Genesis G80 2.5T 2021 Review

Kicking off the 2021 Genesis G80 range is the G80 2.5t version that’s on test here, at a price of $84,900 plus on-road costs.

That’s the same money as the basic Audi A6 40 TFSI, but the Genesis offers rear-wheel drive (versus front-wheel drive), significantly more punch from its larger-displacement engine, and an eight-speed epicyclic automatic – with a torque converter – rather than a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

There’s also a longer warranty for the Genesis, the G80’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre coverage providing two more years of protection and roadside assistance. You get more secondary safety and driver assist equipment in the Genesis, too.

Standard features at the entry level include a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, 12-way power-adjustable front seats with position memory for the driver and heating/ventilation, power steering column adjustment, keyless entry/starting with remote starting, power bootlid, handwriting recognition and dual-zone climate control.

For infotainment, there’s a 14.5-inch touch-screen interface, navigation with live traffic updates, a 21-speaker audio system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, digital radio and wireless phone charging.

Genesis will sell you a $13,000 luxury package, which incorporates a couple of advanced safety features and plenty of comfort and convenience items, among which are upgraded leather, three-zone climate control, a rear seat entertainment system, heating and cooling for the rear seats with power adjustment for the outboard positions, a heated steering wheel and intelligent headlight system. The test vehicle was not fitted with this pack.

The 2021 Genesis G80 comes as standard with 10 airbags, including one that deploys between the driver and front passenger to ensure they don’t clout each other in a crash.

Other safety features onboard include blind spot monitoring with collision avoidance, driver fatigue monitoring (with leading vehicle departure alert), forward collision warning for pedestrians and cyclists (as well as other cars), intersection warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, high beam assist, multi-collision braking, rear cross traffic alert/avoidance, adaptive cruise control with stop and go function and 360-degree camera monitoring. There’s more besides too...

The Genesis G80 is yet to be assessed by ANCAP, but its predecessor was rated five stars back in 2014, so it’s likely this new model will fare equally well in today’s testing procedure.

In character, the 2021 Genesis G80 with the turbocharged four-cylinder reminds one of an older-style Mercedes-Benz – like an E 200K (for ‘Kompressor’) or a smaller-engined S-Class. Most owners will appreciate the relaxed and leisurely open-road touring ability.

It’s not a light car, at around 1.9 tonnes, but it will lift its skirts and get moving if you prod the accelerator with enough determination, and when it goes the engine does sound sporty in the higher part of the rev range.

Genesis claims that the G80 will reach 100km/h from a standing start in 6.0 seconds, which I admit to finding a little surprising.

But in any case, buyers won’t necessarily choose this car for its tyre-frying performance. And in the role of limousine or family car for the well-heeled, the Genesis G80 is utterly competent.

It’s super-quiet on the open road, with the engine ticking over at just 1500rpm when the speedo reads 100km/h. You just will not hear the engine in that scenario.

At lower speeds and around town it delivers prodigious torque at practically any engine speed, making it an easy, fuss-free car to drive.

That user-friendliness is helped by the transmission, which shifts very smoothly, but is also willing to change down for performance, even at the risk of subjecting the engine to some high revs.

On a test run the G80 returned a fuel consumption figure of 9.7L/100km, which is not very economical, but understandable given the vehicle’s weight and engine specification.

While the 2021 Genesis G80 may look and feel like a big old luxury barge, it’s impressively adept in the dynamics department.

Riding on Michelin 275/40ZR19 tyres at the rear, and 245/45ZR19 at the front, the G80 turns in very promptly and delivers roadholding that at least equals rivals, and shames a few of them as well.

The G80’s stability control can be felt working overtime at or nearing the car’s limits of adhesion, but it is finely calibrated to keep the Genesis tracking true.

Ride comfort is generally very good – notwithstanding occasional crash-through over heavier bumps and potholes. Overall, though, the ride/handling balance is highly commendable.

Hyundai engineers have calibrated the G80’s brakes to suit the chauffeur, with very soft stopping easily within the grasp of even inexperienced or careless drivers. The brakes are also quite powerful and had no trouble pulling up the G80 from relatively high speeds.

At night, the auto headlights can be slow to dip for oncoming cars, but were otherwise very effective when it came to dispersing the shadows.

With a driving position that’s quite commanding and instruments that are very easy to read as well, the ergonomics are generally good, more or less on a par with Lexus.

Like Lexus, the principal means of using the infotainment system in the Genesis is not without flaw, however. The single-point controller is annoying to use. It’s a ring that you can’t just grab as you would with a prominent rotary dial of the more traditional sort.

Furthermore, the touch-screen in the Genesis is something of a stretch for the driver, and without a CarPlay or Android Auto phone connected the voice recognition system will not allow entry of a destination address for navigation.

On the plus side, the infotainment screen is huge and by virtue of being a touch-screen, the front passenger can readily enter navigation addresses and find different tracks, volume settings, etc for the audio system.

As great as it is to have a head-up display, the height adjustment demands drilling down through an infotainment menu, rather than adjusting from a couple of buttons on the dash. Even then, the HUD may not adjust low enough for taller drivers.

The backlit text of the switchgear, in light blue, is at times difficult to read in the daylight.

Those niggles aside, the Genesis is a very nice place to be, with exceptional seats (front and rear), which are very comfortable, beautifully shaped and supportive, even without resort to the adjustable lumbar support for the driver’s pew.

Rear seat accommodation is very generous, even for those over 180cm tall. And the ambience is very pleasant; there’s plenty of light entering the commodious cabin through the sunroof and Genesis claims that the woodgrain veneer is your actual wood. The leather is the real deal too.

In short, fit and finish is what you would expect of a car at this price. It might even be better...

With two different sizes of tyre fitted to the G80, it’s not surprising to find a space-saver spare under the boot floor. The gooseneck hinges that support the bootlid retract within the lining of the 424-litre boot, without posing a crushing risk to luggage.

Many people will feel conflicted by the Genesis G80 – for different reasons.

This car has everything we’ve come to expect of a Hyundai product. It’s well built, it’s likely to be very reliable in service. It has what I will describe as excellent dynamics and ride comfort that’s comparable to a car that’s half a size larger.

As a country tourer, given our parlous road surfaces, the G80 makes more sense than some European rivals; it’s quiet and it rides pretty well.

It also offers a tonne of safety gadgets and I believe a majority of would-be buyers will be knocked out by the ‘surprise and delight’ features in the car’s cabin.

Against the entry-level Audi A6 mentioned at the beginning of this review, the G80 offers rear-wheel drive, larger engine displacement and a transmission with a torque converter. But not the same fuel economy.

And there’s a further ‘but’; what sort of resale will the G80 buyer see when it comes time to sell? This is a monetary objection on the face of it, but underlying that is class and snobbery. People will pay less for a car that’s not wearing a German prestige badge.

It’s not just a Genesis problem; it’s also why Infiniti no longer sells cars in Australia, why Lexus will always be a second-tier player, along with even brands like Volvo, or Alfa Romeo, Jaguar and Land Rover.

So with all that said, please cross-shop the Genesis G80 for your next large, prestige passenger car purchase – because I’m growing weary of chiding people who only buy German cars out of laziness or habit.

How much does the 2021 Genesis G80 2.5T cost?
Price: $84,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 224kW/422Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 201g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested