At first glance of the 2017 Genesis G80, you might think you’re looking at a Hyundai. That’s because you are. Sort of.
Until late last year, you would see the beauty below badged as a Hyundai and selling as a Hyundai Genesis. Likewise, you’d find another upscale Hyundai like the large sedan, Equus.
In fact, if you see the Genesis parked beside a Hyundai Sonata (which I did), you’ll clearly see the family resemblance. But the Genesis G80 is not your typical Hyundai.
Genesis is now the make behind the luxury division of Hyundai. The Hyundai Genesis is now the Genesis G80 and the Hyundai Equus is now the Genesis G90. Genesis is to Hyundai what Lexus is to Toyota and what Infiniti is to Nissan. Got it?
Good.
Now that that’s out of the way we can get down to business which is talking about how excited I am to be reviewing a LUXURY car.
And my favorite thing about it? It’s that Genesis badge on the back. Every time I see it on the road, I do a double take because I think it’s a Bentley. And truth be told, I got a kick out of one of my neighbors telling me she thought I was driving a Bentley through the neighborhood. SCORE!
Don’t be fooled by the badge. It’s not a Bentley.
Although I have driven a Bentley and can tell you this is not the same, it definitely offers a lot of what you would expect from a luxury sedan without the Bentley price tag.
Let’s take a look at the interior.
The dashboard has a wide and accessible look with every feature available at the push of a button. You’ll notice the premium 9.2″ touchscreen with HD display. The navigation was easy to read and easy to use. Definitely bonus points for me.
Harder to see is the beautiful accented dash with genuine matte finish wood trim along with aluminum trim. If there were a checklist for luxury cars available, I’d say the Genesis G80 checked off the list including the wood trim and the analog clock along with power everything.
In addition to the touchscreen, much of the controls can be access with the push of a button, which is good because I found navigating through menu system with the command knob in the center of the console to be a little confusing.
Thankfully, once I discovered the push buttons just under the CD player (IÂ know – a CD player!), it was smooth sailing. And I would have been even better off had I used a USB cable for my phone instead of a charging cable because the car is fully equipped with what is quickly becoming a must-have: Apply CarPlay and Android Auto.
As you might expect, the cabin was very spacious. Almost too spacious for me.
How is that possible?
Well, at only 5’3″, I felt that the screen angle and distance were a bit of a stretch for me. I will say, though, that the 12 way power front seat ensured that I could reach the pedals and the steering wheel without feeling like I was two inches away from the dash.
It was also a nice touch that the lumbar support not only helped my back positioning but also provided side to side assistance so I didn’t feel swallowed up by the seat.
You know what else was nice? I see you looking at it. It’s that power tilt-and-slide panoramic sunroof.
The controls made it easy to close the cover or let in the sunshine (the sunroof is tinted) and slide open for fresh air. I enjoyed all three, thank you very much.
Now that we’re back outside, I’ll give you the quick walkaround of the exterior. It’s a classic style that doesn’t scream “I paid a lot for this car” but it definitely turns heads when driving by.
But the best thing about the Genesis G80 is thing I haven’t mentioned. How does it drive?
The Genesis G80 is what I’m nicknaming The Boss Car. (I seem to be nicknaming all the cars lately). It’s a quiet, soft, comfortable ride. You could put your grandparents, your children, or your clients in the back and I guarantee they’d all be happy.
But when you put the pedal to the metal, that’s when you remember that the G80 comes equipped with a 3.8L V6 engine and that’s what makes it boss. It wasn’t even until the end of the week that I realized the car had both Eco and Sport modes available. It wasn’t necessary!
The downside to all that power is less than impressive gas mileage. The EPA estimates for fuel economy are 18/28 with an average of 22 mpg. With my lead foot and stop & go driving, I was able to achieve 18.5 mpg for the week.
Nevertheless, when you have a car like this, you want to drive it. So I explored and found new roads practically in my own backyard.
The 2017 Genesis G80 RWD 3.8 shown here is Parisian Gray with an Ivory interior. The base price is $41,400 but with the addition of the Premium Package ($4750) and the Ultimate Package ($4200), the MSRP for this car is $51,300.
Can’t get enough? I detailed so much more about the Genesis G80 right here for you to watch. I HAVE ARRIVED!
1 comment
My first car was a Hyundai! This one is waaaay better ;-). All grown up.