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2021 Genesis G80 First Look

The Genesis G80 is a mid-size luxury sedan and it’s all-new for 2021. Are you intrigued?

Well, you should be.

Genesis won’t let me drive it just yet but stare a bit and the G80’s aesthetic charms wash over you. The brand staked its stylistic claim with the 2020 G90 and the G80 builds on that. There’s your big diamond-pattern grille. Genesis’s twin light bar motif is present and striking. The nose is long and the decklid short. The shape merges muscularity and architecture. Tension with power.

Distill all its visual elements into a single word…and you’ve got presence.

I could continue vomiting aesthetic praise at you, but I’m told the G80 also has an interior. Ooh, and there it is.



The uncluttered layout looks fab and the controls are smartly arranged for easy usability. The rotary gear selector is eye-catching and works well enough but perhaps the most prominent element is the 14.5-inch infotainment screen.

You control it with this rotating, clicking controller, featuring a central pad where you can draw numbers and letters with your fingers. It’ll be interesting to see how well this works while driving.

In terms of space here I am, all 5’ 10”, and here’s how I fit inside. Seat comfort? View out? And now, the back seat.


Let’s talk about the mechanicals for a second. As implied by the body’s proportions, the G80 is based on a rear-wheel-drive architecture, though all-wheel drive is optional for those who need it. For power, there’s a standard 2.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (300 hp, 311 lb-ft) or an optional 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 (375 hp, 391 lb-ft) each paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

So, no V8 and no hybrid but you never know what the future might hold.

That is unless you equip your G80 with the optional camera-based adaptive suspension, which quite literally reads the road ahead, adjusting the suspension accordingly in real-time.


Other features that suggest the G80 might be smarter than its driver include lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and remote parking assist as featured in that Hyundai Smart Park commercial.


One option I am not sold on is this 3D gauge cluster. It uses a parallax approach to send different images to each of the driver’s eyes. It’s a neat trick but a flat image is easier to comprehend when quickly glancing away from the road.

Then 2021 G80 looks the business and feels like a genuine luxury but throw price into the equation and man, you’ve got an enticing package.

The base price on the 2021 Genesis G80 starts at $48,700, including destination charges.

That’s at least $6,000 cheaper than the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. If you want a V6 in your G80 expect to pay around $60-grand. Keep things “cheap” and the G80 still includes keyless access, 12-way heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, a leatherette interior, and blind-spot monitoring. If you want to go fancy you can add options like a Nappa leather interior, active front-seat bolsters, a panoramic roof, a 360-degree camera system, and power-closing doors.

It’s impossible to truly understand a car without driving it. However, based on its features, looks, and seemingly-absurd value, the 2021 Genesis G80 looks very promising.