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2017 Genesis G80 Spied, Outfitted With Roll Cage and Recaro Racing Seats

Introduced just about three years ago, the second generation of the Hyundai Genesis is now known as the Genesis G80.
2017 Genesis G80 (European model) 41 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G80 (European model)2017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G802017 Genesis G80
Although Genesis presented it to the public at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show and the 2016 Busan Auto Show alongside the G80 Sport, the full-size luxury sedan has yet to set foot in Europe.

In the Old Continent, the 2017 Genesis G80 is expected to arrive on the market soon enough. Before it arrives in dealership lots across the European Union, the G80 took on the Nurburgring to find out if it has what it’s got to conquer the Green Hell.

To be brutally honest, the amount of pitch and body roll you can see in the spy photographs on the left doesn’t translate to a sporty-handling car. But then again, the Genesis G80 is not the type of car to flog around the Nurburgring like an M car or an AMG. Nor the G80 Sport, for that matter.

And no, the roll cage and the Recaro racing seats don’t help with hiding the sheer size and mass of this thing. However, the upshot is that the Genesis G80 will one-up the German establishment with a more reasonable price and more standard kit. The reason for that is simple: the Genesis G80 is slotted above the mid-size segment and nudges the full-size segment.

Pricing has yet to be announced, yet the Hyundai-badged Genesis starts at £50,705 in the United Kingdom. For just about £18,000 less than a Mercedes-Benz S 350 d and £3,000 more than a Mercedes-Benz E 350 d, the 2016 Hyundai Genesis makes do with a Lambda V6 GDI engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel-drive.

If only the Euro-spec Genesis G80 were to get the twin-turbo 3.3-liter twin-turbo GDI V6 rated at 365 HP and 376 lb-ft (510 Nm) and the Tau V8, that would be great. After all, the Genesis brand is engaged in an uphill pursuance of making a name for itself in the luxury segment.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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