Anthony FongaroGenesis is an interesting brand. Their G80 has gone through such a transformation in the last few years that even a bog-standard rear-wheel-drive G80 2.5T impresses. With its amount of luxury and features, that car showcased that the G80 is a fantastic vehicle even at its lowest trim. This time around, we go to the top of the pecking order. The G80 AWD 3.5T with the Sports Prestige goes straight against other six-cylinder cars such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series. Is it at the top of its game? Let’s find out.
When the Genesis G80 first arrived, the first thing that stood out was the paint. This G80 was wearing Siberian Ice paint which seemed to change its hue depending on the light. Combine this with some big 20-inch sports wheels, and you have a very handsome sedan. There are some Sport Prestige trim pieces that are different than the standard G80. You’ll find more black accents and a sporty four-door coupe-like silhouette. Since most cars have to have their brand large and proud, the G80 has GENESIS in huge lettering on the trunk along with designations for it being AWD and utilizing the 3.5-liter V6. More on that later.
Enter the G80 and you find a comfortable interior with lots of high-end trim pieces and Obsidian Black with red accents seats. These seats have heating, ventilation, and a type of massage feature for the driver’s side. I’m not sure why they didn’t have both seats have massaging seats, but it isn’t a big complaint. The rest of the interior is pure Genesis with the rotary dials for the infotainment system and gear-selector switched around. A head-up display showcased all the information you would want and can warn about cross-traffic. I’d turn that off because it goes off when you can clearly see traffic. Letting the driver see the blind-spot monitoring on the head-up display was great to use in heavy traffic.
There aren’t a lot of physical buttons, instead, the G80 used haptic feedback. These are in piano black trim which means you’ll see all of the fingerprint marks. Thankfully, these haptic feedback portions for the climate control and steering wheel-mounted controls were simple to use. This also blends into the infotainment system which is also easy to use with both the rotary wheel and touchscreen. Being a larger vehicle, there’s ample room in the back with controls for the rear heated seats. Overall, the interior is beautiful and there is a sense that comfort was the primary objective. The seats were nicely bolstered and quite comfortable. The driver’s side massage feature works, but not as strong as I’d like.
Under the hood is the upgraded 3.5-liter V6, found in most other Genesis models. This produces 375-horsepower and 391 lb-ft. Equipped with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, this propels the G80 3.5T to 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds. I never wanted more power and the passing power on the highway was quite impressive. Something I never thought a Genesis G80 would have is rear-wheel steering. Basically, this helps the car to corner since the rear wheels turn depending on how fast you’re going. The G80 doesn’t care too much about corners, but it handles itself quite well for just how big and luxurious it is. This may be quick, but also quite thirsty. The highest MPG I received was 24 MPG while the average was between 18-22 MPG.
It’s time for the pricing, and the G80 with the 3.5T engine and $9,000 Sport Prestige comes in at around $70,000. I recommend this trim level because it includes that rear-wheel steering, upgraded Nappa seats, remote parking assist, and a feature I absolutely hated. I won’t blame Genesis for giving the G80 a 3D view of the digital gauges since you can turn it off, but it instantly gave me a headache. If you get a G80, I would turn that off. Even without the Sport Prestige trim, the G80 comes with heated and ventilated seats along with rear heated seats, a heated steering wheel, an upgraded Lexicon sound system, and a full safety suite with adaptive cruise control. These are just some of the features that the Genesis G80 has that you have to pay for with others. The starting price with the G80 3.5T starts at $63,000.
Like I said earlier, even a base G80 is a great car. For $70,000, you get the top-of-the-line G80 with a strong engine, lovely interior, and stylish exterior. One of the surprises is that rear-wheel steering that helps the G80 feel sporty while retaining its luxury credentials. Genesis did a great job creating this Sport Prestige trim with the 3.5T engine and all-wheel drive. This is probably one of the best medium-size sedans on the market. Although you don’t have to go all-out with the G80, I still say the Sport Prestige is the one to go for. You won’t be disappointed.
Photos Courtesy of Genesis
