2018 Genesis G80 3.8L AWD. More Than Just A New Name

Genesis used to be a luxury Hyundai car model, but in late 2015 they announced that it would transform into the brand-name for a new line of luxury autos. Following in Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti footsteps, the new brand ushered in a new era of affordable luxury from the Korean automaker. For the most part, the cars are quite good - but borrow heavily in both design and feature inspiration. There’s nothing particularly innovative about them, with the possible exception of price. We got the chance to check out their G80, ‘full size’ sedan, and this time it wasn’t an absolute top-of-the-line model. Because of that, we really can look at what a more everyday Genesis looks like, and our first impression is that it looks good. There’s no denying it’s a handsome sedan, if somewhat unremarkable at the same time. From many angles it evokes either a Mercedes-like or Audi-like silhouette, and still others seem to echo some Infiniti design cues. It’s hard to not notice these similarities, making it hard to accept that they are just coincidence. From a powertrain perspective, you can choose from three engines in the G80. Our test car was equipped with the base 3.8-liter, normally aspirated V6. On paper, 311HP seems like plenty of power, but burdened with AWD drivetrain and pretty weighty body, it struggles to get out of it’s own way in many instances. The reluctance of the transmission to quickly change cogs could be a contributing factor, but overall it’s just a bit lackluster. If performance is your thing, however, you have two choices. A 365HP 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 or a throaty 420HP 5.0-liter V8. With many car companies, the V8 option is getting dropped - great to see it alive and well here. Read the full review of 2018 Genesis G80 3.8L AWD at: http://www.mychinews.com/cars/2018-ge...