Genesis is officially hopping on the EV bandwagon with an all-electric adaptation of the G80. It largely inherits the design of its combustion-engined sibling while adding a charging port behind the closed-off front grille. The lower grille is narrower than on the ICE model and the wheels are exclusive to the Electrified G80. The rear bumper is slightly different, and for obvious reasons, it no longer incorporates dual exhaust tips.
Hyundai's luxury division says the Electrified G80 has standard all-wheel drive and can switch between rear- and all-wheel drive automatically. That means there's an electric motor at the rear and another one at the front, with the latter being shut off to enable RWD and improve efficiency when the extra power is not needed.
Gallery: Genesis Electrified G80
The AWD-only electric sedan has a combined output of 365 horsepower (272 kilowatts) and a massive instant torque of 516 pound-feet (700 Newton-meters). In Sport mode, the dual-motor setup enables a sprint to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds based on testing done at Genesis' R&D center.
Much like dedicated EVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the Electrified G80 features a technology called Vehicle to Load (V2L). That translates to bidirectional charging, allowing owners to use electric power of 3.6 kW to juice up household appliances. More importantly, the elegant sedan supports fast-charging at 350 kW, resulting in a charge from 10 to 80 percent in only 22 minutes.
As far as range is concerned, Genesis says the Electrified G80 does more than 310 miles (500 kilometers) in NEDC, which will likely result in a significantly lower WLTP number and an even lower EPA rating. Based on the South Korean certification system, the undisclosed battery pack lasts an estimated 265 miles (427 km) when the vehicle is fitted with those elegant 19-inch multi-spoke wheels. A solar roof harvests the sun's power to increase efficiency.
An Electric Crossover Is Not Far Behind:
Inherited from the GV80 SUV, the Active Noise Control-Road reduces road noise by measuring and analyzing road noises and generating soundwaves with opposite frequencies. For a silky-smooth ride, the Electrified G80 also boasts an adaptive suspension by working with a front camera to scan the road up ahead and pre-set the dampers to iron out bumps.
Genesis says it will release additional details about the US-spec Electrified G80 later this year when we're also expecting to see the firm's first dedicated EV, the GV60 crossover. Meanwhile, the ICE-less G80 debuts today at Auto Shanghai with an exclusive Matira Blue exterior and a two-tone Dark Green cabin.
It's joined at the show in Shanghai by the stunning Genesis X coupe making its debut in Asia. The two are sharing the spotlight with no fewer than four GV80 SUVs and a pair of conventionally powered G80 sedans.
Source: Genesis