A legitimate, head-turning midsize luxury sedan, the redesigned 2021 Genesis G80 signals that Hyundai’s prestige brand is officially ready for prime time.

Hyundai has long flirted with the idea of a luxury brand. The first Hyundai Genesis sedan went on sale more than a decade ago, and the redesigned 2021 Genesis G80 sedan is essentially the third-generation iteration of that original attempt at delivering premium design, quality, and performance.

The new 2021 G80 also arrives at the same time that Genesis is ready for the big leagues. It finally has an SUV to sell (the GV80), and the latest Genesis models wear a daring and distinctive design language all their own. Plus, by 2022, the entire Genesis lineup will be updated with the new look and fleshed out with a new compact crossover (the GV70). And, you can bet electrification is coming soon.

Though North Americans are seemingly unable to quench their thirst for SUVs, the 2021 Genesis G80 nevertheless serves as a foundational building block for the brand. It comes with a choice between a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and twin-turbocharged V6, with standard all-wheel drive (AWD; rear-wheel drive (RWD) is not offered in Canada).

Prices start at an MSRP of $66,000, and Canadian pricing includes all fees and destination charges as well as personal delivery and five years of door-to-door scheduled maintenance. Our test car was a G80 3.5T AWD Prestige Package (U.S. model shown; Tasman Blue paint is not available in Canada). It costs $76,000, which is about $8,000 more than a loaded version of the previous Genesis G80 and pits this midsize luxury sedan squarely against heavy hitters like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.