Written by Keith Adams Published: 16 September 2025

Overview

Should you buy a Genesis G80 Electrified?

It’s definitely worth considering. The facelifted Genesis Electrified G80 has plenty to offer luxury electric car buyers. It still lacks the solid-gold premium image of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but the upside is that it stands out with distinctive styling and a cabin that’s genuinely special. Interior quality is right up there with the best, and it’s a car we’d happily put on any luxury saloon shortlist.

With the petrol G80 gone, this EV (electric vehicle) is now Genesis’s flagship saloon – and it feels like the right decision. The electrified drivetrain brings effortless performance, whisper-quiet refinement and a thoroughly satisfying drive. Rear-wheel steering, adaptive suspension and limousine-like rear legroom make it feel more convincing than ever.

Range is acceptable if not class-leading, while the ownership package goes further than most rivals. Prices can rise quickly once you start adding options, yet for the money you’re buying into a car with individuality, sophistication and a refreshing sense of difference in a sector dominated by familiar badges.

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What is it?

The Genesis Electrified G80 has been updated for 2025 with a proper facelift and a new sense of purpose. Petrol power has been quietly dropped, leaving this large electric saloon to fly the flag on its own. The wheelbase is stretched by 130mm, giving rear passengers legroom worthy of a limousine, while subtle tweaks to the styling, lights and grille make it look fresher without losing the elegant lines that already set it apart from the usual German suspects.

The original EV always felt like a compromise, built on a platform designed for petrol, so there’s no luggage space under the bonnet, an awkwardly high driving position and a boot so pinched it was almost funny. Genesis still can’t magic up luggage space, but everything else has been sharpened. Longer doors improve the proportions, the charging flap is now power-assisted, aero mods bring better cooling, and the already excellent headlights have been upgraded. It’s a clever tidy-up that makes the G80 feel less like a converted internal combustion car and more like one designed for the job.

Beneath the skin sits a revised lithium ion battery pack, capacity up by 8.6% to 94.5kWh. That nudges the WLTP driving range from 323 to 354 miles, but this is still modest compared with the longest range EVs, including many of its rivals. Charging speed is competitive, too – up to 187kW, which means a 10-to-80% boost in 25 minutes, or roughly 250 miles added while you grab a coffee. Factor in a smooth dual-motor four-wheel drive set-up, and the Electrified G80 is now a properly convincing left-field alternative to the Audi A6 E-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW i5.

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What’s it like inside?

Step inside the facelifted G80 and the first thing you notice is the new fascia. A vast, customisable screen now stretches across the dash, combining driver’s instruments and infotainment duties in one slick display. It’s supported by a row of hard keys for ventilation and a rotary controller, so you’re not completely reliant on touch inputs. The cluster has also been repositioned and works with a new steering wheel to ease the high-set driving position of the old model. It’s still not perfect, but much closer to how a luxury saloon should feel.

Quality is still the ace card. Natural wood veneers, smooth leather and carefully chosen materials are blended with digital tech to create an interior that feels every bit as special as the Germans – arguably more so in its originality. Genesis’s attention to detail really shines here, from the satisfying weight of the controls to the beautifully clear graphics on the big 14.5-inch display. Against its rivals, the G80 holds its own with a cabin that feels genuinely distinctive rather than derivative.

Usability is strong, too. The touchscreen is quick and intuitive, while the bank of physical controls means you can adjust key functions without fumbling. There are neat flourishes such as a smartly animated digital cluster, a crisp and informative head-up display, and the option to quickly disable driver aids should you find them intrusive. It’s a rare case where the interior looks as good as it works, and everyday ergonomics are less frustrating than in many German alternatives.

In the back, passengers now benefit from huge legroom thanks to the stretched wheelbase, though the sloping roofline still pinches headroom for taller adults. The only real let-down remains the boot: at 354 litres it’s modest for such a large car, and nowhere near the space you got in the old petrol G80. It’s a clear reminder of the compromises that come with this EV platform, and one area where the Genesis trails its key rivals.

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Comfort

Following extensive UK testing, we can confirm that the G80 is very comfortable over longer distances. The standard leather can be upgraded to quilted Nappa at extra cost, and the options list provides further convenience features such as soft-close doors and video screens for the rear passengers.

The front seats can be heated and ventilated, the rear seats only heated; meanwhile the optional ‘Comfort’ seat for front occupants comes with seven air cells inside that not only increase the level of adjustment – the side bolsters automatically tightening when the Sport driving mode is selected – but also have massaging and ‘stretching’ functions.

You’ll also need to spend extra money for three-zone climate control, an electrically controlled tailgate, and a heated steering wheel. Window blinds for the back are also available, should you require them.

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Safety

There are 10 airbags as standard in the Electrified G80 – including a centre airbag to prevent the front seat passengers colliding – and a large number of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are also available. You will have to pay extra for many of these, but in return some do offer a bit of wow factor.

So while you’ll hopefully never see the benefit of the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist or the Evasive Steering Assist (both of which intervene to try and avoid a crash), if you go for the Blind Spot Monitor View, every time you indicate you’ll be rewarded by the left or right dial in the digital instrument cluster instantly changing into a live camera view down that side of the car.

Sounds like a gimmick but is actually very useful. Similarly, Genesis claims the Highway Driving Assist II uses ‘machine learning’ to understand the driver’s behaviour in order to better react in an appropriate manner – hopefully making the self-steering and adaptive cruise control less irritating on the motorway. Your mileage may vary…

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What’s it like to drive?

The Electrified G80’s all-wheel-drive powertrain is familiar but still deeply impressive (there’s no single-motor option). Two compact motors deliver 365hp and 700Nm of torque (pulling power). That’s good for 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds and a 139mph top speed, which is more than adequate. A choice of three drive modes – plus a Snow setting – means you can fine-tune its character, while clever torque-vectoring and traction systems keep everything tidy in all weathers.

Refinement at speed is excellent. Double glazing and an active noise-cancelling system make this one of the quietest cars on sale. It’s hushed at a crawl, serene at a cruise and stays impressively calm even on coarse surfaces where rivals including the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE can transmit a background thrum. The previous car was already impressively quiet, this facelift elevates it further.

Ride comfort has also taken a step forward. Genesis’s camera-guided Road Preview suspension adapts damping to suit what’s ahead, and the extended wheelbase helps soak up more of the rough stuff. It can float a touch too much over long undulations, even in Sport mode, but it never loses composure. Optional rear-wheel steering is a must-have: at low speeds it tucks the nose in neatly with a tiny turning circle, while at high speeds it subtly calms the car’s movements.

As you’d expect, handling isn’t as playful as a Porsche Taycan or as involving as a BMW i5, but it’s balanced, secure and genuinely satisfying. The steering has a natural weight and the four-wheel steer makes it more agile than its size suggests. Paddleshifters let you dial in regeneration on the fly, or you can leave it in I-Pedal mode and drive almost everywhere with a single pedal. As a long-distance cruiser it’s superb, combining effortless pace with uncanny quietness – the very definition of what a luxury EV should be.

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What models and trims are available?

For 2025 the Electrified G80 is offered in a single trim level called Dynamic. Standard equipment is generous, and you can choose between smooth or Nappa leather for the seats, plus a palette of 14 exterior colours ranging from solid white through to navy blue. It’s a properly premium specification straight out of the box.

There are still optional equipment packs if you want to push the boat out, but while they add useful tech and comfort features, they also push the price up quickly. A car that starts at £75,915 can easily land closer to £80,000 once you’ve ticked a couple of boxes.

That pricing puts it roughly level with single-motor versions of the BMW i5, Mercedes-Benz EQE and Audi A6 E-Tron. Those rivals aren’t as quick, but they do claim better efficiency and therefore longer range. A more affordable single-motor version of the Electrified G80 with greater efficiency would broaden the appeal of this Genesis further.

Click through to for our ratings to to help you decide whether you should consider buying a Genesis G80 Electrified now that it’s on sale in the UK. You can find out more about how we test on Parkers via our dedicated explainer page.