The Genesis G80 Celebrates its 1st Birthday With Loads of Updates

The Genesis Brand and its midsize G80 sedan are just a year old, but the 2018 model is already primed for a handful of slick updates.

Visually, the updates to the 2018 G80 are significant, considering it’s only passing its first birthday. Up front, these changes include a new grille with more rounded sides in place of the old hexagon grille and an updated lower bumper fascia with more shape to it instead of last year’s straight-across look. Genesis also adds in new standard 18-inch wheels and available LED headlights. The rear gets a few tweaks in the form of a new, slimmer high-mount brake light and a lower rear bumper area with a new chrome accent.

Inside, the mild updates continue with a new front tray console, analog clock, rearview mirror, stainless-aluminum-finished door speaker grilles, an analog fuel meter in place of the digital unit, standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a second USB port in the front console, and optional wireless charging. The audio system gets two new additions: Quantum Logic Surround and Clari-Fi music restoration.

Safety is another area the G80 is getting some useful updates. It was already an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus, but Genesis enhances it with standard pedestrian detection and driver attention alert. A new option is the available 360-degree multi-view camera.

Two engines carry over for 2018, including the 311-horsepower 3.8-liter V-6 and the 420-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8. A new option for the G80 in 2018 is the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 with 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive will be available on all 2018 G80 models.

2018 Genesis G80 Sport (Credit: © Genesis)

While all those updates are great, probably Hyundai’s shining achievement for the 2018 G80 is the new Sport model. This more performance-oriented sedan uses the 365-horsepower 3.3-liter V-6 paired with a sport-tuned eight-speed transmission, upgraded brakes, and an upgraded Enhanced Damping Control suspension.

The visual updates on the Sport model include a crosshatched dark-chrome grille, a sportier front bumper, LED headlights with copper accents around the bulbs, black mirror covers, rocker extensions, dark-chrome 19-inch rollers with copper accents, a dark-chrome quad-exhaust system, a sporty rear diffuser, and tinted taillight covers.

The 2018 G80 Sport will hit showrooms in May with a starting price of $55,250 with rear-wheel drive. The 2018 G80 with the 3.8-liter and 5.0-liter will arrive in the summer with starting prices of $41,750 and $59,500, respectively. All-wheel drive will add $2,500 to each model’s base price.