My wife and I disagree about luxury cruising. She believes the ultimate luxury vehicle is a high-end SUV. Her arguments are sound. After all, there is plenty of room for your stuff and, instead of lowering yourself into the vehicle, you can slide sideways into the seat. On the other hand, there is a case to be made for the luxury sedan, which is now a rarity in the American automotive landscape. Yes, you lower yourself into the car, but that comfy ride close to the pavement is difficult to duplicate. Plus, you get a separate trunk compartment, so typically the HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard cooling or heating the storage area.
This is the way your grandparents traveled if they were lucky enough to have a luxury car, and they traveled well. The Genesis G80 is all that luxury but in a non-geriatric package. My tester was murdered out with the Prestige Black package, which flaunts 20-inch black alloy wheels with floating center caps. It also featured dark headlamp bezels, a gloss-black radiator grille and blacked-out exterior door handle accents. Damn, it looks good!
The cabin features an upgraded Obsidian Black Monotone interior that continues the darkened theme and applies exclusive Black Ash open-pore wood on the front center console, dashboard and upper door panels. Touchpoints such as the door handles, multimedia dials, HVAC controls and steering wheel buttons receive a refined black finish, enhancing the elevated cabin experience. Even the cover for the ADAS radar has its own dark pattern, making the G80 Prestige Black extra special.
Genesis COO Tedros Mengiste notes, “North American customers are increasingly looking for vehicles that express their personal style while offering exceptional craftsmanship. Prestige Black delivers exactly that. Its unique yet simple design offers a bold new look with enhanced sophistication.” But how does it perform?
Smooth Speed
You can get the G80 with a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo that is plenty powerful, but most buyers are going to opt for the big-boy 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 flaunting 375 horsepower. The G80’s powertrain is whipped-cream smooth with the power involved. It connects to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
For those seeking a more dynamic and powerful driving experience, the G80 3.5T Sport Advanced AWD gives you the benefits of better handling in the wet and snow. If you are going to hustle quickly in the dark, you want maximum visibility. One cool feature the Genesis offers is Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology in the iconic Two-Line headlamps. This LED tech maximizes lamp performance in low-light areas while minimizing the impact on other vehicles’ visibility.
Remote Parking Assist 2
Having your vehicle back out of a tight spot so you can jump in while swinging the door wide open is a wild luxury. Hyundai models have offered this feature for a few years, and Genesis wanted to upgrade the tech. Unlike the original Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), version 2 can detect painted parking lines and curbs, allowing it to park accurately even without adjacent cars.
RSPA comes with four key functions. Remote forward and reverse allows drivers to use their smart keys to move the Genesis forward or backward in small parking spaces. Rear perpendicular parking and rear parallel parking are also available from inside or outside the vehicle. The smart exit function enables drivers to exit a tightly parallel-parked space while inside the car. The G80 takes control of the steering.
Making the magic happen are 12 ultrasonic sensors and four wide-angle cameras. Another cool technology is Fingerprint Recognition, so you can leave your key fob at home when it would be cumbersome. Your fingerprint will adjust the seats, music stations and other settings, then get you on your way even if you misplace your key fob or phone.
Interior Zones
The Genesis G80 three-zone climate control works well to cool everyone off with ventilated seats, even when everything is black and absorbing the sun’s rays. Additional comfort and convenience features include a micro-suede headliner and pillars, heated front center console armrest, power door closure, Surround View Monitor, Blind-Spot View Monitor and a Head-Up Display.
The Genesis infotainment screen looks more like an IMAX theater. The audio-visual navigation (AVN) and instrument cluster are combined to offer a 30-percent wider view than the previous G80. Stretching across the dashboard, the display delivers important updates, navigation and assistance alerts to keep your journey on track.
That makes it a great place to enjoy the Bang & Olufsen Premium Audio system. The 18-speaker system replaces the Lexicon audio previously used in older models. Total power is not revealed, and it is hard to tell whether there is a major improvement from the Lexicon model. However, the system delivers incredibly clear, high-resolution sound.
The speaker grilles are aluminum grilles modeled after Genesis’s signature G-Matrix pattern. You can tailor your sound to your exact mood by selecting from four modes: Comfortable, Bright, Active and Warm. The interface also allows you to easily adjust the intensity of the surround sound and the precise listening position within the cabin. The B&O setup has been tested and verified to meet stringent Hi-Res Audio certification standards. Finally, Active Noise Control – Road (ANC-R) helps maximize cabin silence using antinodes of the road roar.
For the G80, Any Color You Like, As Long As…
In a world of SUVs, it is refreshing to get back into a luxury car done correctly, especially considering the price. The G80 looks good, has stellar tech and offers reasonably good fuel economy. With Genesis Service Valet, dealership visits are kept to a minimum during the first three years of ownership.
The G80 shows that the sedan can still be viable transportation for someone who wants tech and comfort at a fully loaded price of more than $80,000. You will not see many Prestige Black models on the road, and that makes it special. If you want to experience a comfortable luxury sedan with serious style, visit your local Genesis retailer to check out the 2026 Genesis G80 Prestige Black and schedule a test drive.
