The Genesis G80 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige is another platform from Genesis that continues to impress. Genesis is really off & running on their own thing now. They have their own signature. In previous articles, I’ve linked it to the earlier days of the Lexus brand.
But it’s also kind of like this: There are restaurants or vacation spots that we all know are good, right? That’s Audi, Lexus, BMW, etc. But then sometimes… you stumble on place that not everybody knows about yet. And it makes it even better! It exceeds your expectations, gives you an excitement surge, & makes you wanna tell everybody! That’s Genesis right now.
And look – you can love/hate the unique Genesis wheel designs…
For example, those textured wheels seem to be a real talking point with people lol. And – you can choose to embrace/reject some of the bolder lighting & design aesthetics of Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia. But when it comes to the way Genesis is building their vehicles around an engaging driver-focused experience, there’s no denying that this is a much welcomed mindset… especially in 2022 as the vast majority of cars have lost driver centricity. The G80 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige is a big sedan that still feels like it puts the driver first.
The 3.5T moves out!
That in itself isn’t necessarily anything remarkable… shoot even minivans are fast these days. But the way the car feels in Sport+ is just so dialed-in for a chassis of these larger proportions. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating again: Genesis has gotten their ‘Sport+ Mode’ so right!
Most ‘Sport Modes’ in non-sports cars are frantic, uncomfortable, and awkward.
‘A gimmick’ to put it politely. Lipstick on a pig… to put it bluntly.
But Sport+ in these Genesis platforms accentuates the driving experience… as it should. To my recollection, Sport+ was probably a little purer on the G70 3.3T with RWD. It’s been 6 or 7 months since I’ve driven that car, but it still sets the bar in my mind. But again, we’re dealing with a bigger chassis in the G80, so there’s always going to be some give & take. In Sport+, the G80’s seats tighten up around your body. The steering wheel sharpens & gets more resistence. Suspension stiffens, and body-roll levels out. The engine wakes up & gets boost-ready, and shift points are more deliberate. But – it does all of that without feeling… overly simulated & spazzy.
The G80 dash has an option for 3D configuration.
It’s a pretty cool flex. And when you hit the turn signals, the center of the speedo & tach gauges fill with a camera-view of your blindspots. As you exceed 80mph, the seat-bolsters tighten-in.
These features… this kind of tech… they exist to bring your focus into the drive rather than separate you from it. And that’s a big difference from the way some other car manufacturers are interpreting modern technology these days.
The Genesis G80 has optional all-wheel-steering.
I didn’t even know/notice that until after our review period. But the Genesis all-wheel-steering system works differently depending on the driving situation. In tighter cornering, the rear wheels slightly turn-out opposite of the front wheels, to sharpen the responsiveness & decrease the turning radius. But in a higher-speed lane-change situation (freeway driving), the rear wheels will slightly turn in the same direction as the front wheels. So pertaining to the real world, if you’re on the interstate at speed and make a lane change, the G80 ever-so-slightly ‘crab walks’ into the next lane… reducing weight transfer & keeping high-speed stability at a maximum. Pretty cool stuff. And the fact that it subtly slipped under my radar… just makes it that much more impressive. I don’t want to be on the repair side of it if/when it ever needs maintenance… but I’m here for it today lol.
