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Cars in Taylor Swift Music VideosHands-on with the 2025 Genesis G80
The 2025 Genesis G80 combines a luxury interior and sporty handling. Read on as we take a drive in one of the most exciting luxury cars on the market.
A True Stand-Out
If looking sharp is a requirement for competing in the mid-size luxury sedan segment, the 2025 Genesis G80 is at the front of the line. This car is a looker. Part of the second-gen series that debuted in 2021, this freshly updated 2025 model turned heads everywhere it went during the week we spent doing the hard work of a Genesis G80 hands-on analysis.
The G80 already stood out from the luxury pack thanks to the prominent “Crest” grille up front and distinctive “Two-Line” headlamps. But this particular setup, the 3.5T Sport Prestige range-topper, caught the author staring more than a few times. There’s the gloss black front end, the 3D-patterned 20” wheels, the Tasman Blue finish, and the complex rear fascia design. LOVE it.
Though Genesis offers the latest G80 with a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder making 300 horsepower, the 3.5T model tested came with a 3.5L twin-turbo V6. Output cranks up to 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque, which is routed to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic and electronically-controlled limited-slip differential (eLSD). Other driver-centric goodies on this model include adaptive dampers with “Road Preview”, rear-wheel steering, and a Sport+ drive mode.
Luxury Interior
Sliding in behind the wheel, one of the first things drivers will notice is the extra-long sheet of glass stretching across the dash. Standard fare for 2025, this 27” wide OLED display looks the luxury part and is a strong contender in any debate about the best infotainment systems on the market. Start looking around and the $77,000 MSRP for this top-spec 2025 G80 seems reasonable.
A panoramic moonroof sits behind a power-operated sunshade that splits in half and slides out of the way when you want to open things up. The infotainment touchscreen features wireless integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a connection that hooks up quickly and without fuss. Even better, the wireless phone charging pad is located just in front of the center console lid where you would naturally expect it.
Located on the bridge between the front seats are a pair of jeweled rotary dials. One for the transmission and one system controller for when you don’t want to mar the pretty OLED screen with your fingerprints. The transmission may take a minute to get accustomed to for those more familiar with shift levers. But after a few uses, you’ll be rotating between Drive and Reverse without a glance. Putting it in Park requires depressing a central button.
The seats in the 3.5T Sport Prestige are covered in buttery smooth Nappa leather and can truly be adjusted six ways to Sunday. Which is a good thing as headroom for taller drivers may initially cause concern. At 6 feet tall, the author needed to spend a few minutes lowering and sliding the cushion to get it just so. But once situated, it was quite the place to spend some time.
The must-have car features of heated and cooled cushions were to be expected, but Genesis went further in their efforts to dazzle. After 20 minutes of driving, the driver’s seat automatically begins a massaging routine. One that can be customized and adjusted as needed to reduce fatigue. You can even extend the thigh cushion. Nice.
Fire up that twin-turbo V6 and it rumbles to life with a pleasant growl. Trundling around town, you notice how controlled the suspension feels over potholed roads and speed bumps. Credit goes in part to the well-tuned suspension, a multi-link design that in Sport Prestige guise includes a trick damper technology.
Relying on data provided by a front-facing camera mounted up high on the windshield and the navigation system, system, the G80’s “Road Preview” system adjusts the damping force as fast as every one-thousandth of a second. Totally imperceptible, it takes that awful jarring sensation of hitting a pothole unexpectedly and dramatically mutes the sharpness.
The automatic transmission goes about its job just as efficiently, clicking through the gears with no fuss. And with all that torque on hand as low as 1,300 rpm, this big sedan wafts about town with ease. Put your foot in it, however, and after a brief sensation of the car gathering itself, it squats back and slings forward.
In another display of that automotive dazzle Genesis has honed so well, the driver’s seat side bolsters will automatically give a pleasant hug when you blend a lead foot with a decreasing-radius on-ramp – or other suitably exciting ribbon of asphalt. This is a sports sedan after all and to that end, Genesis has dialed up the driver engagement factor.
Driving and Handling
Drive mode settings include Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+. That latter mode takes advantage of the crisp digital gauge cluster by animating the tach and speedometer needles with sparkling red fire when engaged. Dig it. It also begs the driver to dive down a rabbit hole of vehicular adjustability. Adjustable parameters include the powertrain, the suspension, the steering, and even the brakes.
Those brakes were an initial, ahem, sticking point. In Comfort mode, they were on the grabby side. Interestingly, switching to Sport mode seemed to tone done the stilted feel. However, in either setting, the brakes certainly instilled stopping confidence once fully leaned into. As part of the 2025 mid-cycle refresh, Genesis made 4-piston monobloc front calipers standard and they’re up to the task of spirited driving.
Thanks to its rear-wheel drive platform and the trick rear-wheel steering (RWS) system on these 3.5T Sport Prestige models, the G80 is a blast to tackle the twisties with. There are all manner of winding roads in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the 2025 G80 felt right at home cooking through the curves.
Cruising the interstate, the G80 tracks true with great on-center steering feel and the stability of those rear wheels rotating in phase. Likewise, at parking lot speeds, maneuvering is a breeze as the variable ratio steering lightens up and the RWS tightens the radius.
All to say, Genesis nailed the luxury sports sedan billing of the 2025 G80 and, like its GV80 SUV stablemate, surely has the Germans looking over their shoulders. It looks amazing, drives as aggressively as you like, and is packed with high-end creature comforts. Plus, it makes relatively mundane tasks like toting three kids to all the different school- and sports-related activities you can think of pretty darn fun.
