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Genesis Australia Going Official In June With G80 Sedan

When Hyundai decided to roll out Genesis as their equivalent to Lexus for Toyota and Acura for Honda, the Hyundai Genesis was rebadged and redesigned into the G80. After the standalone marque’s introduction in November 2015, Genesis Motors will expand to Australia in June 2019 starting with the G80 mid-size luxury sedan.
Genesis G80 9 photos
Photo: Genesis
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What’s surprising if not disappointing is the powertrain of the car. Over in the Land Down Under, the G80 will roll out with the 3.8-liter V8. Not the twin-turbo engine, nor the 5.0-liter V8. The entry-level option churns out 311 horsepower and 292 pound-feet of torque, and we’re not sure that Genesis is sending the right message with this engine.

The other two engine options aren’t available, not even as additional equipment in the options list. On the upside, the G80 comes standard with an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive, complemented by no fewer than four drive modes. The car can be set up to drive in Snow mode, and that’s curious enough considering how little snow falls in Australia.

Genesis claims the G80 has been “extensively tested” for Australian customers, and as a result, Adaptive Control Suspension comes standard. The system is complemented by Dynamic Stability Control and Electronic Control Suspension, which translates to dampers which adjust the compression and rebound at a rate of up to 100 times in a single second.

Safety also happens to be up there with the best of the segment, starting with Driver Attention Warning, High Beam Assist, and Lane Departure Warning. Tire Pressure Monitoring, nine airbags, Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning, Smart Cruise Control, Surround View Monitor, Parking Distance Warning, and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist complete the picture.

Two trim levels will be available at launch, priced at AUD 68,900 and AUD 88,900. The first of the two comes with 9.2 inches of infotainment, LED headlamps, wireless smartphone charging, and no fewer than 17 speakers from Lexicon by Harman. The latter upgrades to 19-inch wheels, panoramic glass sunroof, head-up display, heated steering wheel, and 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster.
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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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