Genesis G80 vs Hyundai Santa Fe

What's the difference?

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.

A big welcome to one of the first turbo-petrol four-cylinder versions of the new-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, a model that launched locally with only its hybrid variants available to our market.

While it might not satisfy the fans of the previous-gen's V6 petrol engine, it might be enough for those who have been on the fence about going the hybrid route.

This is my third time in the new Santa Fe, and each tested variant has managed to offer something different and the base petrol grade, in FWD, is no different – but does it offer enough?