Hyundai Genesis vs Genesis G80

Have you ever seen a sports or action movie in which the protagonist makes a first attempt at a goal early in the movie, fails, then embarks on a training montage, only to succeed in the end? The lesson is that sometimes the first attempt isn’t the best, but if the desire is there, it will eventually lead to victory—but only after addressing one’s shortcomings. That is the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.

In 2007, Hyundai brought a concept for the Genesis to the New York International Auto Show and stunned onlookers, not for the car’s design (though it was attractive), but because of the car’s stated goal: Hyundai was getting into the luxury game. The Korean bargain brand? Building a luxury car? The automaker was building highly competent products, but it still came as a shock.

Fast-forward to 2014, and the shock has worn off. The Genesis was joined by the Equus, an even higher-end product. But in this time, the Genesis started to feel dated compared to its more aggressively styled siblings. By 2014 the Genesis was feeling almost anonymous. And that all changed for the 2015 model year.

The 2023 Genesis G80 offers all of the luxury and premium appointments as its legacy rivals, but it does so at often thousands less. However, with so many established luxury brands vying for new car buyers, a low price alone may not be enough. How does a relative newcomer make a splash in a market where the name brand and prestige matter so much? By offering an electrified variant of its cornerstone luxury sedan.

It may seem like electric cars have only just arrived, but the Tesla Model S was introduced a decade ago. EVs still make up a very small fraction of the market, but their numbers are growing. And the critical inflection point is coming when EVs pivot from early adopters to mass appeal.

And when that broader acceptance happens, it will be thanks to vehicles like the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80. It has an all-electric powertrain, but it presents like your typical luxury car. This format of an EV as a conventional luxury sedan is the perfect way to showcase what an electric vehicle really can be to the broader buying public.