BMW 530E vs Genesis G80

What's the difference?

Anyone unfortunate enough to hear me banging on about electric cars - or perhaps more accurately, electrified cars - will be aware of my undying love for the existence of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). 

I love them because they offer a drama-free step into electrification. You don't need a big box on the wall to make sure you're charged overnight and because there's a petrol engine under the bonnet, as long as you've got fuel in the tank, your range anxiety disappears.

You can get around town in electrified silence and emissions-free smugness while still planning that around-Australia trip you'll never go on. It's absolutely the best of both worlds for those reluctant to take the next step. A genuine win-win, if you like.

Except that very few people buy them. Their existence in the catalogues of a number of car companies feels like a weary, "We should at least do something" from product planners. BMW has been trying with PHEVs for a while, with selected offerings in the 3, 5 and X5 range. Given the 5 Series has had its mid-life facelift, what BMW calls the LCI, it's time for another look.

Remember those extra-long Australian luxury sedans like the Ford Fairlane and Holden Statesman/Caprice?

The patriotic choice in an era where that mattered and further protected by tariffs on imports that made them barely any more expensive than a base mid-sized Euro like a BMW 318i, they dominated the top end of the market with their sheer size outside, vast space inside and big-six or V8 grunt.

Like they used to say, there is no substitute for cubic inches.

Well, the spirit of these beloved local social-climbing classics lives on in just one modern car in 2025, the Genesis G80. Over three generations since 2008, it has been Hyundai’s tilt at the premium establishment, in much the same way as the Fairlane and Caprice were, and Toyota’s Lexus luxury brand still is.

We take a dive into the latest petrol-powered range-topper version, the 3.5T All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Sport Luxury (SL), which gives off more than its fair share of vintage HSV Grange vibes.