An electric motor on each axle produces a combined 365bhp and 516lb ft. That’s 65bhp and 205lb ft more than the top-spec 2.5-litre petrol G80. The motors can rev at 19,000rpm for a claimed smoother operation, and the system will switch from single-motor rear-drive to dual-motor mode automatically to balance performance and range.
The motors are fed by an 87.2kWh battery, giving the Electrified G80 a WLTP range of 323 miles. It uses the same 800V charging tech as the GV60, allowing for fast-charging at up to 240kW, or 10-80% in 21 minutes. While the headline rate is slightly lower than the 350kW the GV60 can achieve, due to its likely purpose as a long-haul cruiser, the Electrified G80 is engineered to hold its maximum rate for longer.
When it comes time for charging, Genesis buyers also receive a five-year Ionity subscription and a charge pass that, the firm says, gives access to 300,000 public charge points in Europe.
The GV60 sits on the Hyundai Motor Group’s bespoke electric E-GMP platform, whereas the Electrified G80 sits on a multi-powertrain architecture. But Genesis hasn’t just yanked out the engine and shoved in those electric motors: through extensive use of carbonfibre composites and other materials, its boffins have stripped out 46kg from the body-in-white. Once you add in the battery, the EV still weighs 2325kg, the best part of 400kg more than the ICE, but it has greater torsional rigidity and that slug of extra torque to shift the heft
There’s a pleasingly old-school charm to Genesis’s vision of luxury motoring. The Electrified G80 doesn’t stray far from the formula set by the regular version: a ‘G-Matrix’ plate in place of the radiator, bespoke bumpers and 19in alloy wheels are the only real subtle visual clues to the powertrain switch.
The interior is similarly refined but not reinvented: comfortable leather seats are standard, there’s bags of room and the controls both look and feel the part. While there’s plenty of tech and touchscreens, Genesis hasn’t lost appreciation of the pleasure of a well-weighted switch. That extends to the rear seats: only a real brand snob would fail to be impressed.