2025 Genesis G80 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

We didn’t have many complaints when the G80 debuted in 2021, but its little nip and tuck four years later makes the sedan look that much better. Available in Canada in Advanced and Sport Plus trims, the facelift brings things more into focus with a new front and rear fascia, updated grille inserts, and some new alloy wheel designs. Base models wear standard 19-inch wheels, but our test car sported 20-inch rims that got people talking. From the gas station to the grocery store, more than one person commented on the wheels, either loving or hating the five-spoke, honeycomb design.

The signature two-bar headlight and taillight design is still here, although the front lights have changed. Nine exterior colours are available, including the new Vatna Gray, which make a total of four greyscale shades. At least the company offers a decent red and two shades of blue for those who want a little life in their driveway.

Inside, the biggest change you’ll notice is a huge (27-inch) OLED screen sitting atop a reworked dash, a look that’s familiar from the latest Genesis models. There are physical dials for the volume and temperature control, but most HVAC duties are incorporated into touch-sensitive flat button controls. Colours here include black, tan, and a beige and grey two-tone, but our test car wore the sumptuous red and black two-tone, which is definitely the best of the bunch.

Materials are all top-notch, as are fit and finish. Even these less-expensive models look rich and sophisticated. Our top-trim test car had it all, with carbon fibre trim, shiny alloy pedals, Nappa leather seats, and a microsuede headliner. Did we mention it was red?

The Genesis G80 sedan is available with two powertrains. You have a choice of a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine with 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, or the 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 fitted to our test car, with 375 ponies and 391 lb-ft of torque. Those are impressive numbers, especially for something with no help from an electric motor, but those looking for battery-powered immediate acceleration might be disappointed.

Even in Sport+ mode with traction control off, we felt a definite lag between flooring the accelerator and the car taking off the line. The G80 sprints from 0-100 km/h in roughly five seconds. That’s not bad, but you’ll find others in the class that are quicker.

All-wheel drive is standard, and our test car came with rear wheel steering and an electronic limited-slip differential, which, in theory, should make it a hoot in the corners. However, even in the sportiest setting, the suspension allows for a fair amount of body roll. Check those fun-time expectations at the door, because this isn’t much of a sports sedan.

Instead, what you’ll get is a supremely comfortable cruiser that’s perfect for long commutes and even longer road trips. The eight-speed automatic transmission does its job in the background, shifting quietly and competently. What’s a detriment in the corners is an advantage on rough-and-tumble city streets, as the car soaks up broken road surfaces with ease. This is thanks in part to an electronically controlled suspension with road preview that can prime the dampers for upcoming bumps in the road. The thick-rimmed steering wheel provides accurate steering, and the brakes feel firm and confident.

New for this year is what Genesis calls a Micro Lens Array in the LED headlamps, which shine brightly without blinding oncoming drivers. We can’t speak for other drivers’ eyes, but the lights did a decent job when driving down the proverbial dark desert highway.

One thing that might trip up drivers is the placement of the gear selector. The circular knob is on the centre console, directly aft of the infotainment control, which is also a circular knob. It’s very easy to grab one when you’re aiming for the other.

The base Genesis G80 comes with plenty of luxury features, such as heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, three-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting, and heated and power-folding side mirrors with branded puddle lamps—just in case you forget that you are, indeed, driving a Genesis. The Sport Plus trim adds more performance upgrades than comfort ones.

We noticed a few small details that can improve the overall experience. A little padded insert between the seat and the console means dropped objects won’t disappear under the seat. There’s also a pass-through to the trunk to carry longer items. It’s not big enough for, say, a flat-pack box from Ikea, but a pair of skis will fit. Slap a set of snow tires on the G80 and you’re ready for the slopes.

Headroom is good and there’s lots of legroom in the front and the back, thanks in no small part to the G80’s generous wheelbase. The top Sport Plus trim comes with the company’s Ergo-Motion driver’s seat, ostensibly meant to keep you comfortable no matter your size or driving style. Genesis says it has different settings for different drive modes, like inflating the side bolsters and dropping the seat cushion in Sport mode. We set the seat to our liking but never felt it change during our time with the car, so either it’s very subtle or so unintuitive that we didn’t set it up correctly.

There are plenty of bins and trays of varying sizes scattered throughout the cabin, and the centre console is gigantic. At 371 litres, the trunk is average for the class—if you need lots of space, try the BMW 5 Series—but there are a few pockets with nets back there to keep smaller items from sliding around. Every G80 has a hands-free trunk with auto-open.

The biggest upgrade to the 2025 Genesis G80 is the super-pretty 27-inch OLED display touchscreen, housing both the instrument cluster and the infotainment system. The system itself is really easy to use with a clear menu structure, but we question some of the graphics. For example, with adaptive cruise control active, the gauge cluster shows you other vehicles in your immediate vicinity. However, they are represented by a 3D rectangle. The G80 icon is well-rendered with details such as headlamps and side mirrors, and we don’t expect the system to know a Mercedes from a Nissan, but it should be able to tell the difference between a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle and render them appropriately.

Another odd omission occurs when using navigation. Although it’s great having a super-wide view when you set the gauge cluster and infotainment screen to display the map, the navigation doesn’t include street names unless you set an actual destination. Sometimes, you just need to turn onto Sunnyslope Avenue, so having street names show up on the display would be useful.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is a fingerprint authentication system to keep nosy valet parkers at bay. The digital key feature lets you use your phone or smartwatch to open the car if carrying a fob is too much for you. And if you just can’t be bothered to park, or if someone has crowded your Genesis so you can’t open the door, Smart Park is available to drive the G80 into or out of perpendicular spaces.

Charging is taken care of with four USB-C outlets and a 12-volt outlet. A wireless charging pad is standard, but it’s finicky. We found it refused to charge our phone even when we took it out of the case.

The voice assistant in the G80 can respond to natural language, sometimes taking things to the extreme. We mentioned we were cold, and it turned the heat up to 27 degrees—not quite the highest temperature but darn close—and turned on the heated steering wheel. Thanks, Genesis, but we only needed a slight warm-up.

Like its parent company Hyundai, Genesis includes most driver assistance aids as standard. Expect to find forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist and lane following assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, speed limit assist, rear occupant alert, and forward and rear parking distance warning. The Sport Plus trim adds side park distance warning and assist as well as Smart Park.

However, Genesis goes all-in with blind-spot warning. Not only can you get the blind-spot view monitor in the Sport Plus trim that displays a video feed of your blind spot right in the gauge cluster, but the standard head-up display shows a little radar icon around the car if someone is in your blind spot. This company really doesn’t want you to change lanes into somebody.

Also standard is Highway Driving Assist II, a hands-on/eyes-up system that can take some of the stress out of longer highway commutes. In the past this system has been hit-or-miss, at least on Hyundai products, but here it worked very well. Stops and starts were smooth and the car stayed centred in the lane, even when lane markings were a bit fuzzy.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) gave the 2025 Genesis G80 a five out of five star overall safety rating. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the G80 a variety of marks. While it scored a top Good in small front and side crashes as well as front pedestrian avoidance, it scored Acceptable for headlights, forward collision avoidance, and LATCH ease of use. The G80 only earned a Marginal score in moderate front crashes and seat belt reminders.

If you’re looking for a reason to buy the Genesis G80 over its German competitors, the price might just do it for you. The base Advanced model with the 2.5-litre engine had an MSRP of $74,000 at the time of writing. Genesis Canada’s pricing is all-in, meaning it includes destination charges and fees as well as an at-home concierge service plus five years of scheduled maintenance and more. That undercuts the Audi A6 by about $10,000 and the BMW 5 Series by even more. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is only about $1,500 more, but that price doesn’t include any fees or the extras Genesis Canada throws in.

That doesn’t mean things can’t get pricey, because our top-of-the-line 3.5T Sport Plus test car had an MSRP of $89,000. Much of that price is due to performance upgrades that don’t really deliver, so we think the 2.5T Advanced model is a better deal.

However, you won’t save much at the gas station. Natural Resources Canada gives the G80 a combined fuel rating of 10 litres per 100 kilometres for the smaller engine, which goes up to 13.1 L/100 km combined with the twin-turbo V6. During our time with it, we got closer to 15 L/100 km, and that was with a lot of highway driving.

Meanwhile, the BMW has a much friendlier rating of 7.9 L/100 km combined, and the 5 Series is also available as a plug-in hybrid. The Mercedes and Audi manage to stay below nine L/100 km in their base formats as well. While the E-Class can be had as a PHEV, there’s always the Audi A6 e-tron if you’re set on an EV. Previous versions of the G80 were available as an EV, but Genesis has stopped producing them for North America.

Genesis Canada offers a five-year/100,000-kilometre limited warranty, including the powertrain. If you buy the G80 with the right expectations, you won’t be disappointed. This is a luxury car with a chill vibe and a boatload of features, all at a very fair price. Those looking for performance and thrills won’t be satisfied, but there is a place in the market for this competent, comfortable cruiser.