With its blingy grille, svelte lines and five-paces-from-nose-to-tail dimensions, the Genesis G80 flagship saloon wouldn’t look out of place at any swanky red carpet premiere.
So, it has the star quality, enough rear legroom to accommodate a couple of netball shooters, an elegant interior, and yet it has a starting price of just £75k. So, what’s the catch?
Well, first of all, unlike a rarefied limo, the G80’s rear seats are fixed in place, with backrests inclined at a somewhat laid-back angle – possibly to prevent those B-list celebs from brushing their quaffed barnets against the roof lining. Additionally, although the interior is tailored throughout with fine leathers and high-quality veneers, there is no rear-seat infotainment available and there’s very little in the way of boot space. At just 334 litres the G80’s boot is more akin to a BMW 3 Series, let alone a 7 Series or even a 5 Series, so you can forget about packing the Louis Vuitton travel trunk.
Performance and drive
Some boot space may have been compromised by the rear electric motor, which forms part of the G80’s electrified four-wheel drive layout, but by way of compensation a bigger 94.5kWh battery pack, officially capable of 354 miles between charges, gives the G80 a very healthy, if not exceptional touring range. For context, a BMW i5 40 has a WLTP range of 357 miles. That same battery supplies the juice to a pair of 183hp motors, which combined are capable of accelerating the G80 seamlessly from a standstill to 62mph in just 5.1 secs.
Unlike many blue blood members of the chauffeured fraternity, which tend to float along on air suspension, the G80 sticks with more traditional steel springs and adaptive dampers. To be fair, the dampers are informed about impending road scars by a front-facing camera, they’re almost infinitely adjustable and they even have a selectable chauffeur setting to maximise wafting capabilities. You might never call upon this feature however as the standard setting does an excellent job of isolating occupants from surface imperfections. Somewhat inevitably, there is a degree of shudder that’s evident when encountering coarser surfaces – a trait common to most long-wheelbase motors – but this will seldom be bothersome enough to blur the print on your rear passenger’s FT.
The G80 is also exceptionally quiet, and the electric motors are so well isolated you’d swear that you are being motivated by some kind of divine intervention. Road and wind noise are also reduced to mere whispers, partially thanks to the luscious Bang and Olufsen sound system, which pumps active noise-cancelling tones into the cabin to help reduce the impact of any nasty external interlopers.
From a driver input perspective, the steering requires a bit more effort than you might expect of a vehicle in this category and this does feel slightly at odds with the rest of the controls, including the brake pedal, which provides precise modulation and reassuringly powerful stopping power.
Interior and technology
As part of the G80’s latest refresh, the driver is now confronted by an all-new infotainment layout, featuring a whopping 27in panoramic information, entertainment and navigation display. While all the usual convenience features can be accessed via the touchscreen or voice command, mercifully, the G80 still has physical controls for the climate controls and Genesis has retained its centre console rotary dial to aid safer selection of menus while driving.
One additional neat feature is the UV-C anti-bacterial system located in the storage compartment, which helps to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria from items such as your mobile phone in about ten minutes. Unfortunately, it’s not big enough to accommodate a small child.
There’s only one highly specced Dynamic equipment grade available but there are several packs if you fancy some extra flounce. These include a 2nd Row Comfort Pack, which adds powered door closing, heated rear seats, electric side curtains and rear vanity mirrors. Well, we wouldn’t want your adoring public catching a glimpse of you looking anything less than your adorable best.
Positive: Masses of interior space, luxurious interior, strong performance
Negative: Some impact body shake, fixed rear seat backs, compromised boot space
Standard equipment: 19in alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, acoustic glass, active road noise cancelling, electric front seats, electric lumbar support, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, power opening boot lid, electric steering wheel adjustment, multi lens LED headlights, sat-nav, blind spot view monitor, fingerprint recognition entry, head-up display, intelligent front-lighting, lane following assist, remote smart parking assist, smart cruise control surround view camera, wireless phone charger.
Engines: Electric: 365hp
Equipment grades: Dynamic
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
| Model | Genesis Electrified G80 Dynamic |
| P11D | £75,550 |
| Residual value | TBC |
| Depreciation | TBC |
| Fuel | £4,125 |
| Service, maintenance and repair | TBC |
| Cost per mile | TBC |
| Range | 354 miles |
| CO2 (BIK%) | 0g/km (3%) |
| BIK 20/40% a month | £38/£76 |
| Luggage capacity | 334 litres |
| Battery size/power | 94.5kWh/365hp |
| Score | 7/10 |
