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Cars with Jan Coomans. Genesis G80 launched online

русская версия | english version

16 апреля 2020

Jan Coomans
photographer, mechanical expert and high-speed enthusiast. Mechanics are Jan’s work and hobby at the same time.

Given the current situation where most of us are locked in our homes for most of the day, there’s nothing better to break the boredom than an actual new car being launched. Sure, it was far away in South Korea but thanks to the wonders of modern communication technology we could see it all on the internet as if we were actually there. Nearly.

The car in question is the latest version of the Genesis G80. And the first thing you’ll probably notice is that it’s quite a looker. A breath of fresh air blowing through the somewhat stuffy old world of mid-size luxury sedans even, if you ask me. Given than Genesis is a relatively new brand, its designers can of course be a bit more adventurous than their counterparts working for one of the German big three. Sure, the G80 does feature a positively massive front grille — one design trend started by the Germans which I would probably have preferred them to skip — but it undeniably looks luxurious.

The new G80 sits on a new platform which is 125 kilograms lighter than its predecessor and with a lower center of gravity to boot, thanks to copious use of alumimium. Safety functions featured as standard to all models include motorway driving assist, intelligent cruise control, collision avoidance assist, blind spot monitor and pre-active safety seats which automatically pull the passengers’ seat back forwards in the event of an accident.

There’s plenty of user-friendly technology, too. Alongside remote parking, smartphone connectivity and handwriting recognition, the G80 offers ambient interior lighting, a pair of rear-mounted infotainment touchscreens, automated air filtering technology as well as 18-way power adjustable active front seats with posture correction, ventilated rear seats, a panoramic sunroof and an 18-speaker Lexicon premium surround sound system. There’s even more room for your legs and your head relative to the previous model. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

For engine choices, there’s a 2.5 litre turbocharged 4-cylinder which is good for 300 horsepower or the more powerful — and sonorous — 3.5 litre twin-turbocharged V6. The latter will provide your right foot with 380 horsepower and 530 Nm of torque which is sent through the wheels via a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system. In this era of downsizing, it’s nice to see the largest engine option actually getting bigger! There’s no acceleration figures just yet, but with ample power and the reduced weight it shouldn’t leave us wanting more. Hopefully the days where we can road test cars will return sooner rather than later so I can get a proper feel for the G80 in the real world. Until then, the internet will have to do.