If you hadn't noticed that the new 2021 Genesis G80 just got revealed online because you're busy playing hours of Xbox Live while you're sheltered-in-place to due COVID-19, you're missing out. The BMW 5-Series competitor just got all serious on everyone with some of the sexiest lines in the luxury sedan game. We showed you some images a couple of weeks ago, but now we know just about everything there is to know about it... except how it drives.
The South Korean luxury arm of Hyundai is not messing around. It aims to get more market share from the likes of BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus (Infiniti and Jaguar aren't so hot right now). Here are the important details that should make the G80 a serious player in the segment.
1. It Makes Bold Design Moves
Just take a look at this thing. It sports all the right lines and carves out its own niche in the luxury sedan segment. We haven't been this blown away by the looks of a luxury sedan in a while. The new BMW 5-Series looks good (not great), the Audi A6 is evolutionary from the last model, and the Lexus ES is nice but still forgettable.
The lines of the G80 might seem a little bit familiar since they are queued up from the GV80 SUV, but in sedan form, they look even better. From the big shield grille and the LED elements that extend from tip to tail, the "Athletic Elegance" design language combines the best of refinement and aggressive sportiness. The G80 should have no problem establishing itself in the segment with looks like these.
2. It Gets Serious Power Under the Hood
We pretty much knew the G80 would borrow engines from the GV80 SUV, but now it's been confirmed. The G80 will get two engines in the states: a new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque and an optional twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 making 375 horsepower and 291 lb-ft of torque. Those are big numbers, and this isn't even the performance version that's expected to come in the next couple of years.
BMW's max output for their 5-Series is 335 horses, as is the Audi A6's. The G80's twin-turbo V6 even has more horsepower than the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class with 362 horses. Perhaps even more important is that the car will be rear-wheel drive based and lighter than the outgoing model. The four-cylinder model drops 250 pounds compared to its current V6 sibling but gains power. We expect performance to be very competitive, indeed.
3. The Interior is the Best in its Class
Genesis didn't just stuff the G80 with tech and nice materials, it gave it a truly special look with some really nice colorways, too. They might be the first mainstream luxury brand to offer blue leather (seen above), which looks superb. The seat leather pattern is also unique (waves instead of quilting), and the flow of the dash and door trim are fluid and elegant.
In terms of tech, the G80 can be outfitted with an adaptive suspension that adjusts based on road conditions as detected by onboard sensors. Standard equipment includes intelligent cruise control, steering, lane-centering, and lane changes, and there's also standard automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. In addition to all this, the G80 also gets the optional new Smart Park system that will park and exit the parking spot remotely, a 12.3-inch 3D instrument screen and a huge 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, smart home assistants, and over-the-air updates. That big 14.5-inch screen bests competitors by a full two inches.