2017 Genesis G80 3.8 AWD Review

2017 Genesis G80 3.8 AWD Review In the beginning, Karl Benz designed the Patent-Motorwagen, and also the motor vehicle was born-at least that is the initial verse while in the Good Book in accordance to Mercedes-Benz. Two many years in the past, Hyundai announced its own creation story, assigning the Genesis title to a whole new line of luxury autos that might be offered by Hyundai dealers. Rid of the two the Hyundai nameplate and that brand’s everyday-affordablity emphasis, Genesis aims to be a fresh alternate for the 100-year-old premium labels.

2017 Genesis G80 3.8 AWD Review


Born in 2009 since the Hyundai Genesis and refurbished for the 2015 model year, the G80 sedan reviewed here may be the initial shot inside the Genesis brand’s salvo. Add to that a larger and all-new G90 flagship sedan and a minimum of four more models to arrive by 2020. The Genesis mission is invading the money zone exactly where Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo earn rewarding returns on their mother or father companies’ investments.

The Genesis G80 3.8-liter sedan starts at $42,350, growing to $53,800 when outfitted with 3 from the 4 obtainable upgrades, as was our check vehicle. An all-wheel-drive process called HTRAC cost $2500. A Premium package deal containing a two-panel sunroof, upgraded audio, front-seat ventilation, an LCD instrument cluster, parking sensors, a rearview camera, fog lamps, and rear-window shades hiked the selling price by $4750. Lastly, the Greatest bundle bringing leather seats, extra driver’s-seat changes, wood and metal trim, a shade head-up display, a 9.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, however one more sound-system upgrade, a power-operated trunk lid, and dual-mode front-vent controls added yet another $4200 to our total.

Though numerous luxury-brand incumbents constructed their reputations on sturdy performance credentials, the G80 will take a a lot more cordial path. Just about every G80 rolls on all-season tires. Though there may be a potent 5.0-liter V-8 choice towards the 311-hp three.8-liter V-6, this Genesis does not have an aggressive bone in its attractively sculpted body. Trip motions are smooth and settled, as if each and every pavement fissure is full of whipped cream. Respecting the hushed conversations anticipated within this luxury setting, cabin noise is usually a reduced 72 decibels for the duration of full-bore acceleration and 66 decibels during 70-mph cruising. Manage efforts are reduced to assure that commuting is never a chore.

2017 Genesis G80 3.8 AWD Review - Interior:


In the check track, the G80 landed towards the back of your functionality grid. Although most base-engine, all-wheel-drive premium sedans hustle from rest to 60 mph within the low-five-second selection, the G80 required 6.6 seconds to achieve that velocity. Similarly, quarter-mile runs in the low-to-mid 14s having a trap speed all over one hundred mph are common of this class, versus the 15.0 seconds at 96 mph achieved by the G80. That explained, this Genesis did include a notch to its holster by matching the Mercedes-Benz E300 4MATIC’s 15.0-second quarter-mile time and by topping the four-cylinder Benz’s 92-mph trap velocity by a substantial four mph.

Really don't blame the G80’s 3.8-liter V-6 for that leisurely acceleration. This engine’s quick stroke, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing, and higher compression ratio (eleven.five:1) enable squeeze satisfactory power from not a lot displacement. The engine revs willingly to 6500 rpm, delivering 311 horsepower at 6000 rpm. A variable consumption manifold enhances versatility whilst lifting the torque curve to a peak of 293 lb-ft at 5000 rpm. (That is approximately comparable for the BMW 535i’s 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder, with 300 horses at 6000 rpm and 300 lb-ft of torque at 1300 rpm.) And although most sedans on this class demand a regular eating plan of premium gas, the G80’s engine is pleased with common. That is substantial simply because we measured only 17 mpg overall in our testing, 8 mpg significantly less than we logged during the E300.

This leaves the excess weight side of your G80’s power-to-weight equation because the performance-robbing suspect. The 4503-pound curb excess weight we measured is many lbs heavier than options such since the Cadillac CTS 2.0T along with the Jaguar XF three.0 (both outfitted with all-wheel drive). When aluminum entire body components now are typical, this Genesis has an all-steel physique. The additional mass combined with 18-inch Michelin Primacy tires ideal for year-round use stretches the 70-to-zero-mph stopping distance to 188 feet (versus a low of 155 feet in this class) and limits cornering grip to 0.82 g, in contrast with its vital competitors’ 0.84 to 0.90 g. G80 buyers who reside from the southern half in the U.S. should really absolutely skip the all-wheel drive, a move that shaves a claimed 163 pounds and lowers the value by $2500. The HTRAC process also penalizes EPA mixed mileage by three mpg. On the other hand, in our highway-fuel-economy test, wherever mass does not possess the similar detrimental effects on gas mileage, the G80 accomplished 28 mpg, three mpg much better than its 25-mpg EPA highway rating.

So the G80 is clearly not a sports sedan, nevertheless it does excel in other parts. While the exterior style and design borders on generic, the mixture of the prolonged hood and a set-back cabin yields a striking profile. Phone it a coincidence, however the Audi-like grille frame as well as Bentley-esque winged badge are intriguing touches looking at that chief designer Luc Donckerwolke worked for both of individuals marques just before joining Genesis last November.

2017 Genesis G80 3.8 AWD Review - Features:

It will get better inside. The panoramic sunroof included within the Premium package deal covers many of the ceiling, brightening the interior when desired and stacking 1 panel atop another when fresh air is named for. A tall wind blocker is as efficient as it is unattractive, but at the very least you see tiny of that device inside the cabin. Panel fit and finish are ideal for this $50K class, and also the trim resources included together with the Greatest package deal are top-shelf. The open-grain wood with matte-finished metal accents will be right at your house in Beverly Hills. The 12-way adjustable front buckets skinned with perforated and French-stitched leather are not only supremely comfortable, their side bolsters are company ample to help significantly more lateral g’s than the G80 presently is capable of generating.

1 unexpected pleasure may be the utilization of genuine bodily knobs for cabin temperature, audio volume and tuning, and the infotainment system’s rotary controller. Elegantly sized and ribbed for quick grip, these knobs present a nice break from today’s button farms and touchscreens. (But not a total escape-there’s a 9.2-inch touchscreen included during the G80’s Premium bundle, and you will discover buttons galore in this lavishly outfitted interior.

2017 Genesis G80 3.8 AWD Review - Machine:


To match main competitors with contemporary security capabilities, the G80 comes normal with automated high-beam headlamps, automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise management (capable of stopping the automobile in targeted visitors), blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping aid. Having to pay distinctive interest to that last function, we uncovered it does an outstanding work of identifying lane markers and relieving your hands of steering duty for ten to twelve seconds before a warning advisory is issued.

Huge rear doors usher two or 3 passengers aboard in back. Outboard positions verge on limo seats on the cost on the (hopefully occasional and/or tiny) middle occupant who will have to ride on a high, tough cushion. Reducing the center armrest supplies access to a rectangular pass-through to your 15-cubic-foot trunk. Even though folding backrests would increase the G80’s versatility, Genesis skipped that attribute.

Taking into consideration that this G80 is surely an upcycled Hyundai, it is a modest phase toward what this brand aspires to realize. This first-edition Genesis scores properly in comfort and convenience, but drivers accustomed to sparkling performance are going to be disappointed. Responding swiftly to market requirements is what produced the Hyundai Motor Group a force to become reckoned with, and Genesis already is thinking about how to integrate a performance-oriented sub-brand into its items. That usually means there’s likely a comprehensively upgraded G80 waiting inside the wings-and no chance of Exodus following Genesis in this playbook.