Genesis Electrified G80 Review 2025

Prestige saloons sold in relatively tiny numbers long before luxury SUVs came along to lower them even further. Yet for upmarket car brands they are still considered as standard bearers, distilling the marque's best into a single flagship. That's why relative newcomer Genesis offers a premium-priced four-door, now solely available with electric power. Find out how good it is with our full Genesis Electrified G80 review.

There's a boldness about the Genesis Electrified G80 which goes beyond its styling. Disregarding a national network of retailers in favour of a handful of studio spaces and launching a traditional saloon, despite demand for them contracting, are both straetgies which are daring or foolhardy depending on your perspective.

Even more audacious is that Genesis exists at all. After all, it's the luxury division of Hyundai, a brand which arrived in the UK in 1982 selling bargain-basement wares, spending the decades since shaking off that association — largely successfully, for that matter. Nevertheless, going this much further upmarket is a whole different game.

When mainstream car manufacturers launch standalone, splendor-focused sub-brands, they're immediately up against a host of others with long, storied histories. To have a chance of gaining acceptance, it's vital that they commit to being in it long-term. 

Now 35 years on from its European debut, Lexus has enjoyed the most success, yet its sales volumes remain modest in Europe. Regardless, it enjoyed significantly greater brand awareness than DS has in its first decade, while Infiniti was an abject less in how guarantee failure in this part of the world.

Launching here in 2021 with a quintet of models was a strong move, bolstered a year later when the smaller, less expensive Genesis GV60 arrived. The optics of the line-up since shrinking isn't ideal, though. While the Electrified G80 benefitted from a 2025 facelift, its petrol-powered Genesis G80 twin's fate was to be discontinued. 

In order to vie for customer attention against the establishment, Genesis has called upon the familiar marketing tactic of offering more for less with the Electrified G80.

While it's priced to take on an array of polished pros such as the BMW i5 and the Mercedes EQE, its size is far close to that of their larger i7 and EQS siblings, amplified further from the 2025 makeover which added extra length, primarily for the benefit of rear-seat passengers.

Slinkier four-door coupes rather than sumptuous saloons they may be, but Genesis can't ignore the Audi e-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan, either. On the flip-side of that coin is an intriguing newcomer in the guise of the Volvo ES90 — it's really a five-door hatchback, yet it simultaneously looks like a saloon and an SUV.

There are few visual giveaways to tell the Genesis Electrified G80 from its no-longer-sold combustion-engined counterpark. Its large front grille has been blanked-off, with somewhat gaudy results, as less air is generally required to cool what's beneath the bonnet, while astern exhaust pipes are conspicuous by their absence. It's  also unlikely to suffer due to its side profile resemblance to the late Audi A7 Sportback.

Climb aboard and the Genesis's interior couldn’t be any less Audi-esque. It’s the very antithesis to the latter’s sharp, shiny yet strangely gloomy detailing. It's almost as though the Electrified G80's from another era, its cabin being sumptuous in its use of genuine timber, hide and metals.

Although technology levels slickly ramped-up from the 2025 facelift, when the upper plane of the dash was modified to house a 27.0-inch single-screen display, the Genesis continues to feel special inside, a cut above its competitors materials-wise. 

Both pre- and post-makeover, there was only a single specification grade for the Electrified G80. Originally known as Luxury, it's now named Dynamic, with equipment levels so comprehensive that 'Kitchen Sink' would be almost as fitting. Nevertheless, Genesis has held back a sufficient suite of extra-cost niceties should you wish to further increase its technology and comfort.

There’s also only one choice of electric drive system available for this Genssis, with two motors providing all-wheel drive and a 370PS total output. What changed at the 2025 facelift was a 10.3kWh increase in its total battery capacity, increasing its driving range potential by 31 miles.

While the Genesis Electrified G80 has undeniable appeal, its foibles rather dull its lustre. Rear seat accommodation has its compromises in earlier versions and the boot is unnacceptably small for a car of thise size. 

It’s also disappointing to report that the driving experience lets it down more than just a little. You would understandably expect it to be properly wafty, yet it often rides too firmly for that, but lacks the body control to convince as a nimbler sports saloon. The smoother, more flowing the road, the genter your inputs, the better the Genesis feels.

A stock Genesis Electrified G80 will set you back over £75,500, a lot of money in anyone’s book, yet it represents decent value compared with its alternatives. Plus you will be allotted your own Genesis Personal Assistant who’ll hold your hand through the sale, from test drive to delivery and later aftercare.

The Assistant isn’t on commission, so you won’t suffer the indignities of hard selling — that's assuming you live within a personally acceptable distance of one of those few studios to have a look at the Electrified G80 in the first place.

Genesis Electrified G80: Range and charging times

Original Genesis Electrified G80s fitted with the 87.2kWh gross capacity battery had an official WLTP Combined cycle driving range of 323 miles. Come the 2025 makeover, that increased to 97.5kWh increasing its range to 354 miles. Based on our experiences with the latter, 300 miles between charging in the real-world is achievable without difficulty.

Genesis quotes AC recharging times based on a flow rate of 11kW — that's typical of what you find with destination chargers at hotels and supermarkets, whereas most UK domestic residences with dedicated wallboxes are limited to 7.4kW. 

At 11kW, the earlier, smaller battery should take 7 hours 33 minutes for a 10-100% recharge, the latest one needing 8 hours 30 minutes to do the same.

For those times when you have to use a DC ultra-rapid public charger, the Electrified G80 can handle a maximum flow rate of 187kW, yet needs to be hooked-up to an 800V/350kW machine in order to maximise that potential. 

Doing so allows the 87.2kWh battery to go from 10-80% charge in 22 minutes, while the 97.5kWh pack requires three minutes longer to do the same.

Unfortunately, the Genesis Electrified G80’s ride and handling setup seems to focus on neither nimble dynamism or serene comfort, although the latter feels more like the car's true calling. As a result, it's a far better car to travel in than pilot, yet there's still room for improvement there.

Rather than adopting air suspension to take the sting out of the car’s considerable heft, the Genesis relies on steel coils and adaptive damping.

Sure, it has a trick Road Preview system that reads the road ahead with a camera to prime the suspension for ruts and bumps, but that doesn’t negate the fact the ride is consistently a touch too firm, reporting back more than just the worst lumps and bumps.

At least its speaker-employing active noise-cancelling system means you don’t hear them as loudly as you otherwise might.

Stretching the wheelbase from the 2025 facelift, together with improvements to the damping trickery, improved matters, dialling out all barring the worst surface imperfections, but it didn't completely solve everything, most notably the Electrified G80's body control.

It continues to rise and fall over longer undulations in yachtish fashion, while more composure when it comes to keeping it level through sweeping bends is required, if the driver's to be encouraged to push this long and wide saloon down narrower windier roads. 

The steering gives no real cause for complaint for a luxury car, but as a sportier option it's lacking in feel and weight. All-wheel drive ensures plenty of traction in most circumstances and the option of a four-wheel steering system enhances its manoeuvrability.

Similarly, the brakes also feel devoid of communication through the pedal — you learn to modulate their stopping power more by the angle of your foot than anything else. 

All of which leaves the Genesis Electrified G80 at its best on the smoother motorways, where it stops shrugging its shoulders. Here the lack of wind and tyre noise finally makes for the relaxed driving experience the car should be delivering over a far wider range of surfaces and speeds.

Whether you opt for the pre- or post-2025 facelifted iteration of the Genesis Electrified G80, the outputs of its dual electric motor set-up are identical.

Providing all-wheel drive traction, the identical front- and rear-mounted motors' drive is channelled a single-speed transmission. In essence the operation is like that of a conventional automatic gearbox, so no new ways of driving to be learned.

Under normal circumstances, only the rear motor powers the car, with the front motor only seamlessly joining in for the full beans or if it’s a tad slippery underfoot.

Total output of amounts to 370PS and 700Nm of torque, sufficient to propel the Genesis on to a top speed of an essentially academic 139mph.

Where there is a difference between different ages of the Electrified G80 is with the 0-62mph acceleration benchmark. Earlier versions can manage it in 4.9 seconds, while the longer, 85kg portlier facelift models take 5.1 seconds. 

Despite that briskness, modulating the throttle is quickly got to grips with, highlighting how the Genesis's urgency has been tuned to be swift, not brutal. Yes, you can dart into traffic gaps on roundabouts and safely overtake trucks on single-carriageway roads, but nobody will suffer whiplash injuries as you do so.

While the Genesis Electrified G80 hasn't been specifically crash-tested by Euro NCAP, the structurally very similar petrol-engined G80 was awarded the maximum five-star rating when it was sampled in 2021.

Within the individual categories it scored 91% for adult occupant safety, 87% for child occupant safety, 77% for vulnerable road users and an impressive 91% for safety assist technologies.

Standard safety technology includes a blizzard of airbags, Rear Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane-Keeping Assist, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Highway Driving Assist among a plethora of other features.

Pre-facelift Electrified G80s could also feature the optional (and pricey) Innovation Pack, comprosing Parking Collision Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor which displays images from rear-facing cameras onto the driver's display when triggered, Surround-View Monitor and a head-up display. From 2025 this was all added to the standard kit roster.

If you plan to tow with a Genesis Electrified G80, you’re out of luck — it’s not rated for any kind of hauling duties.

There's no escaping the reality that the Genesis Electrified G80 is big. Original versions measured 5005mm from bumper-to-bumper, with a wheelbase — that's the distance between the front and rear wheels — of 3010mm.

From its 2025 facelift the Electrified G80 grew larger still — overall length increased to 5135mm courtesy of the the wheelbase also growing 130mm to 3140mm. This is an especially welcome development as it largely eradicates questions about why the Genesis was particularly un-Tardis-like when you sat inside.

For the most part, those sat in the front will have few complaints comfort- or visibility-wise, with generous ranges of electrical adjust for the seats and steering column position. You don't feel hemmed-in, but it's cosier in the Genesis than its main rivals — if anything, its snugness is more Jaguar XJ-like.

Stowing the stout battery pack beneath the floor pushes it — and the front seat mountings — 100mm higher than in the petrol-powered Genesis G80, meaning the driving position feels more elevated than it ought. It also means that especially tall front-seat occupants are likely to experience their scalps brushing against the suede-like headlining.

It also creates an issue for those sat in the back, particularly for the earlier, less long versions of the Electrified G80. While the rear seat footwells are deep enough that passengers can sit with their knees at a natural angle, overall legroom is tighter than expected.

This is exacerbated by the lack of foot-room under the front seats caused by the high floor, worsened by most passengers setting them as low as possible to prevent their heads from glancing the perceived proximity of the ceiling. 

Thanks to its wheelbase extension, versions sold from 2025 pose less of an issue in this regard as there's plenty of room for feet without passengers' toes being troubled by the chair ahead. Those sat nearest the kerb can also reposition the unoccupied front passenger seat from the back thanks to a supplementary set of switches mounted just below shoulder height.

Although broad, the Genesis's rear bench is designed to cosset two adults in comfort rather than three. The central position is much narrower between the seatbelt buckles, with a raised, less accommodating cushion shape.

For an extra £2640, the Electrified G80's rear seat can be further upgraded with the 2nd Row Comfort Pack, comprising a central armrest with all manner of controls for the front seatback-mounted multimedia screens (on pre-facelifted models), heating of the outer seats, electrically operated blinds in the doors and rear screen, plus power-closing back doors.

In-car storage for odds and ends ticks enough boxes for it collectively not to be marked down, with the usual suspects of a lidded cubby, wireless smartphone charging pad and twin cupholders lurking behind a vanity flap all present and correct in the centre console.

While the door pockets aren't notable for being especially capacious or annoyingly slender, the quality of their finish is a subtle reminder than the Genesis is no mainstream car made glitzy.

There's a similar ethos with the thickly carpeted boot, accessed via an electrically operated boot lid, natch. But from that point on, it disappoints. Due to the depth and angle of the rear windscreen, the boot aperture itself is small and the luggage volume within is an Achilles' heel.

Due to the need to house an electric motor and part of the battery beneath the floor, earlier Electrified G80s have a modest 354-litre volume, yet despite the newer model's greater overall length, its capacity has dropped to 334 litres. We're talking small hatchback-esque levels of space.

Yet, overall, a family runaround will be able to carry more as the rear seats will fold over — that isn't possible for the Genesis, although it does at least boast a ski hatch for loading long, slender items through into the cabin via the rear armrest.

For more relevant context the Mercedes EQE manages 430 litres of luggage, while the BMW i5 can swallow a 490-litre load. Initially, the 424 litres of boot space for the Volvo ES90 sounds disappointing, but remember it has the advantage of a large tailgate for easier loading of bulky items and can handle up to 1427 litres when the rear seats are folded.

Ordinarily, we prefer EVs to have their charging points towards the rear as it's more convenient when reverse-parking into public charging stations with heavy, tethered cables. The Electrified G80's is behind a power-operated flap within its blanked-off front grille, but with a 360-degree parking camera system it's easy to perfectly position.

Immediately as you enter the Genesis Electrified G80 you appreciate that this is something of an eye-opener compared with the luxury saloon norms — it couldn’t be less Teutonic.

Not only does its interior look lush and plump, it is. Squidgily tactile and beautifully finished, it’s also extremely comfortable — aforementioned space limitations notwithstanding.

There's almost a sense of the Genesis being a luxury car from yesteryear, so sumptuous is its use of real wood, genuine leather and cold-to-the-touch aluminium. Its breadth of colour combinations amplify the fact that this isn’t remotely run of the mill, yet with display screens, myriad buttons and knobs, not to mention multicoloured LED ambient lighting, it's self-evidently up-to-date.

Wherever you rummage, bare plastics are very hard to come by and even where they encountered, they're substantial in quality that prevents your hand from recoiling in horror. It's a military mile from the typical German austerity that dominates the luxury saloon arena, being satisfyingly appealing as a consequence.

All of those physical controls, including for the air-con settings, is also entirely wholesome in operation. You're highly unlikely to find fault with a single twiddle, press or prod. Perhaps real buttons may once again become the hallmark of true luxury after all — they certainly amplify how special the Genesis feels to be within.

Original versions of the Genesis Electrified G80 featured a separately cowled, 12.3-inch driver's display screen with a 14.5-inch multimedia touchscreen atop the centre of the dash. Come the 2025 facelift and that whole upper arrangement was swapped for an ultra-wide 27.0-inch display, with a single, unbroken display and touch-sensitivty foor the infotainment elements.

If that sounds enormous, it is — so much so that the left-most areas of the display require a stretch to reach from the driver's seat. Not that you need to as it's also operable through voice control and an intuitive rotary controller on the centre console.

It all works impressively well, is intuitively organised — although some of the subsections within each category require a time investment to understand — and augmented by an impressive audio package. For earlier models that's an 18-speaker Lexicon system, while 2025 and onwards versions feature Bang & Olufsen hardware with 17 speakers.

Should you wish to park the native Genesis operating system and integrated navigation, wireless smartphone mirroring for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is but a Bluetooth connecton away.

One gripe is that the rotary dial on the centre console is of similar dimensions and in close tandem proximity to the drive selector. Each has a different feel, but it requires muscle memory to be rapidly established to avoid tweaking the wrong one while maintaining eyes on the road. 

Following the Genesis Electrified G80's 2025 facelift — and growth spurt — its price leapt by an order of almost £6000.

That means that today's one-model range of the Electrified G80 AWD Dynamic £75,615 before you select any extra-cost options. This is self-evidently a lot of money, but it buys you significantly more car and content than its rivals.

To get behind the wheel of the least expensive BMW i5 requires £67,795 of your hard-earned, while the entry-point for Mercedes EQE ownership os £69,365. Reaching any sort of level of equipment parity with the Genesis’ assortment of standard-fit kit requires spending far more on the German offerings.

It's a similar story with the box-fresh Volvo ES90 — yes, it's the cheapest here at £67,560 but you'll miss out on much of the Electrified G80's goodies and performance.

Careful consideration of which suits your needs best would seem to be the order of the day, not least because retailers selling new BMWs, Mercedes and Volvos are likely to be far more conveniently located than your nearest Genesis studio and personal assistant.

As the Genesis Electrified G80 costs over £50,000 threshold for the Expensive Car Supplement, you’ll be spending an extra £425 per annum for five years from the second time you tax the car. That's on top of the £195 yearly VED Car Tax levy introduced for EVs in April 2025.

Still, it remains great news for company car drivers where electric cars remain such good value that it begs the question why you would remotely consider opting for anything with a combustion engine. As with other EVs, Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation levels for the Electrified G80 is just 3%.

Genesis has partnered with Shell Recharge to give access to its public charging points, along with five years’ worth of discounted Ionity network use at 24p/kWh rather than the standard rate of 69p/kWh.

While those will be welcomed, it remains cheaper overall to charge up at home, especially if you're able to switch to an EV-friendly energy provider where rates could be as low as 7p/kWh. Or, looked at another way, a full charge with over 300 miles of real-world driving potential for less than £7. 

Sadly, the Solar Roof Pack — a £1360 option — which Genesis estimated could add as many as 715 sun-powered, free miles over the course of a year, ceased to be available from the 2025 facelift.

Every Genesis is covered by a five-year Care Plan which includes scheduled servicing over that period or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. With each service visit — and for any necessary work required — your Genesis personal assistant will arrange for the collection and subsequent return of your car, including leaving a courtesy vehicle with you if required.

The Care Plan also includes updates to in-car software plus there’s complimentary subscription to Genesis Connected Services, allowing you to access information services from your phone.

The Genesis Electrified G80 only is available in one top-of-the-range trim level. From the 2025 facelift this was called Dynamic, with Luxury being its label prior to that.

Standard features for the Genesis Electrified G80 Dynamic include:

• 19-inch Hyper Silver A-Type alloy wheels
• Automatic Multi-Lens Array (MLA) LED headlights
• Automatic main beams
• LED front indicators, side repeaters and rear combination lights
• Electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors incorporating downlighting with Genesis logo and auto-dimming glass on driver's side
• Heated and electrically operated charging port flap
• Automatic windscreen wipers
• Acoustically insulated windscreen and front door windows
• Keyless locking/unlocking, starting/stopping
• Electrically uperated boot lid
• Front, side and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree parking camera system
• 27.0-inch panoramic OLED driver's cluster display and multimedia touchscreen zone
• Head-up Display
• DAB digital radio
• Integral navigation system
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound system with Dolby Atmos
• Electrically adjustable and heated front seats with memory function on driver's side
• Leather seat upholstery
• Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Electrically adjustable steering column
• Leatherette-wrapped dashboard surfaces
• Forged wood interior inlay panels
• Three-zone climate control with air purifier
• Heat pump
• Multi-coloured LED interior ambient lighting
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go
• Active Road Noise Cancelling
• Battery heater

Optional equipment bundles includes the Comfort Pack (£1780), the Nappa Leather Pack (£2620) and the 2nd Row Comfort Pack (£2640).

Comfort Pack:

• 18-way electrically adjustable Ergo-Motion front seats including cushion extension and side bolsters, plus heating, ventilation, massage function, memory function and passenger walk-in function 

Nappa Leather Pack: 

• Quilted Nappa leather seat upholstery
• Suede headlining, sun visors and roof pillars

2nd Row Comfort Pack: 

• Power-closing rear doors
• Heated outer rear seats
• Rear centre armrest with control box
• Electric rear door blinds
• Electric rear windscreen blind