SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW: Genesis G80 EV locked in for Oz

South Korean luxury car brand Genesis has shown off its first-ever electric vehicle at the 2021 Shanghai motor show, and it’s coming to Australian showrooms in early 2022.

Featuring solar panels integrated into the roof and making use of recycled timber and plastic materials in its interior, the 2022 Genesis G80 Electrified is essentially a full-electric version of the petrol-powered G80 large sedan.

Beating German luxury car rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW 5 Series EV to the punch, which are still a couple of years away, Hyundai’s luxury brand says the Genesis G80 Electrified offers “the perfect balance of athletic elegance”.

The twin-motor powertrain delivers a potent 272kW/700Nm output and all-wheel drive, enabling the EV to blast from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.

Genesis says the zero-emissions luxury sedan also features a disconnector actuator system (DAS) which will “automatically connect or disconnect the motor and drive shaft based on various driving conditions”, allowing for “seamless switching between 2WD and AWD to reduce unnecessary power loss and increase efficiency”.

The car-maker has not disclosed the vehicle’s battery density, but claims the 2022 Genesis G80 Electrified will deliver a 500km-plus cruising range (NEDC) with a full battery charge.

Most rivals in this segment offer battery packs between 70kWh and 100kWh.

The Tesla Model S features a 400V/800V electrical architecture, which means the battery can be rapidly charged.

Genesis claims the G80 EV will go from 10 to 80 per cent battery charge in just 22 minutes when using a 350kW fast-charger.

It added that the car’s “multi-rapid charging system” ensures owners can use different charging infrastructures and also feed excess electricity into homes as well.

The V2L (vehicle-to-load) feature allows owners to feed 3.6kW back into their house.

Further details will be released ahead of the G80 EV’s launch, but it’s expected the new vehicle will ride on the same modular E-GMP platform architecture as retro-styled IONIQ 5.

Genesis claims the cabin will deliver impeccable levels of ride comfort, utilising what it calls a ‘Pre-view’ adaptive suspension system, which is fed data from front cameras and the navigation system to pre-empt road surfaces and adjust the suspension as necessary.

Other premium cabin tech includes the fitment of four interior sensors and six microphones, designed to counteract certain audio frequencies in the cabin.

The exterior design doesn’t look radically different to regular Genesis G80 models, although the brand says the inverted G-Matrix pattern on the grille “emphasises the G80 EV’s mission for sustainability”.

The hidden charge port is positioned in the right corner of the grille.

The cabin features several recycled timber and plastic materials, including an eco-friendly fabric made from recycled PET plastics, and is offered with a two-tone dark green finish.

Pricing for the new Genesis G80 EV has not been locked in but it’s expected to command a moderate premium over the current top-spec all-wheel drive 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo model, which is priced from $99,900 plus on-road costs.

“We’re very excited to be unveiling Genesis’s first EV, and moreover that it will be coming to Australia early next year,” Genesis spokesperson Guido Schenken told carsales.

“With a plethora of new Genesis models on the horizon, including EVs, we see a great future for the brand in Australia. Genesis will be driven by great product and customer experience.”

A facelifted version of the BMW 3 Series competitor, Genesis G70, will arrive later in 2021 followed by a wagon version, dubbed the GV70 Shooting Brake. An all-new mid-sized SUV, the GV70, is also set for a 2021 launch.

The Genesis GV60 small SUV is expected to arrive in 2022, potentially with an electric powertrain, and there’s even talk of Genesis ute on the horizon.