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Taking a page out of the Peter Gabriel playbook, the Hyundai Genesis has gone solo, using the surname Genesis to launch a new, um, band of luxury-vehicle players and adopting new given names for them. The G80 is one of two new Genesis models introduced in 2017. It intends to upset the premium mid-size sedan status quo but doesn’t quite pull it off. Because it’s focused first on bang for the buck and second on luxury, this attempt comes off as half baked; some established rivals simply do luxury better. Because the newly formed brand has little name recognition or cachet, the G80 has to sing higher and louder than the chart toppers from Europe and Japan. It doesn’t. Buyers seeking a comprehensively equipped, high-tech, comfortable, handsomely styled, mid-size near-luxury sedan will find the G80 appealing. Those wanting the full-on luxury-car equivalent of a platinum album will need to look elsewhere.
What’s New for 2017?
The G80 is a new model for the 2017 model year, sort of. Actually a rebadged 2016 Hyundai Genesis sedan with virtually no changes, the G80 serves as the point of entry into the current two-car Genesis lineup, which also includes the larger and far more successfully executed G90.
Trims and Options We’d Choose
In what is one of the best value propositions in the automotive kingdom, the top-notch G80 Ultimate with the 3.8-liter V-6 is the one we’d park in our driveway. The Ultimate package includes the contents of the Premium package (panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, parking sensors, and more) but adds:
• A full-color head-up display
• Larger, 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 17-speaker Lexicon surround-sound stereo
Want all-wheel drive? It costs $2500. Our loaded, rear-wheel-drive G80 lists at just $51,300, a savings of $1800 versus a base-model rear-drive Mercedes-Benz E300 sedan—which is a four-cylinder, by the way.