Genesis Electrified G80 2022 Review

Officially on sale from July, the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80 will enter Aussie showrooms in just one high-spec model grade with a price tag between $140,000 and $150,000 before on-road costs are added.

Not only will it top the Genesis G80 sedan range in terms of price – at around 50 per cent more expensive than the G80 3.5T V6 (from $102,000) – but the electric sedan will also be top dog in terms of performance.

Motivated by a 136kW/350Nm electric motor at each axle, the dual-motor all-wheel drive EV produces maximum combined outputs of 272kW/700Nm, which will see it rip from 0-97km/h (60mph) in a claimed 4.9 seconds.

The driving range is quoted at more than 500km based on the NEDC standard – it’s a lower 427km if using the Korean EV certification system – while the G80 EV’s 87.2kWh lithium-ion polymer battery can handle 350kW fast-charging outlets, juicing up from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 22 minutes.

As we discovered during a brief prototype drive of the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80, its competence as an electric grand tourer is further elevated by a host of standard luxury appointments, plush materials and high-tech equipment.

In lieu of a sunroof, solar panels are embedded into the roof for extra efficiency, while cabin highlights extend to heated and ventilated seats up front – including a massaging Ergo motion feature for the driver – as well as a choice of four interior upholstery colours.

The latter includes an exclusive white option.

When it goes on sale, buyers will get a choice of eight standard exterior colours, two matte paint options ($2000) and a unique Matira Blue metallic ($2000), as seen on the prototype G80 we drove.

And if you’re trying to pick it apart from a combustion-engined G80, the electric sedan comes with unique 19-inch alloy wheels, redesigned front and rear bumpers (for improved aero) and an enclosed Crest grille.

If the understated exterior caught your eye, the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80 sedan’s interior will continue to impress.

That’s mostly because it carries over tech from the regular G80, including a huge 14.5-inch central touch-screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, navigation with 3D maps and live traffic updates, and a hard-core 21-inch Lexicon audio system.

We weren’t impressed with the audio experience in the Electrified G80 during our short drive, but time spent playing around with the settings could be the solution.

Genesis says the Electrified G80 will come equipped with a full suite of safety and driver assistance aids, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane assist, to name just a few.

But depending on your preferences, some might prefer the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80 sedan’s rear seat, where each of the outboard seats gets its own touch-screen that’s mounted in the rear of the front head restraints and provides access to a plethora of functions.

You can activate seat heating, change the air-con settings for the second row, ambient lighting colour and brightness, and even watch movies via a USB. And that’s just to name a few features.

As with the 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 SUV it’ll launch alongside, the G80 EV also brings a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, allowing you to charge household appliances and other items using the vehicle’s battery.

In theory, the largest hurdle for the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80 to overcome should be its weight.

While Genesis Australia is yet to divulge exact specifications, Korean-market figures confirm the G80 EV tips the scales at 2265kg, owing to additional weight from its pair of electric motors and 87.2kWh battery.

With that in mind, we pushed the electric G80 along enthusiastically during our short time behind the wheel at a private test facility, and came away impressed.

For a big luxury limo, the battery-powered G80 pulls off the line with ease, and while it might not throw your head back into the head restraint, we don’t doubt the car-maker’s 0-100km/h claim of around five seconds.

It’s not quite as quick as the smaller and lighter Electrified GV70 – which covers the same distance in 4.2 seconds – but the G80 claws back points with its superb ride.

The big sedan soaks up road imperfections and tackles corners with ease, and from behind the wheel it handles like a car half its size.

Steering is precise and there’s plenty of adjustability for the EV’s regenerative braking, the most potent of which allows for one-pedal driving via the i-pedal.

As a whole, the driving experience is bliss, thanks to a whisper-quiet EV powertrain and great cabin insulation.

It might not offer the same rapid acceleration as the Tesla Model S, or match the dynamic performance of the Porsche Taycan, but the Electrified G80 delivers on the promise of an effortless and luxurious driving experience with a torque-laden, zero-emissions powertrain that stands head and shoulders above the 3.5T petrol model.

As you may well have guessed, the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80 is all about ride comfort and it plays the part of luxury flagship sedan to a tee.

For the driver, visibility is great in every direction, with electric adjustments for both the steering wheel and seat making it easy to find a comfortable set-up for people of most sizes.

For those in the second row – where it admittedly fares better as a two-up proposition rather than three, due to the shape of the rear pews – there’s a good amount of headroom and legroom, but toe space is compromised by the low-slung front seats.

With four people on board, we don’t think anyone would feel short-changed, with gorgeous leather-clad seats, supple materials throughout the cabin and loads of tech to keep everyone busy (and the kids quiet).

Unfortunately, a host of electric components packaged into the rear-end of the Electrified G80 means it misses out on the same boot space as the regular G80, which normally offers 424 litres.

There’s so much to like about the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80, which, tested here in pre-production form, clearly ticks a lot of boxes.

Combining luxury motoring, user-friendly tech and a swish electric powertrain, the electric G80’s sub-$150K price tag should also hit a sweet spot for buyers in Australia, where it’ll be one of very few large full-electric luxury sedans at this price point.

How much does the 2022 Genesis Electrified G80 cost?
Price: $140,000-$150,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: July 2022
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 272kW/700Nm (front/rear: 136kW/350Nm)
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 87.2kWh lithium-ion polymer
Range: 427km (Korean market)/500km-plus (NEDC)
Energy consumption: 23.2kWh/100km (Korean market)
Safety rating: Not tested