The new Genesis G80 is a very impressive competitor to the BMW 5 Series, in its own right. In fact, I’m currently testing a G80 as we speak and it’s a surprisingly good car (review to come soon). However, Genesis has now added a pure electric version to the G80’s stable, something that none of its competitors offer — the Electrified G80.
That’s actually the name of it, “Electrified G80”, which is refreshingly straightforward. I think it’s safe to say we’re all getting sick of EV puns, but I digress.
Genesis hasn’t released any battery size or power figures just yet but it does say that the Electrified G80 will offer 500 km (310 miles) of range on the NEDC standard. Though, on the Korean EV standard, it’s only said to have about 427 km (265 miles). It’s also said to get from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, which slots its performance in between the standard G80 2.5 and the more powerful G80 3.5.
Despite being built on a traditional architecture, the Electrified G80 is said to have 800-volt charging capability, which would place it among the best in the business. It can also provide V2L (vehicle-to-load) charging, so customers can use the Electrified G80 as a battery to charge other appliances.
We’re a bit confused by Genesis’ press release, though. It claims that the Electrified G80 comes standard with all-wheel drive but that the motor can disconnect the driveshaft to the front wheels, thus making it rear-wheel drive, to help increase efficiency. Does that mean there’s one single rear-mounted electric motor that uses a driveshaft to send its power to the front wheels? That seems wildly inefficient compared to just using a second electric motor at the front axle.
The Genesis Electrified G80 seems like an interesting car. It’s the only car in the segment to offer a pure electric version, as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6 only offer hybrid versions at the most. Though, its potentially unusual powertrain makes us curious about how it’s going to drive.
