Genesis Electrified G80 (2022 - )

Competition is always healthy, especially in the motoring industry. So, it’s very refreshing to see Genesis, the luxury Korean company, gaining pace.
The four-door G80 saloon was originally launched in the UK with petrol or diesel engines, but the latest model introduces full electrification to the mix.
The fully Electrified G80 is an executive saloon car and it’s certainly worth exploring if you are looking for an alternative to the more traditional and familiar German marques. 
Boasting stylish looks, an upmarket interior, impressive diving range, fast charging speeds, excellent performance and a competitive price-tag, it’s another very welcome newcomer to the sector.
 

The Electrified G80 saloon boasts an exceptionally strong road presence when viewed from any angle with sleek streamlining, muscular lines, an aerodynamic G-Matrix patterned crest grille, 19-inch turbine shaped alloys and the GENESIS name sitting proudly on the tailgate.

Move inside and there are eco-friendly materials and exceptional craftsmanship throughout, including luxurious Nappa leather seats with natural dyes. The seats can be power-adjusted as can the steering wheel and they can be heated to fend off the winter chill. 

On-board technology is superior quality too with a pitch perfect 17-speaker Lexicon surround sound system, a 14.5-inch infotainment display screen, along with a neat 3D instrument cluster and head-up display. There is full mobile phone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a navigation system, over-the-air software updates and plenty more besides. 

A touch controller is used to navigate the on-board systems and this is both intuitive and simple to operate on the fly.

Back seat passengers are well catered for too with powered side and rear blinds, heated and powered seats, a duo of 9.2-inch infotainment screens that can be individually controlled, along with limousine-style comfort.

The electrified G80 is only available in Luxury specification with all-wheel drive. It is powered by an 87.2kWh battery offering 370PS and 350Nm of torque. This results in dynamic performance stats with a 0-62mph sprint time of just 4.9 seconds and top speed of 139mph.

It’s confident and composed on twisting country lanes with excellent grip and no sign of body sway. Stretching just shy of two metres across, it does feel quite wide at times, but so would any of this car’s rivals to be fair.

The steering is perfectly weighted and it is most refined to drive on motorways, cruising at 70mph. The official driving range, which seemed accurate to us, is a combined 323 miles or 397 miles in city settings.

There are drive modes called Eco, Comfort and Sport to alter the characteristics of the car with Sport really livening up the handling. And there is also a Snow mode for more adverse driving conditions.

The steering wheel paddles are used to vary the levels of the regenerative braking and there is an i-Pedal setting for single pedal driving which is great news in busy stop, start traffic. 

The Genesis Electrified G80 is a luxurious four-door executive saloon so it needs to offer plenty of space for all occupants – and it does just that.

It stretches 5,005mm in length, 1,925mm across and is 1,470mm tall with a wheelbase of 3,010mm. This results in bundles of cabin room with space for five six-footers to fit in comfortably. Ideally the rear of the car, with all its high-end systems, is best suited to two passengers, but they are treated to truly premium levels of luxury and comfort.

The deep boot can hold 354 litres of luggage, but this is considerably less than the ICE model with its 424-litre capacity. This is due to the positioning of the battery pack.

However, there are plenty of convenient storage options throughout the car, including a lockable glovebox, a deep cubby beneath the front armrest, door bins, cup holders and seat back pockets. Back seat passengers also get individual cup holders and a deep storage box. 

Charging the Electrified G80 from 10 to 80 per cent takes 21 minutes on a 240kW fast charger, 67 minutes on a 50kW fast charge, seven hours, 33 minutes via a 11kW wallbox and 37 hours from a domestic charge cable.

The Genesis Electrified G80 is a premium car and it carries a premium price-tag. The only trim level is Luxury and this costs £65,805 which is on a par with rivals from BMW and Mercedes. 

However, there are all manner of optional packs. For example, our car featured an Innovation Pack (£3,480), Comfort Seat Pack and Executive Pack (£4,600), Convenience Pack (£1,170), Nappa Leather Seats Pack (£2,310), Solar Roof Pack (£1,360) along with specialist Matira Blue paintwork. The final price climbed to £80,215.

But, with zero carbon emissions, there will be financial savings to be made. For the business owner, it has a Benefit in Kind tax savings rate of two per cent and there will be no road tax or Congestion Charge fees to pay.

Another plus point is the day-to-day running costs. Topping up the car with electricity should prove cheaper than refuelling, especially if there are cheaper overnight tariffs.

And, with fewer mechanical parts than an ICE model, there should be less to go wrong. Genesis pick-up and drop-off cars when they are serviced, as well as supplying a courtesy car – all as part of the Genesis experience.

The car sits in insurance group 50.

The Genesis Electrified G80 is a fabulous high-end, four-door saloon that looks the business and is packed with premium quality fixtures and fittings. It drives beautifully, offers a very decent range between charges and all occupants are treated to sublime comfort levels.

When you also factor in the comprehensive list of safety systems and driver assistant aids, this car seems to have it all … for a price.