Test Genesis Electrified G80 – Especially a soothing experience

Genesis, Genesis… there was once a Hyundai Genesis, right?

Certainly. Eight years ago Hyundai announced that ‘Genesis’ would continue as a separate luxury brand. The name was already used for large, luxury products, but then as a type name on the Hyundai Genesis and Hyundai Genesis Coupé. The latter was briefly delivered in the Netherlands and the Hyundai Genesis sedan was available on special order in 2014, but both are real rarities. Genesis has been a brand since 2015 and is to Hyundai what Lexus is to Toyota, DS to Citroën and Audi to Volkswagen.

A brand that will undoubtedly only come to Asia and the US?

That was not that bad. At the moment, Genesis is not yet active in the Netherlands, but Genesis has been present in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany since last year. Striking choices, since the compact and well-arranged Netherlands is used by many other new brands as a European introduction market.

Why not in this case?

Unlike newcomers such as BYD and Lynk & Co, Genesis still only supplies cars powered by an internal combustion engine. At least, in the countries mentioned. It will most likely be different in the Netherlands, the German PR man whispers to us. In all likelihood, only fully electric models will come onto the market here.

But when?

There is no official timeline yet, but the year 2024 will pass in the same whisper.

Enough background. What kind of car is such a G80?

A large sedan in the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class segment, although in this case we might be better off talking about the i5 and EQE. In addition to petrol versions, the G80 is also available as a fully electric Genesis Electrified G80, the car that matters today. The G80 is almost exactly five meters long and therefore slightly longer than its competitors. Compared to the mentioned Germans, the Korean sedan looks less “thick”, but also more elegant. His slightly arched, sloping back shoulder line and ‘droopy’ butt give him a bit of Britishness. The long nose and front axle placed far forward make it clear that this is basically a rear-wheel drive, and that is indeed the case. Like the GV70, GV80 and G90, the G80 stands on a unique platform specially developed for these models. This is therefore not shared with existing models from Hyundai and Kia and thus shows how seriously Hyundai takes the whole premium thing.

Will that premium feeling remain intact inside?

Fortunately. The G80 does not just have a Hyundai dashboard with some extra leather, but treats its occupants to its own, much higher quality interior with a unique design. The quality experience in the G80 is well done. This is not only in the beautiful materials and beautiful finish, but also in seemingly unimportant things such as the subtle, soft click of the turn signal and the heavy touch of buttons and switches. In most cases they have been specially developed for Genesis, and that is different with some brands (DS, we are looking at you). Even the infotainment system is largely unique to Genesis. The family connection with Hyundai can be seen in the fonts used and certain functions, but it all looks a bit calmer and has a layout with more tiles placed next to each other. That is a conscious choice, because in addition to touching the screen, you can also operate this system with a rotary knob. The feeling that Genesis does not look at a euro more or less is reinforced by the design of the steering wheel. That is different for every Genesis model and therefore unique, while almost every other brand chooses to use one or two steering wheel designs for the entire line-up.

And does it really send well?

Driving the electric G80 is above all a very relaxing experience. The car is really quiet inside. That may seem obvious with such an electric powertrain, but it is also the merit of the thick layer of insulation that should keep out wind noise and tire noise. The steering is nicely balanced and the car very stable, even at high autobahn speeds. ‘200’ actually feels like half here, both because of the silence and the impressive straight-line stability. By the way, it reaches 225 km / h, not tender for an EV.

Speaking of which, what powertrain is in the Electrified G80?

The front and rear axles are each served by an electric motor with 185 hp and 350 Nm, a distribution that we rarely see so fairly. In total, there is always more than enough power available, although in this comfortable limousine it is mainly the flexibility that fits well into the picture. A battery pack of more than 87 kWh provides a very usable range of 520 km, but it has its drawbacks.

A battery with disadvantages?

Of course. First of all, that weight. The electric G80 weighs 2325 kg and is therefore considerably heavier than a petrol model. The G80 does not have air suspension and it is almost inevitable that the car is sometimes a bit jerky on short bumps, although it never really gets uncomfortable. The battery also takes up a lot of space in the interior. The floor of the Electrified G80 is higher, so that the seat is also higher. The seating position is therefore not optimal, both in the front and in the rear. Too bad, because otherwise the back seat of such a G80 is an extremely pleasant place. The luggage compartment is anything but impressive. A petrol G80 is not a winner in that area with 424 liters, but the electric version has to make do with 354 liters. Less than an i30 hatchback, to name a few.

Anything else to complain about?

While we’re at it: the charging port is in the nose, which is often inconvenient in practice, especially with a long car.

Okay, but more important is the loading itself.

Fortunately, that goes very quickly. The electric G80 borrows the 800 Volt charging system from the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Genesis’ own GV60 and thus achieves a maximum of 240 kW on the fast charger. It also has the Vehicle-to-Load functionalities of the mentioned models, so you can use the car to power other devices.

Quite a good thing, such a Genesis G80. Do you attribute opportunities to Genesis in the Netherlands?

If Genesis were to come to the Netherlands with the current electric range, the range would consist of three models. These are next to the driven G80 the Genesis GV60, which shares its platform with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Electrified GV70, an (i)X3-sized SUV. The electric G80 currently only has a handful of real competitors. The Tesla Model S is one of them, but even more directly we find the Mercedes-Benz EQE on its path. BMW has just announced the i5, Audi’s electric A6 is still waiting. Genesis is quick to act and shows with the electric G80 that it is not easy to get rid of it. The car is well put together, looks really ‘premium’ inside and out and has the technology to meet the high expectations. At the same time, we must be realistic about the opportunities in Europe. After all, Toyota’s Lexus has been proving for decades that European buyers are reluctant to be tempted to anything other than a BMW, Mercedes or Audi, no matter how good the product is. However, Hyundai has often shown that it can listen carefully to the wishes of the customer. This is already apparent from the G80 and is an attitude that could well help Genesis further.