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2021 Genesis G80: more details released

The new 2021 Genesis G80 has gone on sale in its home market of South Korea, less than a month after it was unveiled globally.


Details on Australian models due in local showrooms by the end of this year are yet to be released, however new information out of South Korea sheds some light on what might be available here.

In South Korea, the Genesis G80 will come with three engine options. A turbo 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 223kW and 421Nm, a turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with 279kW and 530Nm, and a turbo 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel generating 154kW and 441Nm.

While Hyundai and Genesis representatives in Australia are yet to confirm any local details, Drive believes all three engine options will be offered locally – as Genesis Australia will for its luxury SUV GV80 – each backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Genesis claims the overall weight of the new generation G80 limousine has been trimmed thanks to extensive use of aluminium. The result is a claimed saving of up to 125kg from the previous model.

 

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‘Road Preview’ technology scans the road ahead and pre-emptively adjusts the electronic suspension in readiness for bumps and thumps.

Earlier this year a Genesis G80 had been spotted testing in Sydney, confirming the model will receive bespoke Australian suspension tuning as is customary for Genesis and Hyundai models.

Exterior design remains unchanged from what was unveiled earlier this month. Twin horizontal headlights and tail-lights echo the same treatment on the GV80 SUV.

The Genesis ‘crest grille’ features up front with a ‘Parabolic Line’ running the side of the bodywork connecting the front and rear lights. ‘Power lines’ also emphasise the width of the guards housing 20-inch wheels.

Chrome trim accents the body’s front, side and rear and shaped exhaust tips mirror the Crest Grille design.

 

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Inside, a thin air vent runs the width of the dashboard. A 12.3-inch instrument cluster, heads-up display and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen populate the upper dashboard.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are finally included in the infotainment system (the current Genesis G80 lacks this smartphone technology) and the touchscreen can recognise handwriting (for occupants who don’t want to use a keyboard input).

The instrument cluster is able to scan a driver’s eyes to detect drowsiness and pre-empt the information the driver is looking for..

The leather seats have seven air cells for ergonomic adjustment, including preset ‘stretching mode’ to reduce driver fatigue and automatic posture correction.

 

Drive

Soft-touch fabrics, open-pore wood trims and ambient lighting appear throughout the cabin. Touch screens for rear passengers can also be used independently from the others.

A lowered seating position for occupants increases cabin space while also allowing for more slope in the roofline. Heating and cooling can be set independently for front and rear occupants, however fan speed is shared.

The G80 also features an automatic air cleaning mode that utilises a twin-filter air purification system, activated when cabin sensors detect dust.

An ‘Active Sound Design’ system – for petrol models – projects synthetic engine sounds back into the cabin and is able to be customised by the driver.

A ‘Remote Start Parking Assistant’ automates reverse and parallel parking and is able to be activated by drivers from inside or outside the car.

‘Highway Driving Assist II’ includes adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance with speed limit integration and ‘Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning’ combines adaptive cruise control with autonomous driving.

 

Drive

A ‘Pre-active Safety Seat’ system will reposition the passenger seat to a safer position in the event of a forward collision or emergency manoeuvre, while ‘Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist’ technology may autonomously brake when the vehicle detects a potential collision with another to its left or right in an intersection. ‘Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist’ also alerts the driver of hazards and can assist.

Safety systems in the new Genesis G80 have more than 40 controllers, while 10 airbags protect occupants should the worst happen.

The new Genesis G80 is due for Australian release in late 2020.

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