THE ALL-NEW GENESIS G80 made its digital world premiere on 30 March. It represents the third generation of the brand’s executive sedan and, depending on pricing, should find its way onto many a luxury car buyer’s shopping list. Naturally, local pricing and specifications won’t be announced for some time yet, but it’s worth taking note: the G80 will shake up the luxury market in a way that no Korean product has ever done before.
“The core of our brand lies within the G80,” said William Lee, Executive Vice President and Global Head of the Genesis Brand. “This segment represents where we started and we’re pleased that our newest offering achieves a perfect balance of discerning luxury and inspiring performance for our customers.”
Since its 2015 launch, Genesis has expanded its presence in the global luxury car market to include the U.S., Canada, Russia, Australia and Middle East in addition to South Korea.
The G80’s platform is unique to the brand, with a design that lowers the body and the centre of gravity to secure a wider cabin and improved driving stability.
The use of lightweight materials was a distinct focus: aluminium is used for about 19 percent of the body, reducing the weight by 125kg compared to the previous generation, improving both fuel efficiency and performance.
Engineered for world markets and customer needs, the G80 features three powertrains, although it remains to be seen which will be offered in Australia (we suspect it will only be the 3.5-litre petrol V6):
- 2.5-litre turbocharged inline-4: 223 kW, 421Nm
- 3.5-litre turbocharged V6: 279 kW, 530 Nm
- Diesel 2.2-litre inline-4: 154 kW, 441 Nm
Acoustic glass is utilised for the windshield and all doors. Similarly, the G80 features improved door sealing, new engine compartment sound insulation and resonant sound-reducing wheels to ensure indoor quietness and class-leading, low levels of noise (NVH). In addition, the Electronically Controlled Suspension with Road Preview, enhances ride quality by reducing road impacts using information supplied through the front camera.
Cutting-Edge Safety Technology
In keeping with the brand’s safety platform, G80 applies standard active and passive safety systems, as part of a brand-level engineering commitment to passenger security. State-of-the-art, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) include:
- Highway Driving Assist II (HDA II): This system helps assist the driver in a wider variety of situations than before, including during lane change manoeuvres when the turn signal is used, and when others merge in front of you.
- Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning (SCC-ML): A world first, SCC-ML, as applied to the GV80 SUV earlier this year, incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) within the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature that helps the car to independently learn the driving characteristics of – and assist – its driver.
- Pre-active Safety Seat (PSS): This adjusts a passenger seat to a safe position by pulling the seat back forward in order to keep the passenger safe in the event of a forward collision or sudden braking/turning.
- Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA): This system may help automatically bring G80 to a stop in certain situations where there is a risk of collision with an approaching vehicle detected on the left or right side of the intersection. G80 may also help detect potential collision risks in certain situations where a pedestrian is detected in close proximity to the vehicle while in motion, for example.
- Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA): BCA is essentially a Blind Spot Monitor with active capabilities. BCA helps reduce the chance of potential impact with a moving vehicle and may alert the driver if a vehicle is detected in the driver’s blind-spot.
A complement of 10 air bags includes front and side airbags as well as a centre airbag, between the front seat occupants, that helps prevent secondary contact between occupants in a side impact.
In addition, the Genesis safety platform works to integrate communications between around 40 controllers in real time to help ensure the right response in various scenarios.
Next-Generation, Technology-Enabled Luxury
The G80 offers a high level of convenience to drivers with a suite of new technology. Each new feature is focused on further and seamlessly integrating the G80 with its client’s lifestyle, home, devices and preferences. A selection of highlighted features includes:
- Remote Smart Parking Assistant (RSPA) provides remote drive/reverse functions that facilitate parking in narrow spaces, as well as perpendicular parking and parallel parking. This can be controlled within the car or outside, remotely via the key fob.
- The 12.3-inch 3D cluster recognises the driver’s eyes and provides various driving information and can also be converted to 2D screens on the driver’s preference.
- The Genesis Integrated Controller allows users to set destinations or enter phone numbers by simply writing on the main control centre instead of complicated keyboard input.
- A 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system integrates with the Genesis Integrated Controller to support AR navigation, Genesis QuickGuide, Genesis Carpay and Valet mode.
- Genesis CarPay (unique to the South Korean market currently) helps to simplify out-of-car payments like refuelling. It is a simple in-car payment service that allows drivers to easily pay through the navigation screen without the hassle of separately using cash or a credit card.
- The Valet mode is a function that enhances security so that users’ personal information does not appear on infotainment screens when using a Valet parking service.
- Home Connect (Car-to-Home, Home-to-Car) functionality that integrates with smart home technology features and applications.
- Phone Connectivity including Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
- Over-the-air, wireless updates to the navigation system.
Luxury-focused items include:
- The driver’s seat equipped with an ergo motion seat function featuring seven air cells, which enables optimum seating for each driving mode and reduces fatigue via a stretching mode and automatic posture correction functions.
- Ambient mood lamps applied throughout the interior.
- Lexicon sound system.
- First row HVAC system so the driver can adjust the heated/ventilated seats in the second row. Also, passengers in the second row can adjust the air conditioning mode/temperature independently of the first row. (Air flow controlling of first and second row is synchronised)
- Enhanced engine sound with Active Sound Design (ASD), standard on G80 petrol engines.
- Dual rear-seat touchscreen displays, allowing right and left rear seat passengers to use video and audio inputs independently.
- Automatic, twin-filter air purification system which activates an air cleaning mode when cabin sensors detect certain fine-dust thresholds.
The all-new G80 enters the market on 30 March in South Korea, followed by North America in the second half of the year. The Australian G80 launch is also planned for the second half of 2020.
Specifications
| G80 | |||
| Overall Length | 4,995mm | ||
| Width | 1,925mm | ||
| Height | 1,465mm | ||
| Wheelbase | 3,010mm | ||
| Drive | RWD / AWD | ||
| Engine | Petrol 2.5T | Petrol 3.5T | Diesel 2.2T |
| Displacement (cc) | 2,497 | 3,470 | 2,151 |
| Power (kW) | 223 | 279 | 154 |
| Torque (Nm) | 421 | 530 | 441 |
*Specifications and features discussed are for Korean-market. Australian specifications to be advised.