Genesis Electrified G80 Review & Prices

The Genesis Electrified G80 is the big electric saloon car you might not have considered. Despite its best efforts, Genesis is still a relatively minor car company in the UK - think of it in relation to Hyundai as Lexus is to Toyota and you won’t be far off. The G80 is its Mercedes E-Class-sized saloon car, and the Electrified G80 is the fully electric version.

Genesis has taken an approach closer to BMW’s with the Electrified G80. Where Mercedes offers the E-Class and the similarly-sized but mechanically very different EQE, the electric BMW i5 and petrol-powered 5 Series are built on the same underpinnings. It’s a similar story for the Genesis Electrified G80, which is so similar to the petrol G80 that you might not even be able to tell the two apart at first glance.

It’s like comparing two homemade curries - once the sauce is all blended together, you might not be able to tell which is the mild tikka masala and which is the super-spicy vindaloo without tasting them.

Differences between the two cars are limited to a closed-off front grille with a diamond pattern, unique alloy wheels and, of course, no exhausts at the back. What is retained is the G80’s smooth, swooping design, with plenty of chrome trim and intricate detailing that makes it look quite posh.

Genesis Electrified G80: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 323 miles
Efficiency: 3.7mi/kWh
Battery size: 87.2kWh
Max charge speed: 230kW
Charge time AC: 11hrs 50m 0-100% (7kW) 7hrs 30m 0-100% (11kW)
Charge time DC: 22m 10-80%
Charge port location: Front
Power outputs: 370hp

That impression continues on the inside. The Electrified G80 has an interior that feels a million bucks - almost - with soft, buttery leather, trim made from real wood and real metal, and impeccable build quality.

It’s also neatly designed with plenty of physical switchgear, though it doesn’t feel as high-tech as the very screen-heavy German alternatives.

It also feels more cramped than those cars. Adding the battery packs has limited practicality in the Electrified G80 - both front and rear seats are set higher, reducing headroom, and the boot capacity has been severely reduced. Though it’s still not exactly cramped for passengers, the Electrified G80 doesn’t make a great family car for this reason.

There’s only one powertrain option - it combines an 87.2kWh battery with two electric motors. You get a healthy amount of power, though you can option much sportier variants of the BMW or Mercedes if you want to go even faster.

Maximum range is 323 miles, which is less than you get from all but the sportiest versions of the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE. It promises similar efficiency to those cars, and it does charge up very quickly, but it’s something to bear in mind if you’re considering the Electrified G80 for long journeys.

You will spend those 323 miles between charges in pretty good comfort, though. Even for an electric car the Genesis Electrified G80 is calm, quiet and relaxing to drive, and its very accurate ‘miles remaining’ gauge reduces range anxiety. Head out onto a twisty road, though, and you’ll definitely wish you were in the BMW i5.

If you fancy something different in your electric saloon, check out our best Genesis Electrified G80 deals. You can browse other Genesis deals, or find a used Genesis for sale here. And remember that you can even sell your old car through Carwow, where our network of trusted dealers will bid to get you the best possible price.

There’s only one version of the Genesis Electrified G80 on sale - it’s in Luxury trim and costs from just over £76,500.

An entry-level Mercedes EQE undercuts that by more than £5,000 and gets a longer range to boot, though that’s one with very mean equipment levels - get up to the more popular AMG Line variants and the price is comparable. It’s a similar story with an M Sport variant of the BMW i5.

The G80 certainly feels the poshest inside, but gets the lowest range and the least practical interior. You can’t argue with the standard equipment, though - all the driving aids you could want, fully electric heated seats, keyless entry, leather upholstery, and even active noise cancellation come on every model.

Very comfortable on the motorway, but feels big, heavy and wayward in the corners

In town

The Genesis Electrified G80 is a big car, but it’s much lower than the equivalent electric SUV - despite the high-set driving position forced upon you by the underslung battery pack. This means visibility round town could be better. The rear window is also quite narrow, though your over-the-shoulder view is helped by big rear windows.

The suspension ‘scans’ the road ahead and primes itself for upcoming bumps, which works pretty well. It’s definitely a comfortable car, though it’s not as luxurious as alternatives with air suspension. It also doesn’t feel as fast, but around town you won’t notice that - and like all electric cars it gets up to speed smartly and silently. There’s a ‘one-pedal’ regenerative braking mode, too.

The turning circle is quite good, but the Electrified G80 is still a very long car. Its intricate alloy wheels and sheer size make parking a bit of a pain, though surround-view cameras come as standard.

On the motorway

The Electrified G80 features active noise cancellation - just like your favourite pair of headphones - which excels at reducing constant background noise, like tyre roar on a motorway. That combined with excellent sound insulation means the Electrified G80 feels extremely refined on a motorway cruise.

It’s also very comfortable, with the active suspension providing better here than it is around town.

Though acceleration down a sliproad or during an overtake isn’t as rabid as the quickest Mercedes EQE or BMW i5, with 370hp on tap it’s certainly not lacking pace.

You can just set the standard adaptive cruise control, sit back and enjoy the refinement. There are even features such as Genesis’ Highway Driving Assist, which lets the car perform lane changes for you - but we found this more trouble than it was worth.

That is, as long as your range lasts. The Electrified G80 has less official range than all but the most powerful Mercedes EQE, so you’ll need to stop and charge more frequently.

On a twisty road

Though the Electrified G80 has reasonable punch from its electric motor and doesn’t roll about too much in the corners, it’s not as satisfying to drive as a BMW i5 when you get to a twisty road. Part of that is because the G80 has two electric motors of exactly the same power driving the front and the rear wheels, unlike the rear-biased BMW - so you don’t get that pleasant feeling of being pushed out of the corners.

The steering is light but doesn’t feed much back to the driver, and the seats aren’t too supportive in fast corners. And even though it’s lighter than a Mercedes EQE, the Genesis Electrified G80 feels heavier. It’s more suited to relaxed cruising than it is carving up a B-road.

Decent rear legroom but reduced headroom and a rubbish boot

The need to accommodate the Electrified G80’s battery pack means that passenger accommodation is reduced compared to the petrol model - not a problem you have in the Mercedes EQE or BMW i5.

This even extends to the front seats, which are set higher than you’d expect. For tall drivers, this means your hair will be brushing on the roof lining, and you’ll have to peer underneath the edge of the windscreen to see traffic lights, for instance.

For very tall people this will be a dealbreaker, but even if you’re more average-sized it still feels as though you’re sat too high in the Electrified G80.

Storage for odds and ends is pretty good, at least. There are large door bins, a big glovebox and a roomy under-armrest storage cubby. The centre console holds a pair of cupholders next to the gear selector, plus a covered storage area which holds a wireless smartphone charging pad - cleverly positioned so that your phone screen points away from you.

Space in the back seats

Legroom in the back is pretty good compared with the Mercedes EQE and BMW i5, though as with the front seats they are set higher, reducing headroom. Further impacting this is the sloping roofline, so tall passengers had better slouch.

Luckily there’s reasonable room to do so as there’s enough space under the front seats to slide your feet. No need to worry about a third passenger, either - there are only two seatbelts in the rear.

Boot space

With just 354 litres of space the boot of the Electrified G80 is severely compromised by the battery pack. That’s even clearer when you look in and see that there’s precious little flat floor area - further forward you’ll find a great big hump.

The rear seats don’t fold to accommodate larger loads, either, with just a narrow ski hatch allowing you to carry long but very thin items.

Considering the Mercedes EQE and BMW i5 can accommodate 430 and 520 litres respectively, the Genesis’ boot looks very limited indeed. Especially when you compare it to a small family hatchback, like the Volkswagen Golf - that has 380 litres of space in a much smaller footprint.

Luxurious materials and impeccable build quality make up for a few usability niggles

The Electrified G80’s sole trim level is called ‘Luxury’ and when you step inside you can see why. Though it seems odd to say that a £70,000 car feels more expensive than it is, when you compare it to its opposition from Germany the Genesis does feel a lot more like the big boss vehicle among junior executives.

That’s mostly down to the material quality. Instead of nasty piano black and creaky plastics, almost everything you touch in the Electrified G80 is leather, metal, or wood - the real stuff, too, not plastic made to feel like it. The exception is the rotary controller for the infotainment system, because that’s made of nice cool glass instead. Lovely.

Build quality is excellent, with no creaks or rattles wherever you poke. The doors shut with a satisfying whump and the buttons all feel nice to operate.

And there are plenty of buttons, too. Rather than going all-screen like the i5 or EQE, the Electrified G80 features a full panel of climate controls, as well as an infotainment screen that’s predominantly controlled through a rotary dial rather than by reaching out and touching it.

Not everything works perfectly - some functions are hidden too far down in the menu system, for example, and the ultra-wide aspect isn’t the best for following map directions. The digital dials, too, feel a bit gimmicky - their smart eye-tracking 3D feature is a bit headache-inducing. But on the whole, this is a very pleasant car to spend time in.

The Genesis Electrified G80 has a maximum range of 323 miles from its 87.2kWh battery pack. That represents a pretty poor return as the BMW i5 can return up to 382 miles and the Mercedes EQE over 400 from similarly-sized batteries.

One thing worth noting is that Genesis, like its Hyundai parent company, tends to be pretty accurate with its range reporting. So while the BMW i5 might only get around 300 miles from its official 382-mile figure, we found the Electrified G80 managed about 290-300 miles as well despite its lower official range.

Combine this with a very accurate miles-to-empty calculation and we found that range anxiety wasn’t really a thing in the Electrified G80. Sure, you have to charge more often than in some alternatives, but the accuracy of the reporting means you can plan your stops very effectively.

Plus, super-fast charging means a 10-80% top-up takes just over 20 minutes - barely enough time to nip into a service station for a wee.

As with all EVs, the Electrified G80 pays the lowest level of road tax and falls into the lowest bracket for company car Benefit-in-Kind tax too. It does attract the expensive car supplemental road tax, however.

When tested by Euro NCAP, the regular G80 scored a full five stars - and that rating applies to the Electrified version, too. That was back in 2021, so shouldn’t be compared to the latest models, but did result in very impressive 91% scores in the adult occupant protection and safety assist categories.

All models come with plenty of equipment including adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert. A plethora of cameras and sensors help with parking, and the Highway Driving Assist feature can even change lanes for you on the motorway. All very impressive.

Genesis cars get a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which is better than almost anything else in the world of luxury EVs. You can also expect the Electrified G80 to be pretty reliable, as it’s made by Hyundai - a typically very dependable brand.

Genesis didn’t sell enough cars to feature in the 2024 Driver Power survey, but its models typically perform very well in equivalent US-market research.