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Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige – TWO TONS OF G-WHIZ

Car Reviews

Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige – TWO TONS OF G-WHIZ

Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige

TWO TONS OF G-WHIZ

My first time behind the wheel of an import luxury sedan would have been around 1979. I was working part-time at a BMW showroom, handling overflow customers (today’s BMW showrooms have an overflow of sales people) with walkarounds and the occasional demo drive. At that time the BMW lineup was straightforward, beginning with the entry-level 3 Series and topping out with the upmarket 7 Series sedan and 6 Series coupe. That 733i was wondrous and, at around $20K, perceived to be quite the reach for both BMW and its target clientele. Today, Hyundai’s Genesis brand and the midsize G80 – even at window stickers of between $60K and $80,000 – seems less of a reach for parent company Hyundai and its clientele.

If under 30, ‘luxury sedan’ may not even be on your radar; mom and dad have probably owned only luxury SUVs since leaving the minivan in your grade school parking lot. Sedans are typically configured around four doors, five passengers and a seating position that puts you at the fender line of mom’s Tahoe. With better aerodynamics the sedan is typically slicker than its SUV or crossover counterpart, and with its lower center of gravity provides handling that can be labeled ‘handling’. It’s a category that most domestic OEMs have no interest in, not unlike their collective disinterest in the auto show. Thankfully, the Europeans and Asians still see an opportunity to make money in the sedan market, and if you’re an Asian OEM you work toward making lots of money.

In its growing number of offerings, Korean automaker Genesis hangs with the 4-door sedans. Its G70 splits the dimensional difference between BMW’s 3 Series and 5 Series, the G80 offers an alternative to the 5 Series and aforementioned 7 Series, and the Genesis G90 attempts to attract those that would normally be shopping either BMW’s 7 Series or the Mercedes S Klasse. For its intended luxury audience, the G80 may very well be the sweet spot, especially when equipped with the company’s 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 and ‘Sport Prestige’ trappings.

From the outside, the G80’s sheetmetal is tastefully (albeit conservatively) drawn, with few stylistic affectations if – and it’s a big if – you can overlook its widemouth grille.  The windshield is almost aggressively angled, a counterpoint to the semi-fastback profile of the rear window. On the Sport Prestige trim, 5-spoke alloys in a 20-inch diameter are mounted with staggered Pirelli P Zero all-season rubber, 245/40 up front and 275/35 in the rear. It all sits there like a luxury/sport sedan should sit, and on a wheelbase of 118.5 inches – within an overall length of 197 inches – offers  a footprint almost identical to that of BMW’s 5 Series.

Inside you’ll be dazzled by Nappa leather seating surfaces (which in our press vehicle were an expressive red), carbon fiber trim and microfiber suede used for the headliner and pillars. The 27 inches of OLED instrument cluster and navigation gave me pause, but then, this is 2025; it’s what we now expect from a product team composed of fanboys. Know that if your Genesis dealer provides a pre-delivery tutorial you should book a couple of hours.

Under the hood, Genesis provides the aforementioned 3.5 liter turbo V6 for those looking to reach 60 in under 5 seconds, or the standard 2.5 liter turbocharged four, which will get you there in under 6 seconds. I’m inclined to think the turbo four would work fine, but given its target clientele occupying – in all likelihood – 5,000+ square feet of suburban McMansion, nothing quite succeeds like excess, and the G80’s available 375 hp comes close. 

Hitting the ground via an 8-speed auto and propelling the (optional) all-wheel drive, the G80 was as responsive as I had hoped, although in its ‘Comfort’ setting was a little more ‘Buick’ than I would have wanted. Hit ‘Sport’ or ‘Sport+’ on the Drive Mode feature and all is forgiven; this feels more like the smaller G70 in its sport mode – and a lot less like Dad’s LeSabre.

If there’s a penalty beyond the $78K sticker it’s in fuel efficiency – or lack thereof. The EPA estimate is 16 City/24 Highway and 19 Combined. And if driven like the team at Genesis intended, your mileage will probably be in the mid-teens, not mid-20s. But then, that is a small price to pay for freedom; you know, FREEDOM!!

As awareness for the Genesis brand grows (we’ll guess Tiger Woods’ offroad adventure a few years ago didn’t hurt) and the smallish dealer network evolves from its Hyundai roots to a real luxury environment, the Genesis brand should land on customer short lists. At its $60K base the G80 is a helluva deal, while in Sport Prestige guise with a twin-turbo V6 it’s a helluva car. As always, it’s your money. And your choice.

Boldt, a contributor to outlets such as AutoTrader.com, Kelley Blue Book and Autoblog, brings to his laptop some forty years of experience in automotive retail, journalism and public relations. He is a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association, The Washington Automotive Press Association and L.A.'s Motor Press Guild. David is the Managing Editor of txGarage, a regular panelist on the AutoNetwork Reports webcast/podcast, and the automotive contributor to Dallas' Katy Trail Weekly.

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