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Australian Genesis G80 to benchmark E39 BMW 5 Series’ handling

The reworked Genesis G80 large sedan - an update of what is currently sold in Australia as the standalone Hyundai Genesis - will get a substantial local suspension re-work ahead of its September launch to make it more dynamically adept.


And Hyundai's local team based in Sydney (read our deep-dive of their operations) has benchmarked the car against what's generally regarded as one of the best-handling large sedans ever made: the E39 BMW 5 Series.

The current Hyundai Genesis 3.8-litre six ($61,500 to $82,000) has been quite popular among limo drivers against the Holden Caprice, with a few kicking around with north of 200,000km on the clock already.

But while it's established itself as a cushy, spacious and plush model that reflects its challenger status, it's not about to set any handling benchmarks.

The updated one just might, though, considering what we understand has been conducted with the local tune, which took inspiration from an E39 the local team sourced.

Car enthusiasts out there will know full well what to expect from the RWD G80 update now: sublime handling balanced with a ride so good you barely notice it.

Pictured: Genesis G70

Whether we get the new 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 offering 272kW of power and 509Nm of torque as part of our Genesis G80 update remains to be seen.

The Genesis G80 will arrive concurrently with the hyped new Genesis G70, a rear-drive rival to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Lexus IS that'll put Hyundai's dedicated luxury arm on the map.

Unlike Lexus, Hyundai Australia has long said it would launch the Genesis brand using a dealer-within-a-dealer approach, meaning dedicated sections within extant Hyundai dealers. In time you'd expect standalone Genesis sites.

Beyond this, Genesis will add a sporty crossover SUV, previewed by the GV80 earlier this year - the first of two high-riding models in production before the end of 2020.

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