2023 Genesis G80 Electrified video review: Australian first drive

While we may live in an SUV-centric world, there’s still something appealing about a big four-door saloon.

Long and low, they have a commanding road presence and in the right circumstances often elicit a ‘who’s in the back?’ question from passers-by.

In the past, you would find an engine as large as the wheelbase under an imposingly long bonnet. Power on tap to whisk the riders somewhere far more interesting than where you or I am normally going.

But in the case of the Genesis Electrified G80, banks of cylinders have been traded for rows of batteries, making this a modern technological statement, dressed in a traditional suit.

A pair of motors (front and rear) offer 272kW and 700Nm peak output, and with an 87.2kWh battery pack the G80 claims a 520km touring range.

Energy can be replenished at a maximum of 350kW, allowing the G80 to recharge from 10-80 per cent in a little over 20-minutes.

As future-forward transportation for a very-important-you, the Genesis Electrified G80 is big, comfortable and totally silent. It has power and presence, isn't overly expensive (in context), and ticks plenty of luxurious boxes.

In terms of styling, the G80 is striking and unique, yet undeniably classy in its implementation. The quad-LED lamps at the front and rear maintain a modern interpretation of the limousine's lines, where the huge textured grille almost gives a hint to the past.

Intricate wheel designs (19-inch all round), vents that extend the headlamp signature beyond the wheel arch, muscular haunches and integrated ‘duck tail’ type spoiler, all contribute to the car’s aesthetic impact. It’s handsome but different, and all very cohesive in its modernity. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the lattice motif used on the lower valance.

Regardless, it does make a statement from every angle and offers no overt hints as to its electric prowess by way of shouty-coloured trim or clumsy badging. There are 'covert' elements though, the solar panel array in place of a panoramic roof and blanked grille panel there to offer a subtle flex to others in the VIP lineup.

Offered in a single Luxury trim, your Electrified G80 can be had in a choice of eleven colours, with the two matte options commanding a $2000 premium as the only option to choose from. Our car is Hallasan Green, named after the highest peak in South Korea,

But while the car itself turns heads, the winged badge of the premium Korean isn’t quite there yet. While preparing to film our video with the car, a passing woman simply noted it was beautiful, and then asked what it was. Despite being part of our market since 2014, the Genesis name is still yet to make a formative impression on mass Australia.

The singular-specification Electrified G80 'luxury' is priced from $145,000 before on-road costs.

This places it about $31,000 above the 3.5-litre V6 G80 ($101,191) with the $13,000 Luxury pack added. You're not likely to recoup that gap through fuel, so this is a car you make a choice to drive (or be driven in) purely for the electric capability.

For this spend, you're still $50k short of a larger Lexus LS500h ($195,325), but in the realm of a less well-equipped petrol Audi A7 ($141,700) or even Maserati Ghibli ($145,990). In terms of electricity, your closest option is the smaller rear-drive Porsche Taycan ($158,100).

Perhaps the most direct competitor is the one no longer on sale in Australia, the Tesla Model S.

All those examples though, require a few extra ticks of the options sheet to deliver a car with features matching its status, especially the Porsche.

Not so in the G80.

The seats have heating, ventilation and massage. All the driver assistance, convenience technology and entertainment goodies are here for the ride.

There’s very little to want for, in the front or the back, which helps the car’s prestige appeal.

In summary, nothing in this price range gives you the size and features of the Genesis, and if you are buying one to use as a working limousine, then that price gap to the petrol G80 may not seem that large when you start to offset more frequent fuel stops.

Designing a large luxury car must be a bit of fun. You have so much more space to lavish with premium surfaces and stylistic touches.

There are a number of trim options, including white, green, blue and brown leather. Paired with the exterior palette, you can create some wild combinations!

The cabin layout is clean and ergonomically sound, with plenty of space in both a visual and practical sense. Everything is well built, and touchpoints are pleasant.

While the seats can be well adjusted, the driver’s even offering the ‘ergo-motion’ massage function, I couldn’t seem to position mine low enough. Fair to note I am tall and like to sit as low as possible, but found even at the bottom position my head would still skim the roof lining.

For rear passengers, the seats are comfortable and are heated. There’s a large center console that includes a jog-wheel to control the infotainment system, as well as USB chargers and headphone jacks. Screens are fitted to the rear of the front seats for your enjoyment too.

The only complaint is the small gap between the floor and front seats only offer limited toe room. At over 6 feet, I was comfortable enough but would have still preferred a bit more space, especially on a longer trip.

As a four-up limo though, it feels special. There are even blinds in the doors to protect your visage from the swarming mass of regular people on the outside.

Sitting atop the dashboard is a 14.5-inch widescreen touch display. For the driver, there is a 12.3-inch 3D instrument cluster and a head-up projection, where rear passengers each score a 9.2-inch touch screen display on the rear of the front seats.

Up front, the infotainment system can be accessed by touch or using the touch-scroll wheel on the console.

Personally, I find this a little clumsy to use. It’s often too easy to click the wheel when you mean to rotate it. The seat adjustment too takes a bit of getting used to. Just make sure if you’re buying one you attend those first few lectures at Genesis University.

I’ll also note that due to not being able to position the driver’s seat as low as I like, the head-up display is tricky to adjust to the right height.

Some of the buttons still have a ‘Hyundai’ sense about them, but that’s perhaps because we’ve become so accustomed to the H-brand’s evolution. There’s no real problem with this, and as we’ve noted about Stellantis products, many Maserati buyers have no idea they share switchgear with Jeeps and Chryslers because they’ve never sat in one.

I know we mainly talk about infotainment technology here, but being an EV the ‘electric’ technology on the G80 shouldn’t be overlooked.

Take the giant solar array in place of a panoramic glass sunroof. In many ways this is a far more beneficial use of the top of a car, with the cells able to capture and store energy from the sun, helping charge the battery while the car is parked.

It’s a pretty cool inclusion, but don’t expect to back the ‘Genny out of the carport for a few hours of vitamin-D and roll away with a full battery. Our car showed a total of 11kWh claimed by the roof… in over 4,000km of ‘life’.

Worth noting is an external VTL (Vehicle to Load) function as well.

Back on the screens, the infotainment software will show you how much charge is on the roof, and will also note how your range is impacted by climate control items.

There’s naturally full-screen Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired connection) as well as a DAB radio tuner and a 1000W Harman Lexicon sound system with 20 speakers scattered around the car.

As noted earlier, rear passengers can control their own media screens and independent input sources.

All the assistance acronyms plus a total of ten airbags summarise the safety appeal of the G80. In fact, in the press release for the car, more than five pages were devoted to safety and assistance technology systems fitted to the car.

We found the lane and distance-keeping aids worked well on our short touring run but will need more time with the car to really assess how these systems work. We're not expecting any surprises though.

The non-electric G80 was tested by ANCAP in 2021 and received a five-star rating and an impressive 91 per cent adult occupant protection result. It is not known if the electric variant will score at the same individual levels.

While the car is about 26 per cent more expensive than the six-cylinder all-wheel-drive G80, that’s about standard for electric premiums at the moment.

Like other Genesis EV models, the G80 includes a complimentary five-year ChargeFox subscription or a wall-mounted home charger.

Servicing too is part of the Genesis value pitch, and is complimentary for the first five years. This includes a convenient valet pickup service.

In terms of insurance, we're trying to formulate a quote example and will add it to the copy once done.

While the outright power output of 282kW doesn’t sound overly high, the implementation of both the regular and sport drive mode settings is very well done.

For Comfort driving, the response though all but the final inch of pedal travel is relaxed and smooth. It’s perfect for the car’s luxury demeanour, giving plenty of easy play in the throttle movement, unless of course, you push it to the floor.

Here, the big Genesis finds its more weighty 700Nm and responds far more briskly. It is capable of a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.9 seconds.

If you like this level of performance, you can switch to the Sport setting where you get sharper response regardless of pedal travel. It may not wear a sport badge or claim figures in the 3- or 400kW range, but the G80 can pick up speed quickly when it needs to.

Simply put, between these mode changes it drives like two different cars, and that’s a good thing. Electrification affords more than just silent running, with the car programmed to do different things in different drive configurations, in a way you simply cannot mimic with a petrol engine.

Like many EVs, you can adjust ‘coasting’ force to aid regeneration or even run in a one-pedal mode for easy ‘off throttle to stop’ commuting.

In the lighter regeneration modes, the car will decouple the front motor to operate in a rear-drive-only state, for more efficient performance.

Standard equipment includes ‘road preview’ dynamic damper adjustment. We didn’t get a chance to benchmark the system, or really explore the difference between Sport and Comfort settings, but the G80 rides well on mixed surfaces and offers a very comfortable and compliant ride.

It’s no magic carpet game changer, there’s no air-ride like in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and you can feel the 2325kg mass, but it’s pretty good for touring.

Dropping from A through B and onto C-roads, the size and weight of the G80 becomes far more apparent. The pace delivered so effortlessly on the highway now becomes almost too much, even when wound down to comfort settings.

It’s not a car for winding forest passes, certainly not at speed, but even so the all-wheel drive and adaptive suspension handle everything quite well.

As the forest retreats and the C steps back to a B, the Genesis almost breathes a sigh of relief as it relaxes back to what it does best. Friction reduced, the big limo glides along to our destination, the only noise a faint squealing from the wipers.

On the way back to town, the car seemed to relax even more, averaging an impressive 15.6kWh/100km on a 60km journey, against the average 19kWh that Genesis claim.

Genesis really knows how to make an impact.

Arguably, electrifying the G80 has brought a classy, but leftfield option closer to market relevance. I want to say it is a Lexus competitor, but it’s not just that, it’s now a Tesla Model S or Jaguar XJ alternative. A full-size, luxo-yacht, stepping in to fill a niche but vacant space.

The long-haul comfort and fast-charging hardware make it a suitable country tourer – DC infrastructure notwithstanding – where the luxury accommodation and stylish tech appeal pitch it well as an urban VIP runner.

While the small boot and high floor betray the G80’s link to its petrol counterpart, the electric implementation is as good as any and it bodes well for the next generation of ground-up large electric cars from Genesis.

But for now, what we have is a really solid luxury sedan that just happens to be electric.

It offers clever tech, good range and impressive performance. It would be great to see it adopted by VIP fleets, even with the compromised luggage space, as this is the tech-limo that 2023 didn’t know it needed.

Five-star hotels running a couple of these as courtesy vehicles to heighten their ‘green’ credentials? The press release writes itself!

That it isn’t a ‘game changer’ is perhaps the only real critique of the Genesis Electrified G80.

It’s a ‘solution’ car, both for Genesis and for buyers, but if you’re open to making a statement in something big, comfortable and electric, then perhaps exploring something a little left field is just what you need.