It’s an interesting time these days in the automotive industry – it appears there are so many changes happening that we can barely keep up with everything from ownership of companies to launching of new products.
One of the big changes in the luxury world in recent years was the debut of whole new brand from Hyundai. New brands don’t get introduced anymore, but Hyundai had the vision and the guts to create a new brand to go head-to-head with the likes of BMW, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti.
With a little more than two years in the market, the luxury automaker Genesis still has a ways to go to create a strong presence among the many well-established brands. But with a lineup of six upcoming vehicles planned by 2021, Genesis is setting its sights high. The 2018 Genesis G80 is a smooth and sporty four-door sedan that commands power with respectful poise.
Genesis offers clear and up-front pricing as well as Genesis at Home, a service that provides test drives at your house, at-home delivery of your new car, at-home pickup for maintenance (with a free courtesy car), complimentary navigation map updates and 24/7 roadside assistance.
Design
Designers of the Genesis G80 imagined an “archer about to release an arrow” when designing the vehicle, apparently. They envisioned the G80 to have a sense of “athletic grace and confident poise.” The Genesis G80 draws from various luxury model designs which give it a European flair but it also can come across as generic.
This is both appealing and not-so-good, as it rekindles feelings of a BMW or an Audi, but it lacks uniqueness. The G80 – for better or worse – looks like a BMW and Infiniti combined. Nevertheless, it does have a sleek, refined appearance which is graced by the striking crest grille, large alloy wheels and an elegant character line running along the vehicle.
The interior has been finely crafted like a tailored suit and it is obvious that a lot of thought went into ergonomics and practicality. There is ample legroom in the front and rear, and the interior feels spacious and luxurious overall. The technology in the Genesis G80 includes a 9.2-inch touchscreen with navigation, a wireless charger, a heads-up display, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities. There are countless other features including the latest safety measures such as emergency braking and pedestrian detection.
In fact, the interior is one of G80’s strongest attributes, with a gorgeous design and welcoming feel (the car “wakes up” with a musical tone).
The only frustrating point is – like all Hyundais – you have to physically push the small button located on the door handle in order to unlock the car. In most luxury brands, you just have to touch the door handle and the car unlocks automatically as you pull the door towards you.
Performance
Canadians have three options when it comes to what is under the hood. The G80 3.8 (Luxury or Technology trim) has a 3.8-litre DOHC V-6 engine, giving 311 horsepower at 6,000 r.p.m. and 293 foot-pounds of torque at 5,000 r.p.m. The G80 3.3T (Sport trim) comes with a twin-turbo 3.3-litre DOHC V-6 engine, packing 365 h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. and 376 foot-pounds of torque at 1,300 r.p.m. Finally, the G80 5.0 (Ultimate trim) comes with a 5.0-litre DOHC V-8 engine with 420 h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. and 383 foot-pounds of torque at 5,000 r.p.m.
All three come with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system. It is worthy of note that the manufacturer recommends premium fuel for this model. The fuel economy for the G80 clocks in at 13.8 (litres/100 kilometres in the city and 9.7 on the highway for the base model.
The 2018 Genesis G80 is almost 4,700 pounds, making it some 500 pounds heavier than the closest competitor, the BMW 540i xDrive. While this weight may impact the G80 a bit on straightaways, the G80 behaves in a world-class fashion, with just-right steering feel and concise handling. The low profile tires can be jarring at times driving over bumpy roads, but the overall experience is smooth and refined. Almost every passenger commented that the car “felt super expensive.” Most of them never realized that this is a Hyundai brand.
To be specific, the G80 drives more confidently than the BMW 5-series, and even a tad sportier than the Audi A6. The steering feels more neutral and provides greater road sense than the Lexus GS models too, making the G80 one of the best mid-sized luxury sedans in the marketplace.
Summary
The Genesis G80 comes in four trims, including Luxury, Technology, Sport, and Ultimate. Standard features are many and include heated and ventilated Nappa leather front seats, heated leather steering wheel with power tilt, and windshield wiper de-icer, among others.
The standard safety features are contained within Genesis Smart Sense and include blind spot detection, rear-cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, rearview camera and multi-view camera, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention alert, pre-safety seat belt and adaptive cruise control. The 2018 Genesis G80 was given the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ rating, one of the highest ratings a vehicle can receive.
The base price for the 2018 Genesis G80 is $55,000 for the Luxury trim, and moves up to $65,000 for the Ultimate trim. Given the fact that the Genesis is some $5,000-$10,000 cheaper than similar Audi, BMW and Mercedes competitors, it will slowly get noticed in this highly competitive market.
Through the mantra of “human-centred luxury,” Genesis is poised make a difference with the G80, with a target squarely aimed at the global luxury brands. With the release of six new vehicles by 2021, Genesis is well on its way to making a real impression.
