Genesis G80 vs Tesla Model Y

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.

This is the new Tesla Model Y L, of course, but before we even start I need to ask you a very important question.

How often, honestly, do you use all seven seats in your seven-seater? Or if you only have five seats, how often is there a human in every single one?

Rarely, if ever?

Yep, me too. So stick around, because this is, by far, the best family SUV seating layout. And one where there’ll finally be no fighting over who gets stuck with the dodgy seat.

And as a result, the six-seat Tesla Model Y L might just be among the best all-electric SUV offerings around.