2025 Genesis G80 3.5T AWD - What's New Review

2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD model year update :

As the "Adam" in the first chapter of South Korean luxury car creation, the Genesis executive sedan had its work cut out for it, entering a late 2000's premium sedan fray dominated by German and Japanese brands, already anticipating a subordination to SUVs.

Within less than a decade, the media & motoring public deities deemed that first Hyundai Genesis sufficiently GOOD, to warrant a stand-alone automaker of the same name. In the transition to the Genesis brand, the offspring was renamed G80. Having replaced Japanese saloons as the value executive car proposition, it merely was in search of a stand alone store network. Forgetting for a moment that the third generation Genesis / G80 arrived in model year 2021 amidst a global automotive downturn, the luxury four-door finally was being displayed in its own showrooms.

Roadblazing editors were impressed by the bling and baubles in a Bottom Line test of the turbocharged four-pot 2021 G80 2.5T AWD.

For 2025, the sensuous Luc Donckerwolke design receives a modest mid-cycle update, most evident on the inside. Thus, the arrival of a twin-turbo V-6 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T merits a What's New gander.

NEW FOR '25:

• Exterior: Darkened concave grille, revised darkened front lower fascia lattice inserts; Revised rear bumper cover license plate bowl, elevated reflectors, darkened corner creasing and lower fascia.
• New Genesis Connected Car integrated cockpit display
  • Panoramic unified 27" inch OLED instrument cluster + LCD infotainment display, with touch & remote knob control
  • Augmented view instrument panel, extended map view (into instrument cluster)
  • Cloud Connected driver profiles, navigation routing, dynamic voice recognition, OTA vehicle updates
• 3-spoke flat bottom steering wheel
• Revised elevated center console knurled remote infotainment knob
• Smaller center stack knurled climate & audio volume knobs
• Multi-segmented LED swivel beam headlights

2021 Genesis G80 2.5T - Bottom Line Review

KOREAN PRESTIGE EXECUTIVE RE- BORN, AGAIN: The first generation of luxury mid-size sedan from car maker Genesis was less than an Equus, bore a Hyundai badge, looked and felt absolutely derivative of other Asian prestige models, exhibited adequate manners, but focused a bit much on value. The follow-up re-generation of

RoadBlazingGeorge Straton

CARRIED OVER, MOSTLY UNCHANGED:

• four-door executive sedan, 4 occupant seating
• AVAILABLE 375 horsepower, 391 pound-feet @ 1600 r.p.m. turbocharged 3.5L DOHC V-6 petrol engine, 8-speed torque converter planetary automatic transmission, Magna all-wheel drive (3.5T)
  • optional electronic rear limited slip differential (3.5T Sport Prestige)
  • standard 300 horsepower, 311 pound-feet @ 1650 r.p.m. turbocharged 2.5L petrol DOHC engine, 8-speed torque converter planetary automatic transmission, Magna all-wheel drive
• Front + rear multi-link suspension + four wheel vented disc brakes, staggered width front:rear performance touring tires
• AVAILABLE Performance features
  • electronic variable damping (3.5T Sport Prestige)
  • two-piece front rotors, 4-piston fixed calipers, (3.5T Sport Prestige)
  • 20" inch alloy wheels, staggered front:rear performance tires (3.5T Sport Prestige)
• "Top Safety Pick Plus" rated by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (2025 MY), 10 air bags

BOTTOM LINE:

• $78,280 price, as tested 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD in Vatna Grey (G80 2.5T AWD from $58,250)
• 5 years / 60,000 miles bumper to bumper; 10 years / 100,000 miles drivetrain warranty

OUTSTANDING ASPECTS OF THE 2025 GENESIS G80 3.5T SPORT PRESTIGE AWD:

• Sumptuous cabin
  • Exquisite fully tucked seam leather cabin uppers
  • Quilted nappa leather seat inserts
  • matching micro suede upper pillars & headliner
  • Carbon fiber dash, center console & door card inlays
  • Anodized aluminum accents, speaker grilles
• Jewel finish precision soft action controls
  • Infotainment touch + center console remote twist knob + finger actuated script
  • Knurled metal housed cargo bay remote 2nd Row power seatback fold switches
  • 2nd Row manual sunshades
• Bang & Olufsen audiophile sound system
  • 18 speaker, 1400 Watt, 14 channel, DTS 5.1 HD radio streaming audio
  • Beosound tone shaping
• Sport luxury seating
  • Driver seat Ergo Motion massage + posture care position optimization
  • Sport drive mode front seat power torso bolster cinching
  • bucket style heated & cooled 2nd Row seats
• Heated 1st Row center armrest
• Four theme Mood Curator audio, climate, illumination & seat massage
• Power door closing
• Active park steering assist; Remote parking space vehicle insertion & extraction

LIKES ABOUT THE 2025 GENESIS G80 3.5T SPORT PRESTIGE AWD:

• Competitively priced turbo-six all-wheel drive executive sport sedan
• Fastback profile, cinch creased wardrobe, with tandem lateral signature lighting & immense sparkling diamond pavilion grille
• Impeccable finish inside and out
• Authoritative low end grunt, selectable cabin audio exhaust emphasis
• 22 miles per gallon combined driving fuel economy
• Muted exemplary ride compliance, gentle in undulations, meaningful steering heft, progressive brake bite (with variable assist)
• Comprehensive Level 2.0 advanced driver assist lane & distance control, lane change assist, collision avoidance, surround cameras, park assist braking, Head Up Display
• Active cabin noise cancellation for tomb-like quiet
• Genesis Connected infotainment user interface
  • Drive Connected cloud navigation with Google Points of Interest (by subscription)
  • Driver personalization, Finger print authentication
• Heated, power adjust thick rim, exquisitely wrapped sport steering wheel
• Cooled + heated 1st & 2nd Row seating
• 3-zone automatic climate control
• Wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay app projection, Connected Services, Digital key, Wi-Fi hotspot
  • USB-C x 4, 12V x 1
• Trunk to cabin pass through

NOT PREFERRED ABOUT THE 2025 GENESIS G80 3.5T SPORT PRESTIGE AWD:

• Small -ish trunk
• Styling mostly unchanged for the fourth model year
• Bling -ey grille
• Long throttle tip-in hampers acceleration, not radically quicker than base 2.5 turbo four powerplant
• Unexceptional fuel economy
• Numb steering feel, Body wallow more pronounced in tight bends
• No massage for front pax seat
• Hard center console lower saddle, formerly carpeted
• Confusing the rotary remote media knob and the rotary drive position selection knob remains inevitable.
• Beosound tone adjustment is labyrinthine