New-gen Genesis G80 sedan unveiled, to rival BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Genesis, Hyundai's premium sub-brand, has unveiled the new-gen G80 sedan that has gone through a major revision when compared to its predecessor. This premium offering follows the Athletic Elegance design theme that is also seen on the flagship G90 sedan. The cabin design, too, has been thoroughly revised to make it more feature rich than before. The powertrain options include one diesel and two petrol engines. The G80 will lock horns with the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and also the Audi A6 in the international markets.

Sharing some of its design similarities with the GV80 SUV, the G80 sedan too comes with a crest grille and quad lights that have DRLs embedded in them. Interestingly, the turn indicators are positioned near the front fenders. From the pictures it's evident that the G80 does get a prominent shoulder line running along the length with a Sportback-like roofline. Genesis has also given a generous touch of chrome around the windows and also on the 20-inch wheels. The company mentions, the chrome decor at the top of the trunk stretches the full-width, repeating the theme of the Genesis emblem, while the dual exhaust finishers reference the crest grille design.

The cabin of the G80 sedan has been updated with a new steering wheel and sleeker AC vents. Further, the sedan also gets a heads-up display, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch infotainment system that displays necessary information while driving. Additionally, there is the rotary-operated electronic shift dial and touch-and-write unit for operating the infotainment system. The features list now includes Remote Smart Parking Assistant, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Home Connect, Valet mode and over-the-air, wireless updates to the navigation system. Both headroom and legroom were increased by lowering the seating height of the second row, allowing for both - more interior room and also accommodating the sloping roofline.

The third-generation sedan is based on the rear-wheel drive platform with a design that lowers the body and the centre of gravity, which as claimed by Genesis, offers a wider cabin and improved driving stability. As had been the present trend, the focus was on use of lightweight materials. Aluminium is used for about 19 per cent of the body, reducing the weight by 125kg compared to the previous one, thus increasing fuel efficiency and performance, confirms Genesis.

The G80 sedan will be available with a choice between 304PS/423 Nm 2.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol, 380PS/530 Nm 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 and a 210PS/441 Nm 2.2-litre 4-cylinder diesel. These specifications are for the Korean-spec model as Genesis is yet to announce the specifications for the international spec model. In terms of safety, Genesis is offering Highway Driving Assist, Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning, Pre-active Safety Seat, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist and Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist.