- When the G80 debuted in 2021,
we loved just how close it was to its German rivals.
It came with only a gas engine, though.
There was no electric or electrified version.
But that's changed for 2023 with the G80 Electrified,
which has replaced all of the gasoline engine components
with a pure electric powertrain
good for up to 282 miles of EPA-rated range.
So we spent some time with the G80.
We've charged it, we drove it, we lived with it.
So here are five things we like and four things we don't.
The first thing we like is just
where the G80 Electrified is positioned in the market.
There's a lot of news, there's a lot of buzz with EVs.
But really, when you look at how many there are
compared with gasoline vehicles,
there just aren't that many.
And so the G80 Electrified is coming in
at a really interesting segment and price.
At a little over $80,000,
there's just not a lot in this price range
that's this size and this luxury oriented.
You now have the Mercedes EQE,
which will be a direct competitor to the G80.
But you also have more expensive vehicles
like the EQS or a Model S or a Lucid.
Those are easily over $100,000 vehicles.
And then you have the smaller vehicles
in the 40, 50, $60,000 range.
So there's just not a lot in the $80,000 range.
And what this is doing for 80,000 is really impressive
because you're getting just a traditional luxury experience.
You know, I spent some time in the EQE,
and it's showing off its luxuriousness
as far as technology, big screens.
This, though, has that more traditional luxury feel
with fine materials, nice stitching.
There's lots of padding and lots of quality
just everywhere in the interior.
And those are reasons we like the regular G80 too.
It's almost identical,
with the exception of, it's electrified.
And it's a really interesting,
really unique vehicle in the class.
Numbers two and three on the list of things we like
are related to how the G80 Electrified drives.
It is the most sporty-driving G80
as well as the most luxurious-driving G80.
And that's thanks to the electrified powertrain.
You get those inherent advantages, including,
there's no grumbling engine under the hood.
And that's a starker difference
because we have driven the G80 Sport,
and it's a perfectly fine vehicle on its own.
But then when you go to the electrified powertrain,
you're just really impressed by how quiet it is
and then also how responsive it is.
There's that immediate accelerator response
once you're moving.
And you just get a heightened sense of responsiveness
while, at the same time,
getting a quieter, more refined ride.
Now, there's 10 fewer horsepower than the G80 Sport.
The G80 Electrified has 365 horsepower,
but there's a lot more torque, at 516 pounds-feet of torque.
But that's kind of offset by an additional 585 pounds
of weight in the electrified version.
And overall acceleration is not that different.
But in between wide open throttle and just cruising around,
there's a gigantic difference.
You're also not getting a very performance-oriented
overall 0-to-60 mile per hour time,
because this is not a Model S or a dual-motor EQS
where you're getting a very high-performance vehicle.
This is a more sedate experience
but also considerably less expensive than those cars.
The fourth thing we like is how there is a clear advantage
in fast charging.
And we were able to fast charge the G80 Electrified
in the summer and in the winter.
Had two very different experiences,
but when it's good, it's really good.
Genesis claims that the electrified G80
can go from 10% charge to 80% in just 22 minutes
when plugged into a compatible charger,
and that's gonna be a 350-kilowatt DC fast charger.
And that's really impressive for any EV,
regardless of price.
In our testing in warmer months,
the G80 delivered on that factory claim.
We went from 16 to 80% in 20 minutes.
And even its home charging is impressive
because you can charge at 10.9 kilowatts,
and that will get you from 0 to 100% charge
in seven hours in 22 minutes.
In winter charging, we observed a slower charge rate,
which is expected, and we went from 18 to 80% in 38 minutes.
The last thing we like is in this case.
And it's not a pair of Genesis-branded fluffy slippers,
but it's the adapter for the vehicle-to-load device.
Now, this is a really innovative way
that Genesis is using the large EV-spec battery.
And it is letting you plug this into the charge port
to use the big battery as a power transfer device.
So basically, you take that energy from the battery,
you plug in a household-style appliance,
and you can power that device.
And what's really cool is this is powerful.
Most outlets that you see in a minivan
or a truck are very limited.
This can go up to 15 amps,
can power a variety of appliances.
You're probably not gonna see the G80 at a tailgating event
like a football game or a NASCAR race.
So this will really be useful for a power backup.
When the power goes out,
plug in your stuff until the power comes back on.
Now one of the things we don't like,
and that's how it drives in stop-and-go city traffic.
Now, when you're driving and in motion,
it's really responsive.
Everything works as expected.
But when you're coming to a stop,
there's this strange hesitation
when using the one-pedal driving mode.
You let off the accelerator,
and you would expect it to immediately start slowing down.
But it doesn't. There's this delay.
And the one-pedal driving mode is a lot about smoothness
and being able to drive more smoothly
just by using that one pedal to accelerate and stop,
so that's a little strange.
And then, also, you come to a stop,
and the car brakes almost too soon,
and you get this rocking back and forth
when the car comes to a stop,
which is just slightly disorienting.
Another thing we wish the G80 Electrified
would do better is trip planning.
And this isn't a giant knock against the G80
because, really, there are only a couple automakers,
like Tesla, who are doing trip planning really well.
But if you put in a destination that is farther
than what the vehicle can travel on range,
it's not gonna plot out stopping points,
and it's not gonna tell you estimated arrival time
based on how long you need to charge,
which is something Tesla does.
This will give you nearby charging stations.
And it will also show you a map
of how far you can go on your current charge.
But there's no active trip planning,
and that's just kind of a bummer with any EV
that can do road trips as good as the G80 can,
because if you can find
those 350-kilowatt charging stations,
road tripping is actually really easy
in a vehicle with this kind of capability.
But you don't really have all of the tools to do that
within the navigation system.
You're gonna have to do that planning yourself.
The third thing we don't like
is how there's less passenger space and cargo space
than the regular G80.
There's about an inch less headroom up front
and about an inch and 1/2 less headroom in the back.
And this is not a small car.
This is a mid-sized vehicle.
It's pretty long.
But I had my five-year-old in the car, in her car seat,
and the car seat takes up a lot of room
and a lot of head room.
And she kept calling it a small car,
which I was curious about.
But then I also hit her head on the roof
every time I got her in.
And now I can see why she thought it was a small car.
That may not be the use case
for a lot of G80 Electrified owners,
but it is an example
of just how much less headroom you do have.
Also, versus the gas G80, there's less cargo room.
We measured space from 16.1 cubic feet to 12.9 cubic feet.
And that's because all of the electric parts
underneath the vehicle create this intrusion into the trunk,
and there's just a little less space.
The last thing we don't like about the G80 Electrified
actually has nothing to do with the car itself
but its availability.
Right now, it's only being sold in 15 states,
and that's a shame.
It's a shame because we like all of the other qualities
enough that we named it our top EV pick for luxury for 2023.
(upbeat pop music)