Genesis Electrified G80 Review & Prices

If you’re bored of the popular German saloons and want to try something new on the EV market, you should look into the Genesis G80 Electrified.

With the likes of the Mercedes EQE and BMW i4 being the typical options of this size, the G80 Electrified has some stiff competition, but has many attributes that match up to them all. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is also one that you could consider.

It’s a lot like getting a cup of coffee from an independent cafe – you don’t want to go to the obvious options and you want to try a new experience.

The G80 Electrified is almost identical to the petrol-powered G80, but instead of the open grille of that car, the Electrified has a closed-off front. It has the same diamond-patterned design and houses the charging port. It looks pretty smart to our eyes.

The rest of the car is very smart and professional, with aerodynamically-optimised wheels looking great as well as helping make the most of the battery pack.

In the cabin, you’ll find a well-built and stylish interior. It’s not like the European styles you’ll be used to in other executive saloons, but is as pleasing, if not more so, with nice lines and different coloured layers. You have a large display across the top of the dash, an easy-to-read driver’s display and plenty of other equipment besides.

Space in the rear seats is a touch cramped though. By adding the batteries for the electric drive, the bench is raised up a little and there’s less headroom than in the standard car. Taller adults will hope the optional electric reclining seats are installed to get comfy.

Boot space is also severely down on alternatives. With the standard G80’s boot not exactly exemplary, adding the batteries reduces its capacity even further to just 354 litres. The Mercedes EQE, BMW i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 easily outstrip the G80 in this respect.

You get an 82.5kWh battery pack and that power is set to two motors – one mounted on each axle. Combined you get 370hp and 700Nm of torque, capable of getting you from 0-60mph in just 4.9 seconds.

The charging on AC can go at up to 11kW, while on a DC fast charger, you’ll get speeds up to 187kW – and it will do those speeds if our tests are anything to go by. You can also get a solar panel on the roof to make it even more efficient.

When you’re driving in town, the G80 Electrified is supremely quiet and comfortable, although sharp bumps will be felt in the cabin. Steering is light enough for easy manoeuvring, but it does feel quite long.

The motorway is where the G80 Electrified is most at home though. Its motors are efficient enough to get you far on a charge, while it’s well insulated so you won’t hear much wind and road noise. The standard adaptive cruise control makes long journeys even more simple.

Being a heavier car thanks to the batteries, the G80 Electrified is not for exuberant driving. It tips a bit in the corners and doesn’t feel particularly sporty, even in its sportiest mode. Keep it chilled and you’ll enjoy the G80 Electrified even more.

Although the storage and interior space of the Genesis G80 Electrified aren’t as good as alternatives, it’s a really nice place to be and comfortable to go for long distances in. It’s pretty efficient too.

To get the latest deals on the Genesis G80 Electrified or other new Genesis models, check out carwow, where you can also get deals on used cars. To change your car entirely, you can sell your car through carwow, where you will get the best price with the help of our trusted dealers.

Compared to the Mercedes EQE, the Genesis G80 Electrified looks like a proper bargain – although the Mercedes is a bespoke EV that’s required more specific development instead of converting a combustion engine car like with the G80. Compared to a BMW i4 though, the G80 is a considerable amount more, but offers a bit more cabin space.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is also much cheaper and is a bespoke EV, while offering more room for passengers and storage. Up against the rest though, the Genesis feels the most premium.

For comfort and cruising, the G80 Electrified is excellent. Just don’t try and drive this in a sporty fashion

In town

With suspension that scans the road in front to alter the stiffness, the G80 Electrified feels pretty comfortable at slower speeds in town. It can feel a little sharp over some bumps though, as the suspension has had to be beefed up to deal with the extra weight of the batteries.

You can feel that it’s quite a long car and although it has a rather good turning circle of 11.6m, you need to be wary of the front end. That’s where the charge port is, so any severe front contact could hamper your capability to charge.

But with light steering and cameras all around, you should make light work of most manoeuvres. The rear visibility could be better though, as the window is quite narrow.

The electric motor is pretty punchy, so getting up to speed is very simple. That allows for easy acceleration out of junctions and away from traffic lights.

On the motorway

The G80 Electrified is superb on the motorway. With the excellent sound insulating, you get limited wind and tyre noise, while the silence of the electric drive allows for a relaxing experience.

With Highway Driving Assist as standard, which gives you adaptive cruise control and steering assist, you can set your speed and distance from the car in front of you, and let the car take the strain.

Getting up to speed is easy thanks to a 0-60mph time of just 4.9 seconds, while the efficiency isn’t too bad when you’re driving at higher speeds. You can optionally fit a solar panel on the roof to make long drives even more efficient, as it will help run the auxiliary systems instead of the battery pack.

On a twisty road

Where the G80 Electrified falls behind alternatives is with twisty road driving. Being over 2,300kg and more suited to comfort than sportiness, you won’t find this to be the most satisfying car to drive quickly.

With the electric motor, you do get a lot of punch to accelerate out of corners, but it isn’t as satisfying as doing the same in a V8-powered super saloon. The weight means that you can wash wide when you’re cornering quickly, which doesn’t inspire confidence..

If you get into a calm and composed pace, the G80 will be better-suited to getting you from A to B in a laid back fashion.

While most can sit in comfort, converting the G80 to an EV has reduced cabin and boot space

Compared to the petrol G80, you don’t have as much space in the cabin because the batteries under the floor mean you sit higher and closer to the roof. You’re still able to get very comfortable thanks to the plush seats and you have enough adjustment to get the steering wheel and seat in position.

You get a good amount of storage in the front, with large door bins, two covered spots in the centre console and a large space under the armrest.

Under the central screen, you’ll also find the wireless charging pad and charging ports for your mobile devices. The glovebox is of a reasonable size, but it’s a bit thin.

Space in the back seats

As is the problem with the front seats, the rear seats are more cramped than in the standard G80.

You lack headroom as the seats are set higher with the batteries under the floor, but you do have decent legroom and underthigh support because the front seats can be set far enough in front so all are comfortable. You can only get the G80 Electrified with two outer seats and no middle seat though.

With other reasonably sized door bins, seat pockets and a place to charge your phone, the back of the G80 Electrified is fairly practical. A bespoke EV, like the Mercedes EQE, has much more room in the back for passengers overall though.

Boot space

The 354-litre boot is seriously compromised thanks to the battery pack eating into boot space. That’s far down on the Mercedes EQE’s 430-litre space and the Hyundai Ioniq 6’s 401-litre boot.

You can’t fold down the rear seats, as they can be reclined with the electric seat adjustment in the central armrest. That’s definitely a mark down compared to alternatives, but there are hooks to hang things from. You also have to contend with a large ridge at the back of the boot too, which can make it difficult to get things in and out.

While the cabin is as stylish as the exterior and fitted with plenty of kit, the infotainment can be tricky to use while driving

The cabin of the G80 Electrified is a lovely place to be. With lots of premium-feeling materials, a nice design and large screens to use, you won’t be disappointed with it.

The centre-piece of the cabin is the 14.5-inch touchscreen display that sits on top of the dashboard, while you get an 8.0-inch display behind the high-end-looking two-spoke steering wheel. Both are very crisp and the graphics are mostly clear – unless you choose the 3D-effect for the driver’s display, which is a little trippy.

Controlling the main screen is easy at a standstill, but as it’s quite far from the driver’s seat, you’ll need to use the click wheel next to the gear selector – make sure you don’t get the two mixed up because they’re a similar size and shape.

While the infotainment system is fairly smooth to use, there are some menus that can feel a bit complicated, so it’s a good thing there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available as standard – both can connect wirelessly.

You also get the climate control separated out from the main touchscreen. There are dials to control the temperature, while there’s a touchscreen to control the airflow and seat heating or ventilation.

For the most luxurious experience for your passengers, you should add the Comfort and Executive pack (£4,960), which adds two screens to the rear and a control panel with a wireless charging pad in the central armrest. There’s also seat adjustment, heating and cooling with that pack.

To make the car more efficient, the £1,360 Solar Roof pack adds two sets of solar panels to the roof. It provides plenty of juice on a sunny day and a trickle of extra juice on a normal day.

You get an 82.5kWh battery pack with the G80 Electrified, and that’s paired to two electric motors. There’s one motor mounted on each axle for all-wheel drive and that gives you plenty of oomph when accelerating alongside grip in slippery conditions.

Those motors combine to make 370hp and 700Nm of torque, meaning you can go from 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 139mph.

The large battery pack allows for up to 323 miles on a single charge, and in our tests, you can get fairly close to that across mixed driving conditions. Adding the solar panels on the roof gets you even closer.

Being an electric vehicle, you don’t have to pay VED because it's zero-emissions, and it's also exempt from paying the extra for cars that cost more than £40,000.

As standard, the G80 Electrified comes with an impressive level of safety equipment. That includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert, forward collision avoidance with brake assist and highway driving assist that can help with steering on the motorway.

Adding the £3,840 Innovation pack increases that level of equipment, with parking collision avoidance and a surround view camera the main highlights.

Tested by Euro NCAP, the G80 Electrified comes with a five-star safety rating – being especially impressive in adult occupancy and safety assists.

Models built in 2023 may have needed to be recalled for faulty seatbelt pretensioners. Some units fitted to Genesis and Hyundai models have exploded, so it’s best to get any used model from that year checked.

All Genesis models come with a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty, which can be transferred to the next owner if you choose to sell it on.