When you’re the new kid on the block, you expect to get kicked in the teeth. Genesis, having been around since 2008 with the Hyundai Genesis, is an easy target if you’re looking to be critical. They don’t have the name, the pedigree, or the reputation for building luxury barges that their competitors have established over the last century. They’re not on the tip of my tongue, either, if anyone asks, ‘What mid-sized luxury car should I buy?’ But that is changing for me, and it should be for you too.
From its literal Genesis in 2008, the Hyundai Genesis made waves for being the first true luxury sedan coming from the Korean automaker. It was the first and helped spawn the luxury division of Hyundai now known solely as Genesis. The Hyundai Genesis was renamed the G80 in 2016 so as not to confuse everyone and bring the sedan under the umbrella and the flagship is now the G90.
That brings us to the 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD and its current position on the firing line. It is aimed at the established marquees from Europe and Japan with the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged engine and Sport Prestige trim being the highest level you can get. Pricing is certainly proving serious when this car has a sticker of $79,780 with the only addition being the Makalu Gray Matte paint ($1,500 option). If you knew nothing else about this car, the sticker price should tell you Genesis is confident they’ve made a car that can compete with the old guard.
Inside the car, you get a sumptuous cabin full of diamond-stitched and cushioned Nappa leather, carbon fiber trim, microfiber suede headliner and pillars, a heads-up display, and 27” of OLED infotainment and cluster screens. The biggest quirk I found with the interior was the bolsters that adjusted to hold you tight in sports mode—reminiscent of my e60 M5 and a feature I turned off years ago as it became more of a nuisance.
On the road, this is a comfortable highway cruiser and an inner-city traffic dodger. The democratization of speed in recent years (everything is fast) means the 4.7-second jaunt to 60 mph is more than adequate and it even makes a great noise. It’s as good riding as a passenger as it is to drive, mostly because of the corporate ‘son-nim’ Korean approach to treating each individual as a cherished guest and putting them at ease, making all their needs met. The writer could see one need being met and that’s handing the G80 over to the people in the Hyundai N Division and seeing what else could be done.
The combination of a matte gray finish and the red interior isn’t exactly my cup of Bori-cha, but this is a car that is a bit confusing for me. Whenever I think of Genesis, I think of them as being like the Japanese brands, but this is wrong. The Koreans design cars that only a Japanese company would if they’d just let their hair down for a bit. They’re more unhinged, raw, and not afraid to make a mistake. Some might call this color combination a bit gaudy, but instead, it is the highest expression of the trim. You can get these cars more sedate in appearance like an executive would want, but it’s nice to know that if you too like to let your hair down, the G80 has an option for you.
All and all, it’s a hard argument not to buy the Genesis G80 if you’re cross-shopping any of the competitors. Say you’re complaining about resale; Mercedes E-class is in the same group and has the same issue keeping resale. Are you concerned it isn’t as luxurious as others? The G80 is a penthouse suite compared to the Budget Inn of the Toyota Crown. Even in the reliability standards, do you think this is going to be more unreliable than a Maserati in the same category?! I’ll make bets on that one.
Let’s all let our hair down for a bit and give Genesis the benefit of the doubt. The next time you see one on the road, remember, that’s the shot across the bow of all the established players. It’s not a Hyundai, it’s a Genesis. The prestige that it needs will come with time.
Cheers!
M. T. Blake
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