Genesis Electrified G80 review

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Updated electric flagship gets a longer wheelbase and greater range

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For the first five yards of my test of the latest Genesis Electrified G80, the Korean marque’s EV flagship now offered with a bigger battery and a longer wheelbase, I wasn’t even behind the wheel.

The car was tightly parked between two others, so we rolled it forwards to an accessible position by controlling it purely on the key. It’s simple; with practice you can even parallel park the G80 into a space it chooses. It’s a big car, and fairly wide, so it’s easy to see this capability working well for some owners, especially those with tight-fitting garages at home.

Remote parking is just one of a significant number of comprehensively rethought features in the Electrified G80 (as its maker cumbersomely chooses to call it). This time last year the car seemed to be heading for the exit door; Genesis would only sell it to special order. This was not a sign of the model being ditched, though, but that an improved 2025 edition was coming – for sale through the Hyundai dealers Genesis has now decided to adopt.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Genesis Electrified G80 review 002 front end design

The original G80 EV has always started behind scratch against its rivals because it is based on a model that was packaged for ICE power (even though the petrol and diesel G80 are no longer sold in the UK). That meant it lacked the handy frunk of others, its driving position was compromised by a big drive battery beneath the floor and its boot was almost comically tiny because more electrics intruded. In the latest model, Genesis has attacked every problem except the boot (there’s evidently nothing to be done about that) – and the result is an excellent luxury saloon.

Starting with the big stuff, the G80 gets 130mm of extra wheelbase, all of which is to the benefit of rear-seat passengers. The rear doors, roughly five inches longer, suit the car’s proportions well and the already decent rear knee room is now massive. Besides the extra length, which brings a small change to the rear pillar shape, the car gets modernised bumpers front and rear, a subtle grille update (it now features a power-assisted cover on the charge port), improvements to its already excellent headlights, some aero mods to improve brake cooling and a handsome new set of alloys, still 19-inchers as before.

The combination of long wheelbase, optional rear-wheel steer and active noise cancelling lifts this car out of the realm of others in the price class. This is a limo; others are executive saloons. Genesis is clearly pegging prices, for now, to get a decent market foothold.
Steve Cropley
Editor-in-chief

Beneath the car is a lithium ion battery pack whose total capacity rises by 8.6% to 94.5kWh, a move that boosts the WLTP range from 323 miles to 354 miles. Autocar ran a previous battery G80 for six months, during which time the claimed touring range proved realistic except in darkest winter, and even then it was decent. Maximum charge speed is now 187kW, at which rate a boost from 10-80%, which adds 250 miles, takes an agreeable 25 minutes.

INTERIOR

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Genesis Electrified G80 review 008 dash

Inside, most striking is the massive, highly customisable new fascia screen that combines the duties of the driver’s instruments and those of a central screen with an associated bank of hard keys to control the ventilation. The instrument array is cleverly repositioned, working with a new steering wheel, to largely correct the previous model’s too-high driving position. It’s still not perfect, but it’s close.

From a perceived quality and usability perspective, this interior is still one of the best in the business. It combines traditional luxury features like natural wood and smooth leather with a digital interface that looks great and is easy navigate, thanks to a responsive touchscreen and a generous selection of physical controls – including a rotary cursor.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Genesis Electrified G80 review 019 performance

The all-wheel-drive powertrain is familiar: two compact electric motors (one at the front, one at the rear) that integrate their inverters and gearboxes into one assembly and deploy a total of 365bhp and 516lb ft. There is a choice of three drive modes – plus Snow – and more than enough performance: 0-62mph acceleration in 5.1sec and a 139mph top speed, all tamed by latest-level torque-vectoring and traction control systems.

Bristling with sophisticated noise-killing gadgetry, such as acoustic double glazing and an active noise cancelling system, the Electrified G80 is truly one of the quietest cars on the road, even if you throw Britain’s ultimate limousines into the mix.

RIDE & HANDLING

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Genesis Electrified G80 review 021 front action

The chassis features Genesis’s Electronic Control Suspension system’s Road Preview, which employs a camera to look down the road and adjust the damping to suit. But the big news is optional rear-wheel steer, a very handy addition to a long-wheelbase car that both improves the low-speed turning circle by turning against the front wheels and improves high-speed stability by turning (ever so slightly) with them. Additionally, the front wheels disconnect from their motors when not needed, to cut mechanical drag.

The full-house Electrified G80 we tried drives brilliantly. It’s sensationally quiet. It rides very well on its extended wheelbase and is amazingly hushed especially on coarse surfaces, thanks to its (optional) noise cancelling system. It bounces a shade too much on long bumps, even in Sport, but always keeps its composure. The four-wheel steering (a must) greatly enhances the nicely weighted helm and makes low-speed manoeuvring simple.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Genesis Electrified G80 review 001 front panning

There’s now just one trim level – called Dynamic – but you get a choice of smooth or nappa leather plus a selection of 14 exterior colours ranging from solid white to navy blue. There are the usual optional equipment packs that take an already well-equipped car costing £75,915 to about £80,000.

That puts it about level with the single-motor versions of the BMW i5, Mercedes EQE and Audi A6 E-Tron, which aren’t as quick, but can claim better efficiency and therefore range. A single-motor version that’s a bit more affordable still and goes further would be a worthwhile addition to the Electrified G80 range.

VERDICT

Genesis Electrified G80 review 023 front static

Drive this car, with its obvious quality and (now) carefully developed controls and capabilities, and you’ll soon find yourself viewing the Genesis Electrified G80 as a considerable bargain against rivals. The company says it has “high hopes” for this car in its current guise, and some time behind the wheel shows why.

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.