Genesis continues G80 range expansion with Sport

GENESIS will be taking its G80 luxury sedan to new sporting heights for Australia when it launches the G80 Sport in the fourth quarter, although pricing and most of the key specification details are yet to be confirmed.

So little has been revealed about the new variant that nobody truly knows where it will sit in the range but given rear-wheel steering will be offered, it is expected to slot in at the top of the line-up.

The rest of the local Genesis portfolio supports this theory as the Sport package is available on most models, though a decked out G70 2.0T (with Sport Line package) still can’t quite match the dynamic arsenal of the 3.3T Sport.

With this in mind, expect the G80 Sport to be powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 as the current G80 3.5T which churns out a healthy 279kW/530Nm.

All-wheel-drive is also likely, while an eight-speed automatic transmission is all but guaranteed.

To mark it out as the athlete of the range, the G80 Sport will don a sportier body kit than its more elegant stablemates as well as a darker chrome grille, black headlight bezels, “dark glossy” chrome trim accents, unique 20-inch alloys and a new rear diffuser.

A new Cavendish Red hero colour will be offered exclusively on the Sport, reportedly inspired by a cliffside on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Inside the cabin is a new three-spoke sports steering wheel and the choice of aluminium, carbon or “diamond-patterned hybrid” weave dash trim. More unique touches and appointments will be revealed closer to the new variant’s launch.

“The Genesis G80 Sport delivers the best value to customers who want to enjoy the perfect balance of ‘Athletic Elegance’ from the G80 combined with a more dynamic driving experience,” Genesis said in a statement.

While it’s hard to ascertain exactly how far up Genesis will turn the sporty wick with the G80 Sport, it’s even harder to pin down a definitive rival for it.

The BMW M550i is massively more powerful (390kW/750Nm) and is sure to be more expensive at $139,900 before on-road costs, even in Pure form, while the lesser 530i is almost 100kW down on the force-fed Korean six.

On paper at least, the G80 Sport’s closest rival looks to be the Audi A6 55 TFSI quattro S Line that retails for $116,000 and packs a 250kW/500Nm six-cylinder punch as well as AWD.

Chances are that the big German will still be more than 10 grand more expensive than the G80 while nursing a 29kW/30Nm power handicap.

Genesis has sold 28 G80s so far this year ending June, accounting for 1.7 per cent of the $70,000-plus large car segment – well off the pace of the class-leading Mercedes-Benz E-Class (551/33.1 per cent).