The original Hyundai Genesis appeared in 2008. By 2015, Genesis had become Genesis Motors, Hyundai’s luxury brand. The Genesis G80 arrived for model year 2017, joining the Genesis G90. The Genesis sedans are well-known for their safety features and safety ratings, and the 2020 Genesis G80 includes a bevy of safety features.

The 2020 Genesis G80

U.S. News & World Report ranks the 2020 Genesis G80 as the #1 luxury midsize car, saying it “boasts a lavish cabin, roomy seats, a wealth of standard features, and a serene ride.”

Although it doesn’t get good fuel economy ratings, it does have “refined, muscular engines.” The 2020 G80 has three available trims: 3.8, 3.3T Sport, and 5.0. All come with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The trim levels have their own engines. The 3.8 appropriately has a 3.8-liter V6 engine, generating 311 hp. The 3.3T Sport has the more powerful 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 with 365 hp. At the top, the 5.0 has a 5.0-liter V8 engine, producing 420 hp. All three come with an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

The interior is filled with high-quality materials, which is especially a treat since it has a lower price point than competitors. Along with standard leather upholstery, the cabin has trim options of aluminum, carbon fiber, and matte-finish wood.

The G80 also comes standard with heated front seats. Available features include ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and rear sunshades. It does not offer massaging front seats or tri-zone automatic climate control, features which are available on the Mercedes-Benz E Class. The quiet cabin accommodates five people and has plush seats.

Safety features

As a luxury sedan, the 2020 G80 is filled with safety features. The three trims all offer the same safety features, except that the 5.0 includes a heads-up display.

The standard features include forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, high beam assist, driver attention warning, and adaptive cruise control with start/stop capability.

Its safety awards and ratings

MotorTrend recently picked the 2020 G80 as one of the safest sedans for 2020. It examined ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) plus looked at the available safety features to come up with a list of 16 sedans. The Genesis G80 is also the most expensive model on the list, with a starting price of $42,550.

The IIHS named the Genesis G80 as a 2020 Top Safety Pick+, when it has the LED projector headlights. The G80 had the highest rating of Good in all the crashworthiness categories.

In addition, it got a Superior rating for front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle along with an Advanced rating for front crash prevention: vehicle-to-pedestrian. The LED projector headlights were given a Good rating, while the HID projector headlights received the lesser Acceptable.

The NHTSA gave the sedan five out of five stars for its overall frontal crash rating. It received fives for front driver side and front passenger side frontal crashes as well. The G80 also had five stars for its overall side star rating and overall side pole star rating.

For both its combined side barrier and pole ratings and its side barrier ratings, the G80 received four stars for front seat. It was given five stars for its rear seat combined side barrier and pole ratings and another five stars for its rear passenger side barrier rating. It received another five stars for its rollover star rating.

The 2020 Genesis G80 offers an upscale sedan with plenty of safety features for a reasonable price.