First Drive: Genesis Electrified G80 Boasts All the Luxury Creature Comforts—Without Gas

To the casual observer, it would be tough to recognize the new Genesis Electrified G80 as a fully battery-powered car. There’s no badging that says “electric” or “EV” on the outside. On the back, it merely says G80 and features the brand logo. But if you look closely, there’s no exhaust and the grill is solid. The interior is the same deal. Not much gives it away as an electric, except that the hard-to-see start-stop button doesn’t read “engine.” Rather, it’s embossed with “EV.”

As electric is fast becoming the new normal, the absence of delineation makes perfect sense. Genesis is planning on a fully electric lineup by 2030. The G80 will still be part of the team and a battery will be the only power available. After a day of whipping the G80 around the highways and byways of rural Arkansas and Missouri, the upshot is this: Just like it’s gas-burning sibling, the luxed up e-sedan is delightful to drive.

Power, Performance, and Range

In lieu of a V-6, the electrified G80 gets its power from a 523V, 87.2 kWh battery sending its juice to a pair of 136 kW electric motors—front and rear—for 365 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.

The electrified G80 is remarkably similar in terms of performance to the brand’s gas-powered 2022 G80 3.5T Sport. Genesis officially clocks the battery-powered version at 4.9 seconds to 60. That’s respectably quick for an “executive sedan” weighing over 5,000 pounds. For comparison’s sake, the twin turbo V6 in the G80 Sport AWD has 375 horsepower, 391 pound-feet of torque and gets to 60 in 4.7 seconds.

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Using a modified version of its M3 platform, Genesis was able to reduce the overall weight of the car by 11 percent while increasing the stiffness of the frame by 17 percent, thanks to the help of some aluminum and carbon fiber bits and bobs. But, as batteries are heavy, the electrified G80 is still 600 pounds weightier than the internal combustion-powered version.

The design team has done a solid job hiding that extra heft with lighter materials and all-wheel steering, but you still notice the girth as you saunter in and out of corners.

Despite the increased weight, speeding over hills and through tender farmland, the electrified G80 proved agile when pushed. Body roll is minimal and the car responds quickly to inputs.

But the G80 truly earns its top marks as a cruiser. It’s brilliantly luxurious, with all the bells and whistles one would expect. The brand’s ECS road preview uses cameras and radar to prepare the suspension for bumps and twists, softening impact, while Genesis’s excellent complement of driver aides helps make short work of lengthy drives.

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Charging and Range

Genesis says the G80’s range is 282 miles. After a near 200-mile loop through the Ozarks with the AC, ventilated seats, and stereo all set to blast, that seems a pretty solid estimate.

Unlike many EVs, the G80’s charging port is hidden in the front grill. According to the brand, a rapid charging station (350 kW/800V) will take the G80 from 10 to 80 percent charge in 22 minutes. On a level II charger (240V), the G80 needs seven hours and 22 minutes to go from 10 percent to a full charge. Plug it into a standard AC 110V outlet and that number jumps to 80 hours.

On the Inside

In a familiar refrain, the interior of the electrified G80 is highly reminiscent of the internal combustion powered version with one major exception. There’s no panoramic sunroof in the EV. Genesis had to omit that feature to preserve head room as the battery is housed below the floor, which is therefore higher. Leg room in the rear is also diminished by nearly 30 percent. But the front seats remain as comfortable as in the gas versions.

Zero Options

For launch, customers who want to purchase the electrified G80 can only get it in one option spec: “fully loaded.” Included are a massaging driver seat with “ergo motion,” a feature that automatically engages on long drives to move the body around and reduce fatigue; a 21-speaker Lexicon sound system; 19-inch, turbine-inspired wheels; and an active noise-canceling system to reduce the sounds of the road.

Choose among nine exterior colors and three interior configurations to select from. With a tip of the cap toward diminishing environmental impact, the Nappa leather deployed on the interior is treated with less caustic dyes and processes. The headliner is made with recycled plastic and the trim in the white leather interior spec is produced from what Genesis calls “forged wood,” which uses birch reclaimed from the furniture industry.

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As a bit of a bonus for customers ready for an EV, each electrified G80 comes with three years of free charging (30-minute sessions) at Electrify America stations—as much as Genesis offered with their first electric, the GV60. Similar to the GV60 rollout, the electrified G80 will initially only be available in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

While pricing hasn’t been announced yet, you can expect MSRP to exceed a similarly outfitted gas-powered iteration, around $70K. The writing has been on the wall for a while now. The automotive future is electric, but Genesis is doing best to ensure, in terms of luxury, their song remains the same.