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With the Geneva Motor Show’s cancellation due to the coronavirus outbreaks, automakers have been forced to take to the Internet to show off the wares they’d hoped to reveal to the media directly. Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis, for example, used Instagram to unveil its all-new, second-generation G80. But this midsize sedan looks so spectacular, we wish we’d had the chance to see it debut in person.
Genesis calls its design language for this car “athletic elegance,” which seems fitting, given both how strong and classy the vehicle looks. The G80 has a sporty, coupe-like sloping roof in the back, somewhat like the Porsche Panamera and Audi A7. It offers stately style on both the exterior and interior that read like a far more expensive brand.
The G80’s new appearance will look familiar to those who saw the fetching GV80 SUV that Genesis featured in its Super Bowl ad with John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. The two cars share both a grille and the two-line lighting detailing on the outside. The same goes inside, with the super-wide 14.5-inch touchscreen and dashboard-spanning climate control vent.
Those visual similarities between the G80 and GV80 aren’t all that surprising: the two cars will use the same rear-wheel-drive-based chassis, and will almost certainly employ the same turbocharged engines (a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V6) as well.
2020 looks like it could well be a breakout year for Genesis. The brand doubled its U.S. sales volume in 2019, even without an SUV, and took home J.D. Power’s award for the best initial quality. With Hyundai and Kia vehicles reeling in prestigious nods for best safety and best value and the Telluride taking home all the awards, Americans should be giving every Hyundai Motor Group car — including the luxury ones — a close look.
