Genesis did not just hand 2025 Genesis Championship winner Lee Jung-hwan a GV80 and a handshake. It built him a one-of-a-kind GV80 Black that bakes his win into the car itself, turning the brand’s dark-themed flagship SUV into a rolling trophy only one person on earth can own.
Built On The Darkest GV80 You Can Buy
The starting point is the GV80 Black, the most dramatic version of Genesis’s big SUV. It takes the already plush three-row GV80 and strips out the brightwork: grille, window trim, badges, lamp surrounds and even the radar cover are all finished in deep gloss black, with matching 20-inch wheels and a muted rear emblem. The effect is closer to a stealth luxury car than a family SUV, and it plays well with the GV80’s existing strengths.
Inside, the Black theme sits on top of one of the best cabins in its class. The regular model already impresses with layered materials, a wide screen layout and neat details like knurled metal controls, as you can see in our closer look at it. In high-spec 3.5T Prestige form it feels properly upmarket in the way it rides and isolates noise, something that stands out even more once you have driven it.
Lee’s car uses that Black hardware and adds personalization on top. There are no extra spoilers or power upgrades because that is not the point. The gesture here is about status and story, not lap times.
A Cabin That Literally Records The Winning Score
Open the driver’s door and the first clue that this is not a normal GV80 Black is on the armrest: a custom metal plate engraved with the year 2025, Lee’s initials, a Genesis Championship trophy icon and the total strokes from his winning 11-under score. It is a quiet, permanent way of saying “this is the champion’s car” without shouting it across the parking lot.
The personalization continues across the cabin. Headrests are finished in black Nappa leather and embroidered with the Genesis wings, “2025,” and Lee’s initials. Door sills in both rows carry bespoke engravings referencing the tournament, so every time you step in you literally cross over a reminder of the win. The rest of the interior sticks to the GV80 Black script: quilted leather, dark open-pore trim, subdued metal accents and ambient lighting tuned to highlight shapes rather than color. Taken together, it turns the SUV into a physical record of the tournament.
An electrified GV80 is coming soon, with Genesis hinting that the SUV’s next step will feature a fully battery-electric version. In light of this, gifting a home-tour golf champion a truly one-of-a-kind GV80 Black feels fitting. It demonstrates that Genesis is already capable of creating bespoke builds, which will be essential if it aims to stand proudly alongside established ultra-luxury brands.
There are no reviews to display.