweaks that will give away the updated version to proper anoraks.

Any Genesis-spotters will note the SUV now has a double-mesh grille, two lines instead of one, plus larger air intakes and 'Micro-Lens Array' lights that perform a dynamic ‘welcome pattern’ sequence on unlock.

New 22-inch wheels at the sides and a chrome side strip give it away in profile, while at the rear a redesigned bumper hides the exhaust exits.

But of course, the Coupe is much more obvious with its sloping roofline joined by tweaks like a bolder grille inlay, single, strong lines rather than the mesh crest design from the SUV and more air intakes again.

The 22-inch wheels are exclusive to the Coupe, and at the back a more aggressive rear is finished off with visible sport exhaust exits.

It’s no bad thing that the GV80 hasn’t changed significantly, as it hasn’t aged much in its few years, and its design language seems to do a decent job of appealing to traditional and modern-minded premium customers.

Where the previous X2 was a very small crossover with niche appeal, the increase in size for the new model means more people will be interested in it. Possibly even people with a small family.

Those increased dimensions pay dividends inside, with ample headroom up front and more than enough space across the front row, although the raised armrest console is somewhat narrow. 

The seats in both the iX2 xDrive30 and the M35i xDrive are very supportive thanks to ample bolstering, but both were also on the firm side. The iX2’s synthetic leather was slightly more comfortable than the M35i’s sports-focused front seats.

The power-adjustable seats and height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel means it’s not hard to find a decent driving position, but forward vision is impeded by a very thick A-pillar, and the letterbox-like rear windscreen in the X2 means rearward vision is limited. Good thing it has excellent parking cameras and sensors. 

Storage is decent in the X2, with room for big bottles in the door cavity, and a few nooks and large open spaces in the console. Although secure storage is limited with the armrest housing a very shallow space. I do like BMW’s phone charger setup. Rather than lying on a pad, it slots into a vertical holder that has a latch to keep it in place when cornering. The only drawback is that you can see the screen which could potentially distract some drivers.

The X2 introduces operating system nine to iDrive, which is housed in the central part of the curved display and operated by touchscreen or the controller on the floating central console. After some familiarisation, the functionality isn’t that much different to the previous version of the operating system. The main menu looks cool and is mostly easy to navigate. The sub-menu icons - of which there are heaps - look a little Microsoft Windows.

The X2 has drive modes that also interact with the interior of the car and change lighting, EV noise and more. They include Personal Mode, Sport Mode and Efficient Mode as standard, but if you opt for (and pay extra for) BMW Digital Premium, the modes extend to Expressive Mode, Relax Mode and Digital Art Mode. Some of these are quite cool, especially some of the EV sounds, but would I use them everyday? Probably not.

The clearest indication of increased space is in the second row. There’s much more legroom than the old X2, and behind my six-foot frame I had enough space with a couple of centimetres between my knees and the front seat backs. Toe room was very limited, however. 

The roof has been scalloped out to ensure more headroom, which is welcome given the extra sloping roofline.

There are a pair of USB-C ports back there, lower air vents, map pockets, decent door storage, and a centre armrest with cup holders.

The boot is sizeable, in both engine grades but you only get a tyre repair kit. There is underfloor storage for the charging cables in the iX2.

At 560 litres with all seats in place and 1470L with the second row stowed, the petrol grades have a bit more space than the iX2 at 525L (all seats in place) and 1400L (second row lowered).

Similarly, there’s a bit of something for everyone once you’re inside the GV80, with plenty of tech blended with traditional style and opulence.

It’s hard not to notice the 27-inch display that encompasses the multimedia and driver displays, so we’ll start with that.

It’s easy to use, features a sleek software skin of the same system used in new Kias and Hyundais (a compliment) and there are enough physical buttons to support it so you don’t need to navigate through numerous sub-menus to find options.

You can change what’s displayed quite easily between the centre and driver display, and below that the climate controls are always on show on a separate control panel. No need to adjust the temperature on a touch screen. Nice!

The space around the front seats is slathered in high-quality materials, those able to be customised to your liking, and everything feels well thought-out and falls nicely to hand.

The seats themselves, including the second row outboard seats in the six-seater, are very adjustable and it’s easy to find a comfortable seating position, especially with good under-thigh support adjustable to your own height.

Even in the second row, if you were to sit behind someone fairly tall, you'd find yourself with a level of comfort Qantas would charge through the nose for.

Individual climate controls and (optional) screens for media mean even a kiddo will find little to complain about.

There’s also a pair of rear seats in the SUV version, which are pretty well equipped and roomy enough as far as third rows are concerned, with some electric adjustment for the seats, but it would be a stretch to call it a luxurious space.

Boot space is fairly generous, the SUV boasting 735 litres with the third row down, or 1097 with the second row also folded down.

The Coupe has a smaller 644L with the second row up, or 1033L with the second row down.

Neither will be great for transporting large bulky items, but can handle plenty of luggage for trips away.

The GV80’s range now consists of just one powertrain with three variants - two SUVs and the new SUV Coupe.

The GV80 is also now a lot more expensive than before, but Genesis says customers almost always opted for expensive options like the Luxury Pack which is now standard.

The traditional seven-seat GV80 starts from $130,000 before on-road costs, with a standard second row of three seats, plus two in the back.

Stepping up from that, the six-seater starts from $133,000, before on-road costs, and has two captains chairs in the second row instead, meaning more room for one fewer person, and a nice little centre console.

Finally, the new body style in the range, the Coupe, loses the third row thanks to its sloping roofline, and comes only with a three-seat second row. It’s also the most expensive variant at $136,000.

Strangely, for the GV80, less is more when it comes to seats. Each $3000 step up means one less seat.

What links all three is that they’re specified up to the eyeballs. There are next to no optional creature comforts in the updated GV80 because they’re already on-board.

Plenty of leather upholstery, heated and cooled massage seats with plenty of electric adjustment capability, a heated steering wheel which is also electrically adjustable, an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, wireless phone charging and even the centre armrest is heated.

And of course, there’s the massive 27-inch OLED screen encompassing the multimedia touchscreen and the driver display, which looks incredibly expensive to replace or fix. That screen is accompanied by a 12-inch head-up display.

The second-row seats are also electrically adjustable, with heating and cooling for both outer passengers, too.

Each of the four grades come with a different powertrain, and the xDrive20i kicks it all off with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, making 150kW of power and 300Nm of torque. It drives all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and can hit 100km/h in 7.4 seconds.

The xDrive M35i ups the fun factor with a gruntier 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit, driving all four wheels via the same transmission as the 20i, all while delivering power and torque of 233kW/400Nm This ensures a 0-100km/h dash of 5.4 seconds.

The iX2 eDrive20 is powered by a 150kW/247Nm electric motor on its front axle, and the iX2 xDrive 30 uses two motors - one on the front and one on the rear axle for all-wheel-drive traction. The total system output is 230kW and 494Nm and the xDrive30 gets to 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds.

Genesis has limited the engine options in the GV80 to one, doing away with the diesel and offering only the twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre petrol V6, which makes a decent 279kW and 530Nm - unchanged for that engine since the model’s launch in Australia.

The engine makes its peak torque from a relatively low 1300rpm, and is paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic.

Interestingly, the SUV has a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.6 seconds, but the Coupe (lighter by 20kg at a max of 2325kg) is a tenth slower according to Genesis, with a 5.7-second sprint.

It’s a pretty traditional engine for a large SUV, but not offering any kind of electrification, especially when parent company Hyundai is making strides in that space, means the GV80’s engine feels a little stuck in the past, much to its fuel consumption’s detriment.

A fuel-use figure for the xDrive20i is yet to be confirmed, but the front-wheel-drive sDrive20i offered in Europe with a three-cylinder engine sips as little as six litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle. Expect the Australian version to be a little higher than that given it’s AWD and has a more potent engine.

The M35i consumes 7.7L/100km. 

The high-voltage 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery in the iX2 ensures a driving range on the WLTP cycle of between up to 477 kilometres in the eDrive20 and between 417 and 449km for the xDrive30. 

The latter has an energy efficiency range of 16.3 to 17.7kWh/100km, and BMW says you should be able to top up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 29 minutes at a fast charging station.

That driving range is not bad compared with the Lexus UX300e and Peugeot e-2008, but not quite as impressive as the Volvo C40 twin-motor. 

I missed out on checking the energy efficiency figure of the iX2 xDrive30 following our drive, but after an 88km drive loop, the iX2’s range had dropped by 91km, which is just a 3km difference.

It’s a good thing the GV80 has an 80-litre fuel tank because, boy, is it thirsty.

Combined fuel consumption claim for the SUV and Coupe is 11.7L/100km, and on a new product launch it's not always possible to put that figure to the test.

However, Genesis offered us a GV80 to drive home and live with for a few days. After a couple of hundred kilometres of mostly highway driving I managed 12.4L/100km, tested from pump to pump, with the trip computer telling me it was sitting on 12.2L/100km.

If you’re buying a GV80 for long trips, that could be a fairly realistic figure for you, but if you’re going to be driving mostly in the city and suburbs, expect to regularly see figures north of 13.0L/100km.

The M135i xDriveis undeniably quick off the mark. The lovely 2.0L turbo engine is well matched to the seven-speed dual-clutch and it’s responsive and willing from a standing start and when overtaking.

The engine sounds lovely too, although we suspect it’s amplified in the cabin, and steering is as sharp as it should be in a warmed-up performance SUV. We darted through some very twisty roads outside Lisbon and had quite a lot of fun in the process, so the M Performance badge is justified. 

I drove the previous-generation X2 M35i a few years back and was disappointed with the ride quality. It was quite jiggly on uneven road surfaces and way too firm.

While the new version still has a firm tune to aid dynamic driving, it is much more compliant than the old car and overall ride comfort has improved.

The iX2 is also quick off the mark and in xDrive30 guise is only 0.2sec slower to 100km/h than the M35i. 

That lively, smooth EV acceleration is present here, adding a sense of fun to the iX2.

It too has sharp steering, and the cabin is hushed. Not just because it’s an EV either. We were on coastal roads on a windy day and there was only a hint of wind noise in the cabin.

In some instances taking corners that had typical European walls or houses right up against the road, the iX2 would slow before I had a chance to tap the brakes. But it was hard to tell if that was a vehicle safety function, or the regenerative braking.

The ride in the iX2 was a bit of a mixed bag. It coped with some of the pockmarked roads exceptionally well, soaking up the imperfections. But then on other roads it was a little choppy.

It also bounces a little when you go over speed bumps, but that’s not exclusively an iX2 trait. I’ve felt it on many an EV, given the placement of the very heavy battery packs under the floor.

On the driving tech front, the X2 has a well executed head-up display projected directly onto the windscreen. It includes the speedo of course, nav guidance, a crystal clear display and more info. 

The Genesis GV80 excels on the road in one key area, and it’s probably, exactly in line with your guess. Yep, comfort.

If you needed a large SUV to haul you and three people interstate, the six-seat version of the GV80 SUV is a convincing option.

The GV80 SUV’s suspension is supple and adept when it comes to soaking up a range of surface imperfections, from potholes to rugged, corrugated rural roads.

And while the Coupe’s suspension is still extremely well sorted, it feels notably stiffer than the wagon-style SUV’s. This isn’t something deliberate as Genesis says the suspension wasn’t altered for sportier driving.

Not that either are particularly sporty, anyway, because while the GV80 is fairly capable when it comes to cornering and taking on twisty roads, it doesn’t feel particularly encouraging.

Its suspension allows for some body roll, enough to let you know when you might be approaching the limit, and its steering doesn’t feel massively dialled-in to the road surface.

Its engine, too, while pretty grunty on paper, isn’t super eager when it comes to powering out of corners, not helped by an automatic transmission that’s tuned for cruisy comfort.

And, again, that’s all fine. While some large SUVs from Europe are built with driving in mind - the Cayenne is surprisingly capable for its size, in particular - the GV80 doesn’t exude go-fast personality.

In fact, its driver assistance is well placed to help you do very little behind the wheel. Able to take over holding you in your lane, adjusting speed when needed, and even changing lanes when you request it. All assuming you stay alert and keep your hands on the wheel.

The GV80 scores solid marks from behind the wheel because it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, and it performs very well when it comes to its intended function, ticking all the right boxes for long-drive luxury.

It’s quiet inside thanks to some pretty well sorted NVH work (although the sound system can absolutely bang it out if called upon), driver effort required is low, its engine (albeit thirsty at times) feels effortless and the transmission is imperceptibly smooth in day-to-day driving.

The steering is light, and even though it lacks a bit of feel, it doesn’t turn inputs into anything unexpected.

Sure it feels its size and weight at times, but the GV80 wears that badge with pride. It’s a bit ‘king of the road’ without being too shouty about it.

The GV80’s safety equipment has mostly remained the same, bar an upgrade in 'Advanced Driver Assistance Systems' (ADAS) including new versions of its highway assist, lane follow assist, remote smart parking, collision avoidance, forward collision avoidance and a driver monitoring system.

The GV80 comes with 10 airbags including a front-centre side airbag and curtain airbags covering all three rows.

It was tested by ANCAP in its pre-update form in 2021, and was awarded the full five stars with high results in Adult and Child Occupant Protection.

The X2 range is covered by BMW’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty - something the German giant only increased from three years back in 2022. This is now the minimum standard.

The battery warranty for the iX2 is eight years or 160,000 kilometres. 

BMW does not have scheduled servicing terms, instead, servicing is condition-based and the car’s computer will alert the driver when to book in for a service.

A five-year servicing package will cost you $3171 for the petrol X2s, while the iX2 is $2186 for six years.

For a premium brand, it’s pretty hard to beat Genesis’ warranty and servicing offering on paper. 

Why? Because for five years, everything is covered for free. Five years of unlimited kilometre warranty, five years of free scheduled servicing up to 50,000, five years of access to Genesis’ 'Concierge Service' and its courtesy cars, plus 10 years of roadside assistance if you service your car with Genesis.

Servicing intervals are every 10,000km, so you’ll likely even get your full five services free even if you hit 50,000km inside that timeframe.

The roadside service tops out at five years free if you stop servicing your car with Genesis outside its warranty period.