Cargazing
By Derek Price
Genesis makes a car called the G80, and there’s also a battery-powered version of it.
There. You already know more than 95 percent of Americans about this car. You’re welcome.
To understand the bigger picture, Genesis — Hyundai’s luxury offshoot — is gunning to be the next Lexus by creating vehicles that ooze with innovation, style and opulence. It aims to deliver a lot of value for the money with a sedan lineup that includes the G70 ($39,400), G80 ($50,000) and G90 ($88,400), one of the nicest full-blown luxury sedans to hit the market in years.
The car I’m testing this week is a version of the G80 that ditches its gasoline powertrain for batteries and electric motors, and Genesis gives it a wonderfully straightforward name: the Electrified G80.
It’s also a fitting name because, well, it tells you precisely what you get.
This car is almost exactly the same as the gas-powered G80 but with a different energy source, including its sleek, contemporary body and sumptuous, solid-feeling cabin.
he 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 has an EPA-rated range of 282 miles and is priced around $30,000 more than the gas-powered G80.
The gas-clone look is a great thing unless you want all your neighbors to know you drive an EV.
This is the most sneaky, camouflaged, surreptitious EV I’ve ever seen, right down to how it hides the electric charging port. I had fun asking people to walk around the car and try to find it, but no one could.
The port is brilliantly hidden inside the front grille. A busy visual pattern makes it almost impossible to find unless you know where to look, one of the cleverest design touches I’ve ever seen on an electric vehicle.
Like most newly designed EVs, the Electrified G80 is insanely quick compared to gasoline cars. It rockets forward in silence thanks to dual 136-kW electric motors that combine to make 365 horsepower and a mind-bending 516 pound-feet of torque.
Despite weighing more than 5,000 pounds, it drives a lot like a slim, trim sports sedan, no doubt helped by that instantly accessible, deep well of electric power. The overall feel reminds me a lot of a BMW, one of the best compliments you can give a sporty luxury car.
With a full charge, the Electrified G80 can drive up to 282 miles, according to the federal government.
Buyers will have to deal with the drawbacks of driving an EV in 2023, the biggest of which is a lack of reliable charging infrastructure for long trips.
Inside, the Electrified G80 eschews funky, boundary-pushing design common in some EVs. Its cabin has a traditional luxury-car look.
Fortunately, the Electrified G80 is one of the fastest-charging cars I’ve ever tested. With the ability to handle up to 350 kW at DC fast chargers, Hyundai claims it can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 22 minutes.
My real-world experience at Electrify America chargers backs up that claim, or at least shows it’s somewhat realistic. I charged from 34 to 82 percent in less than 19 minutes.
Still, I recommend EVs only to people who own or can rent an internal-combustion car for long road trips. Battery power works great for local trips when you can charge in your garage, but it adds too much time and frustration to make sense for multi-state road trips for most drivers.
Overall, the Electrified G80 is a great choice for people who want the traditional luxury-car experience — quiet ride, ample power, sumptuous cabin and lots of tech and comfort features — with the addition of an electric powertrain.
One downside, like many nice EVs, is the price. It costs nearly $30,000 more than the base G80 with a starting price of $79,825.
At A Glance
What was tested? 2023 Electrified G80 AWDe ($79,825). Options: Premium paint ($575). Price as tested (including $1,095 destination charge): $81,495
Wheelbase: 118.5 in.
Length: 197 in.
Width: 75.8 in.
Height: 57.9 in.
Powertrain: Dual 136-kW electric motors and 87.2-kWh battery (365 hp, 516 lbs.-ft.)
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Fuel economy: 97 MPG equivalent
RATINGS
Style: 9
Performance: 9
Price: 5
Handling: 8
Ride: 8
Comfort: 9
Quality: 9
Overall: 8
Why buy it?
The Electrified G80 is a great pick for people who appreciate the look and feel of a traditional luxury car and don’t necessarily want to wear their EV-driving environmentalism on their sleeve.