Anthony FongaroFor the past few years, Genesis has been creating some incredibly competitive luxury vehicles. Their G-series sedans and GV-series SUVs have won many accolades due to their styling, technology, and attention to detail. One of those vehicles competing with the likes of the Lexus GX is the Genesis G80. For 2025, Genesis changed the interior and gave the G80 a new and quite large 27-inch OLED display, which combines the digital dials and infotainment system of the previous year’s interior. It was already a luxurious vehicle, but with the changes for 2025, Genesis has elevated the G80 to beyond some of its competition.
Most of the changes for the 2025 Genesis G80 are on the interior, but the exterior still showcases a svelte, almost coupe-looking body. At the front, the now-familiar oversized blacked-out grille is flanked by a pair of thin twin headlights. In the middle of the grille is a piece of plastic that houses some of the safety systems. A lower grille adds to the sporty looks of the G80. This G80 wore Vatna Gray paint and donned complicated five-spoke 20-inch wheels. The silhouette tapers off neatly into the rear, giving the car a more coupe-looking body. Genesis is written in the middle of the powered tailgate, with G80, AWD, and 3.5T badging. The taillights mimic the headlights with the same two-line theme. Exaggerated exhaust tips round out the handsome and stately look for the G80.
Hop inside, and the first thing you see is the large 27-inch OLED display. This G80 donned a beautiful Sevilla Red Nappa leather with diamond-qualiting on the seats. Front seats are heated and ventilated, with the driver getting a massaging feature. In front of the driver is a lovely powered-heated steering wheel with controls for media and safety systems. A large head-up display gives the driver clear information for speed, media, and navigation. The biggest change comes from the new tech display, along with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The infotainment system is a touchscreen with a rotary knob in-front of the rotary gear-selector, and is quite crisp. My favorite feature from Genesis are the Sounds of Nature which pairs well with the Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Below the infotainment system are shortcuts for navigation, media, and a few more options. Climate controls are a mixture of a screen for most functions, and a dial for the temperature. It’s not difficult to use, but physical buttons are easier to use while driving. There are swatches of carbon-fiber trim that compliment the red leather. A wireless charger is positioned near the center console, along with four buttons for the stop/start, drive modes, cameras, and parking sensors. Lovely ambient lighting is throughout the cabin and gives the G80 a touch of class. The center console and rear seats are heated along with the front seats. Rear-seat passengers also get sunshades for all rear windows. The large panoramic roof gives the cabin plenty of light and makes the cabin feel airy. This is an excellent interior and might be one of the best of the segment.
Powering the G80 is a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 producing 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. Combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive, the 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige accelerates from 0-60 MPH in 4.7 seconds. Those are good numbers, but it would be nice if Genesis could provide some sort of hybridization to their powertrains. Shifts are crisp but a little on the slower side. This might be a Sport model, but the G80 leans more towards luxury than sport. Still, there is a Sport + drive mode that disables part of the traction control to make driving more enjoyable. This Sport Prestige comes with rear-wheel steering, which turns in either the same or different direction than the front wheels, giving the G80 better steering and stability. The ride is very comfortable, and it flows over bumps. There’s only one downside to the G80’s powertrain, and that’s the 18 MPG fuel economy.
Safety systems include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, and 360-degree camera. Pricing for the 2025 Genesis G80 starts at around $58,000 for the base 2.5-liter inline-four. A top-of-the-line 3.5T Sport Prestige comes in at around $78,000 with every bell and whistle. Usually, I would look into a cheaper trim level, but the 3.5T is at its best with all of this luxury. To spend significantly less, the 2.5T can be had with a similar Prestige package for about $10,000 less, at around $68,000. Whichever G80 trim level you look at, you get a beautiful interior with a lot of technology and a handsome body. Genesis did an incredible job with the G80 and has elevated it to beyond its Japanese rivals.
