A surprisingly practical luxury electric sedan for families
By Tace Clifford
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The 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 is suuuuch a beautiful car and it is so nice to drive I want it in my garage!Â
Let's find out how good it is as a BabyDrive when I put it through our testing.
The Genesis Electrified G80 is stunning both outside…
…and inside, where it feels truly special beyond your usual luxury car brands and closer to Bentley than BMW!
In the back of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80, there are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, there are top tether anchorages for all three rear seats in the parcel shelf behind the headrests.
The rear seats are quite sculpted, which makes fitting three child seats across tricky. I found two Infasecure child seats fit really comfortably in the outer seats. I installed the Achieve More and Infasecure Aspire More in the outer two seats.
When my daughter's friend came for a play date I could squeeze the Versatile Folding Booster Seat in beside them.
As I would expect from a quite large sedan, the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 has good legroom. We found with a rear-facing child seat installed in the back we could fit a 180cm driver or a 184cm front passenger. With forward-facing child seats installed, we found a 186cm driver or front passenger can sit in the front.
Rear passengers are also really well protected from the sun in the Electrified G80 with built-in window blinds in the rear doors.
There is also an electric window blind in the rear windscreen, which is great for protecting rear-facing infants from the sun whilst driving. This automatically drops down when you reverse and automatically raises again afterwards.
Passengers in the Genesis Electrified G80 are very well looked after with creature comforts. There are media screens on the back of both front seats.
These are controlled by a panel in a fold-down armrest in the central seat back and unfortunately, the kids can take over the whole media system as well as the air-conditioning in the car using these screens and the controls, which can drive the parents potty and there seems to be no way of locking them out! So I found it best to leave the armrest folded up during my week with the Genesis Electrified G80.
The rear armrest is also a good source of storage. If you lift the main pad, there is a big storage area underneath, as well as USB sockets and a place to plug in headphones for the screens. Two cup holders pop out of the front of the armrest as well.
Apart from this, storage in the back is quite minimal with small map pockets and door bins. In the front, the door bins will also only hold a 600ml disposable bottle.
Storage in the front of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 is otherwise very good. There are two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a phone charging pad.
The glove box is a good size as well as the central console box and there is a glasses case in the ceiling.
In the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80, there is room for nine shopping bags., this is five less than the non-electric Genesis G80 which holds fourteen bags and is is comparable to the VW Arteon and Tesla Model S that both hold fifteen shopping bags
A twin pram will fit in the boot with a little room on top of it for bags.
A single pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 with three shopping bags around it.
If you are at the stage of a compact stroller, these will fit in the boot easily with six bags beside it.
You can't put your pet dog in the boot of the Genesis Electrified G80 because it has a fixed parcel shelf.
The Genesis Electrified G80 has solar panels in the roof which are said to add around 3km a day in the European sun, so in our Australian summer this must add even more!
The charging socket is very discreetly hidden in the blanked-out front grille. The Genesis Electrified G80 does about 520km to a full battery range and we found at an ultra-fast charger we could top the battery right up in just 22 minutes.
Being a luxury, fully electric sedan the Genesis Electrified G80 has all the benefits of electric cars for families. You can do your daily school and daycare drop-offs without churning through fuel. You can drive your kids to sleep and sit with the aircon running while they sleep or sit waiting at school pick-up with the aircon running without wasting fuel or polluting the nearby air and if you are charging the G80 using solar at home then you can feel even better about it!
The Genesis Electrified G80 is a beautifully smooth car to drive, with light steering and passengers are cocooned from any road or wind noise. When you slip it into Sport mode it tenses up and becomes very fun to drive. Acceleration is instant and it's very fast too!
The media system is fantastic in the Genesis Electrified G80. It is very modern and easy to navigate and use.
The climate controls are done through the media screen and you can switch it to driver aircon only which is a great way of saving battery when you have dropped the kids off and it is just you in the car.
There are rear air vents in the Electrified G80 to keep rear passengers nice and comfortable. There are controls for these on the back of the central console box…
… you can also control the front and rear climate through the media screen as well as with controls below the media screen. Unfortunately the rear media screens and armrest control panel also provide children with the opportunity to fiddle with the temperature and fan speed, which I could find no way of preventing and was super annoying.
The 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 also has Quiet Mode. This brings the sound from the rear speakers through to the front at the press of a button. I love this for when my little one falls asleep in the back. Sounds of Nature is also a fantastic white noise generator for when you are trying to get your kids to sleep in the car – and it sounds fantastic through the amazing speakers in this car, especially the forest setting where it gives the sensation of being surrounded by singing birds!
You can control the seats through the media screen and the driver massage seat which is a welcome feature!
There is built-in sat-nav as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The EV screen in the media system is really helpful, it shows your battery range with and without the aircon. So if you have only just enough range to get somewhere you can see if you lower the aircon or turn it off you may have ample range. It really helps when planning a longer trip. It also shows you how much power is being generated by those solar panels on the roof.
When you put it into reverse the rear window blind automatically lowers…
…and you have a lovely clear camera image to view from.
There is also a 360-degree camera image, which makes parking and manoeuvring nice and easy.
The 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 has another special feature; it has remote parking, so you can turn the car on and drive it forwards and backwards just using the key fob, which is really handy in tight parking spaces to prevent opening the doors into cars parked beside you.
Overall the Genesis Electrified G80 is a pretty special-looking and special-driving car! The fact it has good battery range and is practical as a family car too makes it a winner as a BabyDrive for those with the budget! If you have one in your garage I will be extremely jealous (although do let me know if you figure out how to stop the kids from messing with the aircon from the back seat).
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 with room to put a few bags on top of it.
The tandem pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80, with two shopping bags beside it.
The single pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 with three shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 with six shopping bags around it.
You can't transport a dog in the boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 luxury sedan because it has a fixed parcel shelf.
The boot of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 is carpeted which is good for an emergency nappy change and there is a removable cargo net that is great for holding lunchboxes and soccer balls so they don't move around the boot.
Storage in the cabin of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 is relatively compact. In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. In front of them is a wireless phone pad.
There is a central console storage box behind them.
The glove box will hold a purse and iPad with the manual and in the ceiling, there are lit vanity mirrors and a lined glasses case.
The door bins in the front are not very practical and a 600ml water bottle will only just fit in it.
In the back of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80, storage is equally minimal. There are map pockets on the back of both front seats, they will hold but not conceal an iPad.
A fold-down armrest in the central seat back contains two cup holders that come out of the end. They will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. A large storage box and controls for the media screen and seats are there too.
The rear door bins are even smaller than in front. You can just wedge a disposable 600ml water bottle in them and there are also the little storage wells in the door handles too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the new 2023 Genesis Electrified G80? How good is the media system in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80?
The media system is great in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80. It is very modern, clear and easy to navigate. Using either the touch screen or rotary dial in the central console.
You can control the front and rear climate through the media screen and you can switch it to driver aircon only which is a great way of saving battery when you have dropped the kids off and it is just you in the car.
There are also climate control buttons and dials on the dash below the media screen.
In the back, the rear air vents in the Electrified G80 are in the back of the central console box and there are also controls for this below the vents.
The 2023 Electrified G80 also has Quiet Mode, which at the press of a button brings the sound from the rear speakers through to the front, great for when my little one falls asleep in the back. There is also the white noise of Sounds of Nature which is fantastic for when you are trying to get your kids to sleep in the car and it sounds fantastic through the speakers in the Electrified G80!
You can control the front seats through the media screen and the delightful driver massage seat!
The 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 comes with built-in sat-nav as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
I find the EV screen in the media system is really helpful, it not only shows your battery range but it shows it with and without the aircon. So when planning a trip you can tailor your aircon and media system usage around how far you need the battery to last! It's also interesting to see how much sun energy it is picking up with the solar panels on the roof.
When you put the 2023 Genesis Electrified G8Â into reverse the built-in window blind on the rear windscreen automatically lowers so you have better visibility…
…and you have a lovely clear camera image to view on the media screen.
There is a birds-eye view as well as a 360-degree camera image which makes parking and manoeuvring nice and easy.
The Genesis Electrified G80 has another special feature, it has remote parking, so you can turn the car on and drive it forwards and backwards just using the key fob, which is really handy in tight parking spaces to prevent opening the doors into cars parked beside you.
On the back of both front seats in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 there are media screens for rear passengers.
Our kids loved watching on the screens however they loved controlling the whole car's media system (and aircon) even more!! Using the rear controls in the fold-down armrest and their touch screens they can control everything which drove us MAD as you can imagine when we'd been forced to listen to “Let it go” for the thousandth time!!
The new 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 is not a noisy car when the kids aren't in control!
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
Instead of a traditional gear lever, the Genesis Electrified G80 has a raised rotary dial down in the central console. The dial to control the media system is in front of it and I do keep accidentally using the wrong one when I'm driving!
There are heated seats in the front and rear of the Genesis Electrified G80. The controls in the back are within kids' reach when you have the armrest down and its buult-in control panel available.
The indicators are not too loud in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 and the rear doors and windows can be locked from the driver's door control panel with a single child lock button. There is also a separate lock button just for all the car doors. I found the doors were not too loud to open and close.
There are controls on the side of the front passenger seat so the driver can control its position without having to get out of their seat. This feature is really handy for school pick-ups and when helping elderly relatives in and out of the car to give greater legroom in the back.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the new 2023 Genesis Electrified G80?
The 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 is a luxury five-seater sedan. There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides but are clearly labelled and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages in the fixed parcel shelf for all three rear seating positions, they are within plastic guides and clearly labelled.
I found the rear seats to be quite sculpted in the Genesis Electrified G80 and so two Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the outer seats. I installed the Infasecure Achieve More and Aspire More comfortably.
I found three child seats would just fit across this second row, I could fit the two Infasecure Child seats, Attain More and Aspire More, in the back with a Versatile Booster seat beside them.
With a rear-facing child seat installed in the back, we could fit a 180cm driver or a 184cm front passenger. With forward-facing child seats installed, we found a 186cm driver or front passenger can sit in the front in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80.
Posting Bub into their child seats is surprisingly easy in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 luxury sedan, it feels very comfortable and spacious in the back which really helps when posting Bub into their seat from inside the car and it is nice and easy from outside to reach in and do up harnesses and seatbelts.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
I found there is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back with a child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80? And how good is the new 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 to drive?
The front seats of the new 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 are extremely comfortable and in the model I tested they are a beautifully soft leather upholstery with perforation for heating and cooling. The driver's seat also gives a selection of massages.
For Mum travelling in the back with Bub, the second-row seats are very comfortable too. Both of the outer seats are heated and cooled and the central seat is comfortable too but you can definitely feel the firmness of the fold-down armrest in your back.
The hump in the central aisle footwell is much lower in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 than in the non-electric G80 I tested, so it is much more comfortable for someone in the central seat.
For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80. The cruise controls are on the right of the steering wheel and are lovely and simple to use. I found the cruise control in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 to be very accurate on both motorways and at lower speeds on undulating roads.
There are four air-conditioning vents along the front dashboard of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80; two below the media screen and one at either end of the dashboard.
For rear passengers, in the back, there are two air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box and controls underneath them too.
On the front dash there are controls for the front and rear climate…
…as well as being able to control the climate through the media screen too.
Visibility is good in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 using the side mirrors and the cameras are so good that parking and manoeuvring in school and supermarket car parks is surprisingly easy for a large sedan.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Genesis Electrified G80 was quite easy to park as the visibility with the cameras is very good!
The Genesis Electrified G80 comes with ten airbags as standard;
Front airbags – Driver & passenger, front centre side airbag, knee airbag – Driver â—Ź Side (thorax & pelvis) airbags – Driver and front passenger, side (thorax) airbags – Rear outboard passengers, side curtain airbags.
As standard, all models of the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 come with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist system (BAS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), hill-start assist control (HAC), multi-collision brake (MCB), traction control system (TCS), vehicle stability management (VSM), electronic stability control (ESC), blind-spot collision avoidance-assist – rear/side (BCA-R/S), blind-spot view monitor (BVM), driver attention warning (DAW), including: forward attention warning (FAW); gaze-on-the-road warning function, leading vehicle departure alert, forward collision-avoidance assist (FCA), including: car/pedestrian/cyclist detection (FCA – CAR/PED/CYC). Junction turning/junction crossing function (FCA – JT/JC), lane-change oncoming/lane-change side function (FCA – LO/LS) evasive steering assist function (FCA w/ ESA). High beam assist (HBA), intelligent front-lighting system (IFS), intelligent high beam function (matrix), intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA), lane keeping assist – Line/Road-Edge (LKA-L/R), lane following assist (LFA), parking collision-avoidance assist – reverse (PCA-R). Pre-active adjustment safe-seat (PAS) – front passenger seat and pre-active seat belt (PSB) – front seats. Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance-assist (RCCA), rear occupant alert (ROA) – sensor type, safe exit assist (SEA), smart cruise control (SCC), including: stop and go function (SCC w/ S&G), machine learning function (SCC w/ ML) – based on driving style drive mode based function, overtaking acceleration assist function, surround view monitor (SVM) including: 3D surround view function, driving rear-view monitor (DRM) function – rear view image on command parking distance warning function with dynamic guidelines and guidance display car wash entering mode, boot lid guide-line mode, emergency stop signal (ESS), steering wheel with haptic feedback – Genesis active safety control functions, manual speed limit assist (MSLA), parking distance warning – forward/reverse (PDW-F/R); 6 sensors front and rear with guidance display, smart parking assist (SPA), including: perpendicular and parallel reverse parking and parallel forward exit functions, remote smart parking assist (RSPA), via smart key, including: perpendicular and parallel reverse parking and forward/rearward parking functions, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and virtual engine sound system (VESS) – external sound notification for pedestrians.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when my daughters are asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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