Genesis G80 Electrified review

There is differentiation here, too, and it’s a refreshing one depending on how keen you are to drive your executive saloon on its slickly engineered doorhandles. Because, Genesis has gone all-out on comfort and refinement, with safety and technology also front and centre.

The G80 Electrified is now solely available with 354bhp dual motors mated to a 94.5kWh battery, and that alone. Yup, petrol and diesel have been consigned to the bin in the UK. Which, based on our experience of them, is for the best.

But back to the here and now. With torque of 516lb ft Genesis claims 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds on to a top speed of 139mph, plus up to 354 miles of range on a single charge. Oh, and 187kW ultra rapid charging capability means a 10-80 per cent charge will take just 25 minutes, if you can find a charger capable of those speeds.

Sounds… healthy enough?

Absolutely. The G80 feels far more suited to electric power than it ever did to combustion. It glides around town effortlessly, and wafts along the motorway in much the same manner.

Should you decide to energise its two-tonne mass, you’ll discover it doesn’t handle or hustle as well as its BMW or Mercedes competition. But who cares? Better to wind it all in and enjoy its terrific rolling refinement.

Fancy ‘ride preview’ tech scans the road ahead and adjusts the suspension to prepare the car for surface nasties before they intrude on the occupant’s well-being, and the ride on the standard 19in concave alloy wheels is civilised enough. Genesis has also added a Chauffeur Mode, which allows for smoother acceleration and braking, plus a more comfortable suspension setting for rear seat passengers.

Double glazing is standard, while the G80 also has a system that’s similar to the technology you’d find in noise-cancelling headphones. And honestly, we wish more cars had it. This is a car of phenomenal decorum.

Or it would be, if it wasn’t for the (surprise) driver assistance systems. Look, we know these are a legal requirement now, but the speed limit warning system is simply far too intrusive, and the attention monitor constantly bongs at you, be it because you’re wearing sunglasses, or you’re changing the radio station.

Customisable buttons on the steering wheel allow you to create shortcuts to switch these off, but there’s simply no need for them to be this overbearing in the first place.

What’s the efficiency like?

We saw 3.7 mi/kWh over the course of a couple hundred miles, which equates to a real world 350 miles; just short of what Genesis claims. And that wasn’t being shy using the air conditioning either. Perhaps the languid driving style explains it?

Truly, there’s a fighting chance this is one of those rare cars where you get out after a three-hour motorway schlep feeling better than you did when you got in. Especially when you familiarise yourself with the interior...