Yahoo Autos Refreshed for 2025, the Genesis G80 Continues Its Push Upmarket
The Genesis G80—the entire Genesis brand, really—owes much of its early success to what was originally called the Hyundai Genesis. Built as a Korean interpretation of a modern sports sedan, the Genesis was the start of Hyundai's determination to prove that it could build a solid luxury car. That continued into its second generation, when the Genesis planted a Korean flag at the intersection of quality and value. It also gave Hyundai the kick it needed to finally commit to breaking Genesis off into its own luxury marque.
Fast-forward to today, and the G80 continues the traditions laid forth by the predecessor that gave its name to the whole business operation. Its pricing may not be as aggressive—the 2025 model starts a little more than $5000 below a Mercedes-Benz E-class—but this sedan, which just underwent a mid-cycle refresh, continues to ramp up the plushness and give buyers a strong alternative to the typical Teutonic triumvirate.
What's New?
There is perhaps no more predictable mid-cycle refresh than one that involves a mild rhinoplasty and an ever-growing contingent of ever-widening interior screens. And hey, what do you know, that's exactly what we're staring down in the 2025 Genesis G80—although, we'll admit we were growing tired of the G70-style cabin layout, which felt more than a half-step behind the drastically more opulent G90.
But that gulf is narrowing, and the G80 is quickly closing in on its larger sibling. The G80's interior is richly appointed, especially as you wander into higher trims that introduce bits like diamond-stitched nappa leather and flashy cabin trim. The overall design is much closer now too; the G80's dual screens have merged into a 27-inch OLED behemoth that covers both gauge-display and infotainment-touchscreen duties. There's a redundant physical knob if you prefer to avoid smudges, and the whole shebang remains just as easy to use as any other Korean tech.
The climate controls also receive a big update. Their position below the infotainment screen remains the same, but they're much more cleanly integrated into the dashboard now, spilling over from the upper section in a sort of waterfall design. It looks good, the touch display is easy to get used to, and switchgear fans can rejoice at the continued presence of some physical controls.
Outside, changes are more limited. The G80 sports a larger grille, with some mild adjustments to the headlights, bumpers, and wheels. Sport models at the higher echelons of the lineup get a unique bumper that looks a little angrier and has more pronounced intakes to gobble up air.
Powertrains, however, are untouched for 2025. The entry-level engine is a turbocharged 2.5-liter I-4 producing 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Reach a little deeper into your wallet and you can swap that out for a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 making 375 horses and 391 pound-feet. All variants utilize standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
If you're wondering about the status of the Electrified G80 EV, it's on a slightly different cadence and is being treated as distinctly separate model. The E-G80 should be receiving a refresh for the 2026 model year, which we expect will include many of the same updates, in addition to a longer wheelbase.
Driving the G80
Our time was spent in a single variant—the range-topping G80 Sport Prestige, which carries every single appointment possible, including some unique sporty bits such as a limited-slip differential and rear-wheel steering. It also packs a Sport+ mode that adjusts shift points, disables some of the e-nannies, and sharpens up the steering and suspension.
The twin-turbo V-6 provides more than enough thrust to get up to speed; it won't blow any barn doors off, but it feels quick—a mechanically identical 2022 model posted a 4.7-second 60-mph time in our testing—and the engine soundtrack isn't half bad. Fake sound can be piped through the speakers, but thankfully, Genesis had the foresight to allow it to be fully disabled. The eight-speed automatic is a deft shifter, and even in the car's sharper modes, upshifts and downshifts never became so immediate as to feel uncomfortable.
In its calmest modes, the electronically controlled suspension (which uses cameras to scan the road ahead and adjust for humps and potholes and such) kept the G80 serene. A little bit of body motion makes its way into the stiffer tunes, a good reminder that this car is about luxury first and sporting premise second. The steering is a bit too artificially heavy in its sportier modes for our tastes. The brake pedal can be set to one of two levels of responsiveness via the infotainment system, but its default mode is just fine. The sportier setting adds a lot of head bob and not much else, so, best to leave that one be.
Genesis continues to nail its take on luxury. The cabin is simply delightful; the nappa leather seats are comfortable and supportive, with the massage function kicking in automatically to stimulate the driver as the runtime moves past the hour mark. Visibility is solid, sound isolation is commendable—the whole thing just feels nice. It's a fine bit of evolution for a car we already enjoyed. One thing, though: Sport models should offer cabin-trim materials that aren't aluminum or (sigh) carbon fiber. It's tired. Pack it up.
Oh, yeah, and one of our favorite new additions: There's a small pass-through from the center armrest cubby that allows you to snake a phone cable through, preventing said cable from having to sprout up from the middle of the clamshell opening like a weed growing through a crack in the sidewalk. It's a small touch that keeps the overall look a little cleaner.
Summing It Up
It's no surprise that as the G80 pushes its way into ever-fancier territory, its price would climb as well. Prices are up between $2700 and $4400 for 2025. A base 2.5T now sets you back $58,350. If you want fancier trim, larger wheels, a panoramic roof, and a Bang & Olufsen audio system, move up to the $63,150 2.5T Advanced. The 2.5T Sport Prestige adds an electronically controlled suspension, a wireless device charger, a host of driver-assist tech, and power-closing doors for $69,600.
And then we finally reach the 3.5T models. The cheapest V-6 model is the $70,850 Sport Advanced, which gets the aforementioned niceties minus a couple of the driver assists and the power-closing doors. At the top of the lineup is the $78,250 Sport Prestige we drove, which has everything but the kitchen sink—the nappa leather, rear limited-slip differential, and rear-wheel steering, plus a heated armrest and that special Sport+ mode.
Sporting pretensions aside—since it almost feels like everyone has to include something like that these days—the 2025 Genesis G80 continues its streak of excellence. It's a damned solid luxury car that, while it may not provide the insane value it once did, continues to make a very appealing counterpoint to all the established players out there. Then again, after nearly 20 years of existence, the G80 (née Hyundai Genesis) is becoming a stalwart in its own right.
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