By David Finkelstein

With a base pricing structure staring at $41,750 the 2018 Genesis G80 is quite a remarkable automobile. Of course, the Genesis line is now framed as Hyundai's premier “up-scale” car division, similar to what we see with Toyota having its Lexus division.

The G80 is manufactured in three distinctive trim levels in order to reach out to a broad customer base of luxury brand shoppers. This also includes refined versions with either its rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations.

And to further help define the G80, the factory offers the remarkable four door sedan with three refined engine options; 3.8-liter V6, a 5-liter V8 and an all-new 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 365 horsepower.



The 3.8L (non turbo) with it's enhanced gasoline direct fuel injection (GDI) set-up will be the volume leader. Even the base model has unsurpassed standard features helping to set the stage to be a solid value for choosy car shoppers. The 5.0L GDI V8 “up-grade” will prove to be the ultimate expression with proven eight cylinder passing performance coupled with additional luxury and convenience features to savor during the ownership experience. The Genesis 3.3T Sport model is the ideal combination of sport styling and turbocharged performance.

As for as the EPA fuel mileage numbers, they range from 16-mpg on the low end to 27-mpg, as it clearly depends on the engine and if the car is FWD or AWD.

The second generation 8-speed automatic transmission with available shift-by-wire technology (standard on 5.0 model) and Intelligent Drive Mode (Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow) helps channel smooth yet commanding power to the cars drive wheels. The outer silhouette tends to be quite “easy on the eyes” as its had a number of enrichment's and changes for 2018.

For instance, all build combinations now have a well thought out and revised outer body design. This includes revisions to the car's headlamp housing, front lower grille assembly plus changes to the front and rear bumper cover fascia construction. An attractive all new 18-inch wheel design is also standard with the intentions of adding to the car's already tenable presence.

Furthermore, the 2018 G80 Sport Model was recognized as a finalist in the 2017 International Design Excellence Awards by The Industrial Designers Society of America. This globally recognized organization praised the G80 Sport for its elegant powerful lines and athletic appearance.

“Our brand is built on design, and the balance of beauty and functionality,” said Luc Donckerwolke, head of Genesis Design. “The G80 Sport being named a finalist in the prestigious International Design Excellence Awards is validation of those efforts. Genesis design is inspired from pure expressions of inner beauty which embody the perfect harmony between engineering and design. It’s great to get support from others in the design community for something that we’ve put so much passion into.”

With the luxurious and spacious interior cabin in mind, the engineers have incorporated a new instrument cluster plus a new shift knob housing and a new interior rearview mirror. Changes were also made with the analog clock and the audio speaker design. Of course worth noting, G80 has the “Best In Class” leg, headroom and interior space as well.

Added work went into minimizing unwanted cabin sounds with a number of improvements, resulting in low levels of nonessential noise, vibration and harshness.

If you're a ”high tech” kind of person, you'd welcome the standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay plus an additional front USB charging access port. Also new and on the option list to choose from is; beautiful genuine matte wood finishes which include Paldao and Sapele wood plus a contemporary aluminum trim pattern design.

Added safety features for 2018 provide a suite of segment-leading safety technologies of which are unrivaled in the mid-luxury segment. For instance, an updated pedestrian detection system and driver attention alert is also standard under the heading of rolling safety technology. Additional safety enhancements also included are; Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Smart Cruise Control, Automatic High Beam Assist and a Rear view Camera system.

An appealing Haptic designed Steering Wheel is included as well as Pre-Active Seatbelt's and nine Standard Airbags. Optional safety features include; Front and Rear Parking Sensors, Full LED headlights with Dynamic Bending Light, Full-color comprehensive heads up drivers display and their Multi-view Camera system.

All Genesis vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by an industry-leading warranty with enhanced roadside assistance and concierge services. A brief overview would indicate their 3 years/36K miles complimentary normally scheduled maintenance and valet services, three years complimentary Genesis connected services plus 3 years of map updates and satellite radio . The 2018 G80 Sport with AWD and the twin turbo 3.3 liter V6 that I drove had an MSRP of $58,725.