The introductions of new Genesis cars continue apace. In just over a year, Hyundai’s premium spin-off has launched no fewer than five new models in Europe, making it clear that this is no toe in the water but a concerted effort to, in time, seize a significant portion of the market.
We have so far road tested the Genesis GV80 large SUV, the Genesis G70 compact executive saloon and the Genesis GV60 electric crossover, and while all have been likeable for their design and sumptuous interiors, it’s only the GV60 that has really impressed across the board, earning four stars.
The combination of the EV technology that proved class-leading in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 with Genesis’s premium veneer proved quite compelling, and avoided one of the main issues that has been plaguing the brand’s cars: petrol and diesel engines that aren’t up to the standard of the European opposition.
This week’s road test subject is something else again. It’s the Genesis G80 saloon – Genesis’s Mercedes E-Class rival – but with an electric drivetrain in place of its petrol and diesel engines. Does the Genesis Electrified G80 surf on the GV60’s wave or fall into the traps of other Genesis models?